ANZCTR search results

Dizziness is one of the most common and disabling symptoms after an acquired brain injury (ABI), such as concussion or traumatic brain injury. Many people begin to avoid movements, places and activities that bring on their dizziness, which can slow recovery, increase the risk of falls, and affect mood, work and quality of life. Standard vestibular (balance) rehabilitation gradually exposes people to movements and environments that provoke symptoms, but is usually delivered using simple 2D videos that lack real-world realism. This study will recruit participants to take part in a virtual reality (VR) program delivered by trained clinicians during their usual outpatient rehabilitation sessions at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service (BIRS) Day Hospital or Concussion Clinic at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Participants will wear a VR headset and be gradually exposed to virtual environments that vary in visual busyness and movement, chosen and progressed by their treating clinician based on their individual symptoms and goals. The sessions will last for about 30 minutes. Questionnaires and balance assessments will be completed before and after the program, and some participants and clinicians will be invited to a short interview about their experience. It is hoped this study will show that VR-based graded exposure is practical, safe and acceptable in outpatient brain injury rehabilitation. The study will also be used to provide early evidence about its effects on dizziness, avoidance of activity, anxiety and everyday function. The findings will inform a future larger controlled trial.

This research study is an observational, single site study quantifying expression of biomarkers of respiratory disease in nasal fluid using the ABEL microsampler device. The primary objective of this study is to compare biomarker expression between healthy controls and participants with respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), hayfever, chronic sinusitis, asthma and rhinitis.

Our proposed study will address this gap by comparing postprandial muscle protein synthesis in response to iso-nitrogenous beef meals varying in fat content and structure: lean steak, higher-fat steak, and lean steak with added rendered tallow. We will assess this in the rested state, which better reflects typical feeding patterns and avoids confounding from exercise-enhanced responses.

University teaching staff are at increased risk of vocal fatigue and voice disorders due to high occupational voice demands. This pilot randomised controlled trial will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of supplementing a standard Voice Care Programme with a mindfulness-based intervention. Sixty University of Melbourne teaching staff with vocal fatigue will be randomly allocated to either a Voice Care Programme alone or a Voice Care Programme plus mindfulness intervention. Feasibility outcomes will include recruitment, retention, adherence, and participant acceptability. Preliminary effectiveness outcomes will include vocal fatigue, voice quality, phonation threshold pressure, psychological distress, interoceptive awareness, and burnout.

This study uses a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel group study design. This study involves the testing for eight weeks of a TGA-listed off-shelf supplement (Swisse Nutra Cellular Skin Hydration product), The research study aims to compare the effect of the product against a placebo on objective measures of skin hydration, wrinkle reduction, water loss and skin elasticity, as well as change of the measures from first visit. It also aims to compare the end user experience of the product against a placebo in an eight-week real-life product testing.

Older Australians make up the largest proportion (6 in 10) of people diagnosed with cancer and the majority living with and surviving cancer. This study aims to evaluate a geriatric oncology model of care compared to geriatric screening alone (to identify older people at risk). Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 65 years or older (or 50 years of older if you are of Indigenous background), you have been recently diagnosed with cancer and you have been referred to a cancer specialist and are being considered for chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy (including as part of a clinical trial). Study details Cancer services who take part in this study will be randomly assigned to commence using the new geriatric oncology model of care. This model of care will involve geriatric screening to identify older people at risk of frailty, followed by a comprehensive geriatric assessment for those identified at risk to inform tailored cancer treatment, interdisciplinary clinic care and support, shared decision-making an ongoing monitoring of patients. Participants who receive access to the model of care may have increased travel time or appointments due to assessment findings. All patients will receive the best care available, regardless of the cancer clinic/hospital that they attend. It is hoped this research will determine factors that enable the best approach to support uptake of specific care practices for older cancer patients into current practice, and that this may lead to improved quality of life for older cancer patients.

Alzheimer's disease is associated with inflammation in the brain, but inflammation elsewhere in the body may also contribute to the disease. This study aims to determine whether inflammation in the thoracic aorta is associated with changes in brain glucose metabolism in people undergoing clinically indicated FDG PET/CT for suspected Alzheimer's disease. Participants will undergo analysis of their clinically acquired brain and thoracic PET/CT images, together with cognitive assessments and clinical information. The study will investigate whether greater aortic inflammation is associated with more severe brain changes and cognitive impairment. The findings may improve understanding of the relationship between vascular inflammation and Alzheimer's disease and help identify new imaging biomarkers.

The purpose of this study is to find out whether training people who provide care or support to women during the maternity or perinatal period in Psychological First Aid for Birth Trauma (PFA-B) improves the support they provide to women following a distressing or traumatic birth. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive the training either immediately or after a waiting period. They will complete questionnaires before training, immediately after training, and at follow-up time points to assess changes in their knowledge, skills, approach to care, and compassion fatigue. We expect that participants who receive the training will show greater improvements in these areas than those in the waitlist group.

Move to Improve is a program designed to support children with long-term health conditions to participate in physical activity. This study will investigate how well Move to Improve works when expanded across a children's hospital. Who is it for? You may be eligible to enrol your child into this study if they are aged 5 to 17 years living with a primary diagnosis of a chronic health condition in the Perth metropolitan region, and are receiving outpatient services from eligible departments at Perth Children's Hospital. Study details Participants receive one 45 minute physical activity session each week for 8 weeks. Each participant will engage in an individualised program designed to progress towards physical activity goals, build knowledge and confidence in being active, and support ongoing physical activity participation. Information will be collected on physical activity, goal attainment, quality of life and other measures. It is hoped that findings from this study will help identify effective ways to integrate physical activity into routine clinical care and support implementation of similar programs in other paediatric hospitals.

Limb pain in children is common. While often harmless, it can sometimes be caused by serious conditions like infections, cancer, or rheumatic fever. Right now, it’s hard to know which children need urgent tests and which don’t. A good decision-making tool could help doctors make faster, safer, and more cost-effective choices. This study is looking at children who come to the emergency department (ED) with sudden limb pain (like a sore arm or leg or with a limp). The goal of the project is to either validate an existing Clinical Decision Rule (CDR) or create and test a new CDR that helps doctors quickly and safely decide which children might have a serious condition and need further tests like blood work or scans - and which children don’t. This prospective observational study will collect data prior to clinical treatment or investigation of children aged <16 years presenting to the ED with acute onset (within the last 7 days) of non-traumatic limb pain and/or limp at 18 EDs in Australia and New Zealand who are part of the PREDICT research network. This study aims to derive and validate a paediatric ED Clinical Decision Rule (PAL CDR) that (i) accurately detects serious pathology bone and joint infection, malignancy, slipped upper femoral epiphysis, ARF) and (ii) risk-stratifies children with suspected serious pathology* into those who do and do not require blood tests or imaging. Primary Aim: To derive and validate a paediatric ED CDR that (i) accurately detects serious pathology (bone and joint infection, malignancy, acute rheumatic fever (ARF), slipped upper femoral epiphysis) and (ii) risk-stratifies children with suspected serious pathology into those who do and do not require blood tests or imaging. Secondary Aims: (1) To externally validate, in ANZ EDs, current overseas-derived CDRs by assessing (i) the accuracy of detecting confirmed serious pathology; (ii) the ability to accurately identify children who do not need blood tests or imaging investigations; (iii) cost-effectiveness of different CDRs. (2) To determine the performance of the newly derived and established CDRs in settings with low and high prevalence of ARF.