July 23, 2009

Researchers in various studies looking for participants

Here is a list of research studies that currently are looking for study participants.

Study on effects of protein and fiber meals in combination with Alli

Men and women ages 21-55 and who are overweight by approximately 10-75 pounds are needed for a study in the Department of Foods and Nutrition.

Researchers are studying whether eating higher than average amounts of protein and fiber affect feelings of fullness, metabolism, and gut hormones. They also are studying whether taking Alli, an over-the-counter drug that reduces dietary fat absorption in the body, affects those responses.

Principal investigators on the study are Kim Buhman, assistant professor of foods and nutrition, and Megan McCrory, assistant professor of foods and nutrition.

Participants must be in general good health, be nonsmokers, have few dietary restrictions, and be willing to eat higher than average amounts of protein and fiber in foods provided during the study.

Participants will be paid $350 upon completion of the study. The study involves six visits to Purdue with a time commitment of about 36 hours.

For more information, contact Adrienne Hatch at ahatch@purdue.edu  or 49-40130.

Study on reading performance while running

Adults age 18 and older who run on treadmills are being sought for a study on reading performance while running.

Under the leadership of Ji Soo Yi, assistant professor of industrial engineering, the experiment will test the effectiveness of a content stabilization technique called ReadingMate. ReadingMate tracks the location of the jogger's head/eyes and relocates the content on a screen so that the content appears to be stabilized.

ReadingMate could be applied to users receiving visual information in turbulent environments such as aviation and construction.

Participants must be age 18 and older, speak English as a first language, be able to run on the treadmill for an hour at the speed of 5.0 miles/hour without incurring medical problems, and have normal vision without glasses (or with contact lenses) in order to read a college text.

Eligible participants will sign up for 50-minute sessions on two separate days. Compensation will be $8 for each day.

Those interested should contact Bum Chul Kwon at kwonb@purdue.edu  or (703) 336-7948 and leave their name, e-mail address, daytime phone number, and possible time slots for participation. Questions and concerns also can be directed to Kwon.

Speech treatment study

Patients diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who are experiencing problems with vocal loudness as a result of their disease are being sought for a speech treatment study at Purdue. Jessica Huber, associate professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences, is leading the study.

Participants, who must pass a screening questionnaire and meet certain other criteria, will be asked to undergo a treatment plan of 14-20 weeks. They will receive compensation for participation, and travel of more than 30 minutes to the laboratory will qualify for reimbursement.

The treatment, developed in Huber's Speech Physiology Laboratory, involves a small wearable device that the participant will use for part of each day. More about the process and the other eligibility criteria is included at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/insidepurdue/2009/090716_ResearchStudies.html.

Persons interested in participating can contact Huber for more information at 49-46488.