ANZCTR search results

Every Australian deserves to age well. Dementia is a considerable threat to quality of life and is set to become the leading cause of death in Australia, yet we are not harnessing existing evidence for dementia risk reduction effectively. There is substantial evidence that 40% of dementia cases can be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors and that individuals respond stronger to personal information than aggregated evidence. We know that individuals in longitudinal research projects benefit from receiving personal information, such as digital and biological markers that are indicators of dementia risk, yet we still don’t know if knowledge of this information will drive positive behaviour change. This project aims to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice by understanding how people respond to their digital and biological markers of dementia. We will co-design an online dashboard in which to present personal information, alongside personalized evidence-based recommendations to empower individuals to take steps toward positive behavior change. We will run co-design sessions with clinicians, participants, researchers, people living with dementia and their caregivers to ensure the messaging is presented in a safe, user-friendly and ergonomic fashion. We will then pilot test the impact of communicating this information on modifiable risk factors for dementia over time. We will also investigate how wellbeing, self-efficacy and quality of life change as a result of receiving this information. By harnessing personal resonance, we can enact positive behaviour change, improve quality of life and ultimately reduce dementia risk, ensuring Australians can live better for longer.

A healthy volunteer study testing a new oral insulin, EA-Ins-IQ-100.. This study will assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of different doses of EA-Ins-IQ-100 after single oral administrations.

The POCAHONTAS study is aiming to evaluate the optimal timing of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) in combination with standard systemic therapy for men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer with four to ten metastases. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or above, have histologically confirmed prostate cancer with metastatic disease detected on PSMA-PET/CT imaging within eight weeks prior to randomisation, have between four and ten metastatic lesions identified, have hormone-sensitive or hormone-naïve disease, an ECOG performance status of 0–1, and all sites of disease are amenable to treatment with SABR. Study details All participants receive standard-of-care systemic therapy, including androgen deprivation therapy with or without additional agents. Participants will then be randomly allocated (by chance) to one of two groups to receive either (1) immediate upfront SABR to all metastatic lesions or (2) delayed SABR (six months post-randomisation) to residual disease following initial systemic therapy. Participants will undergo PSMA-PET/CT imaging, blood tests and complete questionnaires during regular three-monthly follow-up visits for the first two years and six-monthly thereafter, for up to approximately three years post-randomisation, to determine outcomes including three-year castration-resistant prostate cancer–free survival, change in systemic therapy, overall survival, incidence of adverse events and quality of life. It is hoped that this research will help define the most effective timing of SABR in combination with systemic therapy, with the potential to improve long-term outcomes and delay disease progression for men with advanced prostate cancer.

This study is investigating whether a non-invasive light therapy, called photobiomodulation (PBM), can help reduce persistent pelvic pain in people with endometriosis. Persistent pelvic pain in endometriosis is often difficult to treat and may involve changes in how the nervous system processes pain signals. This preliminary study will assess the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of PBM, and explore how different treatment doses influence pain and related symptoms. PBM will be applied to target neural regions involved in pelvic pain processing across a series of treatment sessions. It is hypothesised that PBM will be safe and well tolerated, and may reduce pain and improve function, helping inform the design of a future larger clinical trial.

This study aims to evaluate a hands-on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) learning program designed for undergraduate medical radiation science students. The program combines self-directed learning with supervised practical MRI training using a research MRI scanner. The purpose of the study is to determine whether participation in this program improves students’ MRI knowledge and their confidence in performing MRI-related tasks. It is expected that students will demonstrate improved knowledge test scores and higher self-perceived competence after completing the program. All participants receive the same learning program, and their outcomes are assessed by comparing their performance and responses before and after participation.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and implementation pathways for successfully introducing a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) for older patients having total hip or knee replacement. CGA includes pre- and post-operative assessment, shared decision-making, prevention and early identification of complications by a multi-disciplinary team, The study will produce an implementation roadmap for Australian health services.

The TIM-TAM trial is a prospective, open-label, blinded endpoint randomised controlled trial assessing whether breast arterial calcification detected on routine mammography can be used to guide cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention in women. Participants will undergo automated assessment of mammograms for breast arterial calcification. Those with breast arterial calcification who meet eligibility criteria will be randomised to either BAC-guided enhanced cardiovascular risk management or standard care. The intervention group will receive BAC visualisation, cardiovascular risk assessment, personalised risk communication, education, and structured nurse-led risk management with follow-up over 36 months. The control group will receive standard cardiovascular risk management through usual care. Outcomes will include change in cardiovascular risk score, adherence to preventive therapy, and change in coronary plaque burden on coronary computed tomography

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are commonly used by people with diabetes to measure glucose levels using a small sensor placed under the skin. New sensor technologies may allow several important health markers, including glucose, ketones, and lactate, to be measured continuously using a single sensor. Monitoring ketones may help identify the early stages of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious complication of diabetes, while lactate can provide information about how well the body's tissues are functioning. Measuring multiple markers at the same time could give healthcare professionals a more complete picture of a person's metabolic health than glucose monitoring alone. This study aims to evaluate the performance and potential clinical value of multi-analyte sensors, particularly in hospitalised patients where continuous monitoring may help detect health problems earlier. The findings may support the development of future monitoring technologies that improve patient care and safety both in hospital and community settings.

This is a retrospective study aiming to look at rates and predictors of escalation in patients admitted to the Queensland Children's Hospital HITH. Patient-specific, clinical and service-related factors will be assessed.

In a significant proportion of patients suffering from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, their heart enters a chaotic rhythm, called ventricular fibrillation (VF). This rhythm, and a similar rhythm called ventricular tachycardia (VT), can be treated with electricity via defibrillator (a "shock"); but this does not always work. Evidence from the UK and Australia suggests over half of patients who develop this rhythm stay in it persistently despite repeated shocks. A drug called adrenaline, used in existing resuscitation algorithms for this type of heart rhythm, may make things worse for the heart in this specific situation of persistent VT or VF. Recent studies show that a drug called esmolol may improve the chances of survival in patients with these persistent shockable rhythms, especially when used with less adrenaline. We want to conduct a feasibility study to see if using esmolol alongside less adrenaline may help more people recover from cardiac arrest, and to assess the feasibility of performing this sort of trial for critically unwell patients in a prehospital setting in South Australia.