We are looking at measures of frailty (including an assessment questionnaire and other data from the medical record) and the relationship to outcomes from cardiac or vascular surgery. The questionnaire will take about 10 minutes to complete and we will contact you by phone once every three months for one year after your surgery.

Frail Heart Study - frailheart@umn.edu

Background: Distal radius fractures (DRF) account for nearly one-fifth of all fractures in older adults, and women experience them 5x as often as men. Most DRF occur with low impact injuries to the wrist with an outstretched hand, and are often managed via closed treatment and cast immobilization. Women sustaining a DRF are at risk for upper limb immobility, sensorimotor changes, edema and type I complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Since CRPS onset is likely influenced by alterations in the brain’s somatosensory region, a rehabilitation intervention, Graded Motor Imagery (GMI), aims to restore cortical representation, including sensory and motor function, of the affected limb. To date, there are no studies on the use of GMI in reducing risk of or preventing the onset of type I CRPS in women with DRF treated with cast immobilization. Due to a higher likelihood of women with this injury developing type I CRPS, it is important to early intervention is needed. Methods/Design: This article describes a six-week randomized comparative effectiveness trial, where the outcomes of a modified GMI program (mGMI) + standard of care (SOC) group (n=33) are compared to a SOC only control group (n=33). Immediately following cast immobilization, both groups participate in four 1-hour clinic-based sessions, and a home program for 10 minutes three times daily until cast removal. Blinded assessments occur within 1 week of cast immobilization (baseline), at three weeks post cast immbolization, cast removal, and at three months post cast removal. The primary outcomes are patient reported wrist/hand function and symptomology on the Patient Rated Wristand Hand Evaluation, McGill Pain Questionnaire, and Budapest CRPS Criteria. The secondary outcomes are grip strength, active range of motion as per goniometry, circumferential edema measurements, and joint position sense. Discussion: This study will investigate the early effects of mGMI + SOC hand therapy compared to SOC alone. We intend to investigate whether an intervention, specifically mGMI, used to treat preexisiting pain and motor dysfunction might also be used to mitigate these problems prior to their onset. If positive effects are observed, mGMI + SOC may be considered for incorporation into early rehabilitation program.

Corey McGee - mcge0062@umn.edu

The Syner-G regimen research study seeks to evaluate the use of a combination of a medication called miglustat and a ketogenic diet for treatment of the gangliosidoses to learn if this combination will provide improved clinical outcomes compared to what we currently know about the natural course of the disease.

Jeanine Jarnes - utzx0002@umn.edu

This study's primary aims are to define and characterize disease progression for the infantile and juvenile forms of the gangliosidoses, and the late-onset forms of gangliosidosis, including their heterogeneity; and to observe treatment outcomes for any treatments tried. The secondary aims of this study are to understand the neurological involvement in late-onset gangliosidosis; and to collect data on disease progression that can be used for creation of an objective disease stage and severity index.

Jeanine Jarnes - utzx0002@umn.edu