Clinical Trials in the Center for Neurointestinal Health

The Center for Neurointestinal Health at Massachusetts General Hospital provides world-class clinical care for patients with neurointestinal disorders.

The clinical success of the Center for Neurointestinal Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital is directly tied to its success in clinical research. The Center is currently running more than 10 clinical trials that focus on improving the treatment and diagnosis of neurointestinal disorders.

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome

• Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Registry (CVSR): Sample collections from adult patients to evaluate environmental, microbial, genetic and metabolic factors in the pathophysiology of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome

Functional Dyspepsia

• Non-Invasive Characterization of Gastric Motility Using MRI: This study explores the use of non-invasive and non-radiation MRI to examine how the stomach works in healthy controls and in patients with GI disease
• Modulation of Gastric Sensitivity and Accommodation by Vagal Nerve Stimulation: This study explores how the vagus nerve, one of the important nerves in the body, affects how the stomach works in individuals with functional dyspepsia
• Acupuncture Outcomes in Functional Dyspepsia: This study investigates the effects of acupuncture on functional dyspepsia

Gastroparesis

• Functional GI Disease Registry (FGIDR): Sample collections from patients to study the role of environmental, microbial, genetic and metabolic factors in the pathophysiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders.
• NIDDK Gastroparesis Registry 3 (GpR3): The GpR3 study is an observational study whose purpose is to better understand the symptoms of gastroparesis and follow how this condition changes over time
• Central and Peripheral Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Treatment on Brain-Gut Axis Signaling in Gastroparetic Patients: The purpose of this study is to assess how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works for treating patients with gastroparesis

Irritable Bowel Syndrome/Diarrhea/Constipation

• Functional GI Disease Registry (FGIDR): Sample collections from patients to study the role of environmental, microbial, genetic and metabolic factors in the pathophysiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders
• Genetics of IBS-D Therapy: Recruiting patients with IBS-D not currently on IBS-D treatment to investigate whether genotype affects efficacy of therapy. Patients complete bi-weekly questionnaires and a saliva sample
• Using natural language processing of novel biopsychosocial disease constructs to aid in the evaluation and diagnosis of functional gastrointestinal disorders: Audio recording physician-patient interactions and research assistant-patient interviews in order to better characterize the ways patients with functional GI disease talk about their symptoms and to record common themes in patients’ verbal descriptions of bowel symptoms to inform a kind of artificial intelligence technology
• In conjunction with the MGH Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics, we are exploring psilocybin-assisted therapy as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS.) This study is led by Drs. Brad Kuo, Erin Mauney, and Franklin King. Please refer to our listing on ClinicalTrials.gov. If you are interested in participating in this research study, please contact GIMotilityResearch@mgh.harvard.edu.

Pediatric Clinical Trials

• Linaclotide for children with Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation (IBS-C): Recruiting pediatric patients 7-17 years old with chronic constipation and abdominal pain for evaluation of new medication, linaclotide