By Kathy Fiscus
Operations Coordinator
Research at HOME? What is a Smurfcake?
The University of Miami and Atrium Health are conducting a research study on gut symptoms experienced by individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Participation is completely voluntary and can be done from home.
To determine whether food takes longer to move through the gut in individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (a possible contributing factor in GI distress), researchers will ask participants to eat two gluten-free Smurfcakes. Smurfcakes are muffins that contain blue food coloring. The time from Smurfcake ingestion to blue-green stooling is a simple, non-invasive measure of gut transit time that can be done at home.
Click this link to read the full study description.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
Send an email to the clinical team and provide the best means of contacting you (phone, e-mail, etc.). The study coordinator will get in touch with you.
- Email the clinical team at IMResearch@atriumhealth.org
- In the Subject Line: Gut/Brain Study Participant
LEARN MORE:
To learn more about how this research team is helping people with digestive conditions, view their website (https://dallmanlab.weebly.com/) or the article entitled Zebrafish and ‘Smurf cakes’ link autism gene mutation to digestive woes.