VA Cooperative Studies Program (CSP)
CSP Coordinating Center - Perry Point, MD
The CSP Coordinating Center at Perry Point VA Medical Center was established in 1972 after a reorganization of the Central Neuropsychiatric Research Laboratory, the coordinating center for psychiatric cooperative studies. Dating back to the 1940s, key historical studies conducted by the coordinating center include a multi-hospital evaluation of prefrontal lobotomy of schizophrenic patients, a series of evaluations on the safety and efficacy of standard antipsychotic drugs, investigations of some of the earliest anti-depressive drugs, and the first large-scale evaluation of lithium carbonate for affective disorders. Several other major studies have been done to help patients with substance abuse problems. The Perry Point CSP Coordinating Center completed studies on a range of areas including:
- Lens implants in cataract patients
- Treatments for alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver (colchicine) and alcoholism (naltrexone)
- The efficacy and toxicity of carbamazepine to divalproex sodium for partial seizures
- Pharmacological treatments for epilepsy (phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, and carbamazepine)
- Alpha blockade and androgen suppression for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Clinical and economic impact of olanzapine in the treatment of schizophrenia
- Antibiotic treatment of Gulf War Syndrome
- Digitalis and heart failure
- Symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis
- Total parenteral nutrition in malnourished surgical patients
- Medical and surgical therapies for gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Antithrombotic therapies in patients with congestive heart failure
- Heart bypass graft surgery
- Prostate cancer
- Risk factors for asymptomatic large colonic adenomas
- Survey of long-term health outcomes of women Veteran's service in Vietnam
- Skin cancer
- COVID-19
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Exoskeletal assisted walking in patients with spinal cord injury
- Transfusion triggers after operations
Through an Interagency Agreement (IAA) between the VA and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Perry Point CSPCC provides clinical trials and statistical guidance, data management and administrative oversight for NIDA sponsored multi-center clinical trials on potential medications for addiction to controlled substances or alcoholism. The goal of these efforts is to support the development and subsequent marketing of new pharmaceutical entities to treat addictive disorders and certain mental illnesses. Some of these studies have examined:
- Treatments for cocaine dependence (baclofen; selegiline transdermal system)
- Treatments for opiate dependence (buprenorphine/naloxone; buprenorphine; levo-alpha acetylmethadol)
- Treatment for opiate withdrawal (lofexidine)
- Treatment for methamphetamine dependence
Through another Interagency Agreement (IAA) between VA and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Perry Point CSPCC supports clinical research studies conducted by the Strategies and Treatments for Respiratory Infections and Viral Emergencies (STRIVE) Network. STRIVE studies are led and managed by the University of Minnesota/International Network of Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT). The collaborating coordinating centers are referred to as International Coordinating Centers (ICCs), with VHA’s being known as the VA ICC. This IAA supports the VA ICC in providing clinical trial infrastructure and coordinating support for VHA sites participating in NIAID-supported clinical studies under the STRIVE platform. The VA ICC Network consists of 20 eligible VA Medical Centers throughout the United States.
Facilities, Staff, and Equipment
The Perry Point CSPCC is housed in Research Bldg. 4 and one modular building on the grounds of Perry Point VA Medical Center located about 40 miles north of Baltimore, MD. Personnel include biostatisticians, statistical and database programmers, project managers, quality assurance and administrative staff. SAS serves as the primary statistical programming package and staff have a range of specialty software packages available to support center efforts. Perry Point CSP Coordinating Center is certified in ISO 9001:2008 (International Organization of Standardization).
Academic Affiliations
Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, University of Maryland (UMD) School of Medicine
Key Personnel
Kousick Biswas, PhD
Director, Perry Point CSP Coordinating Center
Ellen Dematt, MA
Deputy Director, Perry Point CSP Coordinating Center
Erin Norman, MSW
Associate Center Director for Administrative Operations
Contact
Perry Point CSPCC
Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center
5th Avenue, Bldg. 362T
Perry Point, MD 21902
Phone: (410) 642-2411 Ext. 25291
