ANZCTR search results

This study aims to determine the current practices of adults with cystic fibrosis in relation to exercise and airway clearance techniques in Australia. It will also examine the beliefs of these individuals regarding the use of exercise as a form of airway clearance. Potential demographic and disease-related variables will be examined to determine if they are related to the participants current practices and beliefs regarding exercise and airway clearance techniques.

Diabetes is one of Australia’s greatest health issues, affecting more than 1.5 million Australians. One of the most devastating consequences of the disease is deterioration in foot health that, in severe cases, can lead to amputation. The feet are one of the first parts of the body to be affected by diabetes resulting in muscle weakness, poor circulation and a loss of sensitivity. Clearly, addressing the loss of foot muscle strength and restoring normal foot function will have important implications for the thousands of adults with diabetes who suffer from poor foot health. This study will determine the feasibility and effectiveness an exercise intervention that aims to increase foot muscle strength in people with diabetes. Upon recruitment into the project, participants will undergo a baseline assessment and will then be randomised into either a control or supervised exercise group. We hypothesise that after completing the resistance training program, participants will display improved foot muscle strength and decreased forefoot plantar pressures. The research will address critical health issues related to the ageing foot, with ancillary benefits in the context of falls prevention and foot care for at risk populations. The outcomes of the project will provide vital evidence to develop treatments to restore foot function to this vulnerable group within our community.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a lifestyle intervention based on behaviour change theories on liver enzymes and metabolic abnormalities in patients diagnosed with Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or Hepatitis C and not receiving anti-viral therapy. We hypothesised that if successful; such an intervention would reduce the metabolic risk profile of patients and thereby lead to a reduction in the drivers of hepatic steatosis and inflammation.

The purpose of the study is to address the gap in literature regarding the use of exercise as an intervention to improve quality of life in overweight or obese individuals. The rates of obesity and overweight are increasing rapidly in Australia and worldwide. Overweight and obesity increase the risk of developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke and other health conditions. In addition to these risks, increased weight is linked to lower health related quality of life (QOL) scores when compared to healthy weight individuals. The effects of exercise for improving body weight have been well established from previous studies. Physical activity has also been found to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors, with or without weight loss. An increasing number of studies involving overweight or obese participants are utilising QOL as an outcome measure as it is now considered a vital part of an individual’s health status. Exercise and lifestyle change studies have found improvements in QOL scores in these individuals. Exercise programs that achieve weight loss have also been found to improve QOL scores, with and without the inclusion of dietary change. Despite these findings there have been no studies to date which have investigated the optimal exercise intensity to maximise improvements in QOL in overweight or obese individuals. Current Australian physical activity guidelines for overweight or obese individuals recommend approximately 300 minutes of moderate intensity activity, or 150 minutes of vigorous activity per week to achieve weight loss. In contrast to these clear recommendations there exist no clinical guidelines regarding exercise prescription for maximising improvements in QOL in these individuals. Most previous trials targeting QOL in overweight or obese peoples or in the general population follow the physical activity guidelines for achieving weight loss and have not attempted to compare the effect of differing exercise intensities on QOL improvements. This research study aimed to show the impact of regular physical activity as a method of improving QOL in overweight or obese persons. It also aimed to establish whether low or moderate intensity exercise was superior for maximising improvements in QOL in these individuals.

Cocoa contains polyphenols that are thought to be beneficial to vascular health, but no previous dose-response study has assessed the impact of chocolate containing distinct levels of cocoa on cerebrovascular function and cognition. This research aims to investigate the acute effect of chocolate consumption (80% cocoa [dark] versus 35% cocoa [milk] versus 0% cocoa [white]) on vascular endothelial function, cognition and cerebrovascular function in postmenopausal women. The results have the potential to provide insight into the effect of cocoa polyphenols on systemic blood flow responses and cognitive ability.

The purpose of this project is test whether mobile dermatoscopes can help assist consumers conduct home skin examinations to detect potentially cancerous skin spots or moles. Who is it for? You may be eligible to participate in this trial if you are aged 18 or over, are considered high risk for skin cancer, own an iPhone 5 or above and have a partner/relative/friend willing to assist you with skin examinations. Study details: Participants will be randomly allocated (by chance) to either the usual care naked-eye skin self-examination group or the intervention teledermoscopy group. The teledermoscopy group will receive a magnifying device which attaches to their smartphone to assist with skin self-examinations. All participants will be asked to complete two questionnaires (baseline and 2-month), conduct three skin examinations at home (baseline, 1-month and 2-month) and have a whole-body clinical skin examination with one of our study dermatologists at a study clinic after the 2-month skin self-examination. Intervention group will be asked to use a mobile dermatoscope to conduct their home skin examinations. It is hoped that this trial will provide information on whether mobile teledermoscopy may be accurate and cost-effective for assisting high risk individuals with skin self-examinations.

This study aims to evaluate the validity of a new standardised assessment for unilateral spatial neglect (USN) using Tobii eye tracking glasses within a functional task (making a hot beverage) This study is an extension of a feasibility study completed in 2014 (not registered as a trial) and asks the question “Can eye tracking glasses be used to efficiently and effectively assess USN in a functional task?”

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate whether formal assessment tools for the elderly can predict chemotherapy toxicity in older adults with cancer, better than an oncologist's assessment as part of standard care. Who is it for? You may be eligible to participate in this study if you are aged 65 years or older, and have been diagnosed with any type of cancer for which you are due to begin chemotherapy. Study details All participants will complete a health questionnaire (known as a "geriatric assessment), which includes calculation of the CARG toxicity score. The geriatric assessment covers physical and mental wellbeing, any additional illnesses, history of falls, cognition, nutrition, and a timed walk test. The assessment session takes place over 30 minutes, once, prior to beginning chemotherapy. Researchers will then assess the level of chemotherapy toxicity throughout the planned chemotherapy, and will look at survival at one year. It is hoped that the findings of this trial will provide information on whether the CARG toxicity score can aid oncologists with the prediction of chemotherapy toxicity in elderly patients.

This study will not test a hypothesis. It will report the feasibility and uptake of adding a behaviour change intervention, which aims to reduce sedentary time of people with COPD, to a standard pulmonary rehabilitation program. The goal is to provide pilot data to support an NHMRC project grant application (in 2017).

The primary aim of this study is to pilot test the feasibility of a randomised trial that compares the effectiveness of new generation securement and dressing products for intra-arterial catheters (IAL). The RCT aims to (i) identify clinical, cost-effective methods to prevent catheter failure due to infection, phlebitis, occlusion, and dislodgement; (ii) compare usual care dressings with a novel method; (iii) evaluate the acceptability of these devices to patients and health professionals; and (iv) study adverse effect profiles. You may be eligible to participate in this trial if you are an intensive care patient over the age of 16 and are having an intra-arterial catheter inserted as part of your therapy (which is expected to remain in place for at least 24 hours). All participants enrolled in this trial will be randomly allocated (by chance) to receive one of four IAL dressing/securement options. These will be either (i) the standard simple polyurethane dressing; (ii) the standard simple polyurethane dressing and a chlorhexidine impregnated disc; (iii) an integrated securement device and simple polyurethane dressing combined into a single device; (iv) or an integrated securement device and chlorhexidine impregnated disc. The allocated dressing will be applied from device insertion until the time of device removal. Participants will be asked to rate the acceptability of the device and dressing, and the device will be observed closely to examine side effects, device failures and infections. It is hoped that the findings of this trial will provide information on which IAL securements and dressings are most effective in preventing IAL failure.