Clinical Trials | Department of Otolaryngology

Would you like to be more informed about the range of potential treatment options for your health problem? Would you consider a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a research study that evaluates the effectiveness and safety of new medications or medical devices to help with your health problem. Clinical trials may be the way for you to receive promising new therapies that are not available otherwise.

Our Clinical Trials

To view all studies taking place at the University of Pittsburgh, please visit Pitt+Me to search by research study area.

Click to view Pediatric Studies

Condition	Study Nickname	Title of Study	Study Coordinator	Status
Down Syndrome and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Ages 10-21 Years)	Inspire HGN - Neurocognitive NCT04801771	Effects of Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation on Cognition and Language in Down Syndrome and Obstructive Sleep Apnea	Amber Shaffer shafferad@upmc.edu	Recruiting
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Ages 18-21 Years)	Inspire HGN - Registry NCT04457154	Pediatric Post-Approval Registry	Amber Shaffer shafferad@upmc.edu	Recruiting
Velopharyngeal Insufficiency/Hypernasality	EMST Trial NCT05492266	Expiratory Muscle Strength Training for Hypernasal Speech in Children	Amber Shaffer shafferad@upmc.edu	Recruiting
Otitis Media	Posterior Tympanostomy Tube Trial NCT06191562	Randomized clinical trial of post-operative outcomes following posterior versus anterior tympanostomy tube placement	Marina Rushchak rushchakmv4@upmc.edu	Active, not recruiting

Head and Neck Cancer, ongoing and future clinical trials include diabetes and the risk of oral cavity cancer and adapting individual cancer treatments through neoadjuvant therapy, biomarkers, and targeted medications.

In the Sleep Division, upcoming clinical trials are focused on novel treatments for obstructive sleep apnea and include targeted cryoablation of upper airway fat and novel neurostimulation devices designed to increase the upper airway muscle tone while asleep.

The Rhinology Division continues to enroll for a trial examining the real-world efficacy of biologic therapy in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis.

U.S. National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials

Please check the extensive, “one-stop shopping” option database at the U.S. National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials. This is a service provided by the United States National Institutes of Health. The site provides patients, family members, and members of the public with easy and free access to information on clinical studies for a wide range of diseases and conditions. Clinical trials from the entire world are included in this database.

If you are considering participating in a clinical trial, please first check the information on:

Benefits
What to expect
Potential side effects
Participants’ safety

Additional resources for understanding clinical trials.