Clinical observational studies are a type of clinical research that aims to understand causes of illnesses, study trends in how conditions manifest, describe and explain outcomes, and find methods to diagnose and monitor disease in people. Often, “healthy” participants are recruited to provide a comparison to participants with the condition being studied.
The knowledge learned from these studies is used to identify interventions, techniques, technologies, tools, and best practices that enhance health care.
Within the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, our team of clinician-scientists investigate imaging biomarkers of recovery after stroke, devices to measure muscle health at the bedside, and factors affecting outcomes after hip fracture, to name just a few. Please see the table below for more details, including an overview of ongoing studies, contact information, and links to study details and investigator profiles.
| Study Name | Sponsor / Funding Agency | Principal Investigator | MU Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate and rapid assessment of sarcopenia in older adults through electrical impedance myography: The MUSCLE Health Study | National Institute on Aging | W. David Arnold, MD | Arnold Lab Clinical Research Staff, contactarnoldlab@missouri.edu |
| Tonic GABAergic inhibition during the repair phase of human stroke | American Heart Association | Carmen Cirstea, MD, PhD, FAHA | Carmen Cirstea, Assistant Research Professor, cirsteac@health.missouri.edu |
| Autonomic cardiac function in subacute spinal cord injury: a quantitative study in real-world settings | UM Spinal Cord Injuries/ Disease Research Disease Program | Carmen Cirstea, MD, PhD, FAHA | Carmen Cirstea, Assistant Research Professor, cirsteac@health.missouri.edu |
| Neural Mechanisms of Motor Fatigability in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 | Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation | Kristina M. Kelly, PT, DPT, MS, EdM, NCS, CPT, PES | Kristina Kelly, Assistant Research Professor, kristina.kelly@health.missouri.edu |
| Early weight-bearing effects on geriatric hip fracture recovery - a quantitative study | HealthSouth | Chrissa McClellan, MD | Chrissa McClellan, Associate Professor, mcclellancl@health.missouri.edu |
