ANZCTR search results

Research on dog-assisted reading programs in school settings mostly provide support; It has been shown that the greatest improvements in reading may occur with younger readers in earlier grades, greatest gains for children in special education, ESL, and children who struggle with reading (Kirnan et al., 2016) and with emotional disorders (Anderson & Olson, 2006). Existing research, however, shows mixed results as the methodology and designs vary and anecdotal supports are often subjectively positive (Kirnan et al., 2016; Stevenson et al., 2015). The aim of this research project is to evaluate the impact of a Dog Training Intervention on high school students using Seligman’s (2011) PERMA model of the five pillars of wellbeing: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. The EPOCH measure of adolescent well-being (Kern et al., (2016) is utlitised as an outcome measure as well as qualitative analysis of end of treatment focus groups with consenting adolescents. These methods will explore how the dog training intervention may have impacted on high school students’ engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness, and happiness as well as their experiences and perceptions of the intervention.

Pelvic pain is common, affecting about one in four women, typically starting in their teenage and young adult lives, critical times while they are studying, entering the workforce, developing relationships and considering a family, with pain continuing right up to menopause and beyond. The burden on the individual affects their physical and mental health, in turn affecting their work, study and relationships. Women living outside metropolitan areas usually experience significant barriers to access the specialised and interdisciplinary care they need. This study will design, deliver and evaluate an evidence-based interdisciplinary model of care to women living in a regional Victorian area. This small-scale study will assist the regional health service develop a sustainable and effective model of care that fits their local resources and context. The hypothesis is that an interdisciplinary model of care for pelvic pain will be feasible in a regional health service (NHW), when supported by specialised services from the RWH, a “hub and spoke model of care”.

This trial aims to compare four different radiotherapy treatment approaches for prostate cancer using a technique called "Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy" or SBRT to find out which has the best outcomes and least amount of side effects. The treatment approaches will look at two different schedules, either 5 treatments over 2 weeks or 2 treatments over 2 weeks, as well as whether a reduced radiotherapy dose can be used (called "de-escalated" treatment). Who is it for? You may be eligible for this trial is you are aged 18 years or older, have been diagnosed with prostate cancer that your doctor classifies as "intermediate risk" and are suitable for treatment with SBRT. Study details Participants who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomly assigned to one of the four treatment approaches. There is an equal chance of receiving each group. These include: Group 1: SBRT given in 5 treatments over 2 weeks with standard dose to the whole prostate Group 2: SBRT given in 5 treatments over 2 weeks with de-escalated dose to the prostate Group 3: SBRT given in 2 treatments over 2 weeks with standard dose to the whole prostate Group 4: SBRT given in 2 treatments over 2 weeks with de-escalated dose to the prostate During and after treatment for up to 5 years, participants will be asked to complete questionnaires about their quality of life related to prostate cancer as well as report on any side effects of treatment to the trial staff. The trial staff will also access participants' medical records to check whether there have been any signs the cancer has returned such as blood test results, imaging scan results and if any new treatment has been started. It is hoped that this trial will help to determine which radiotherapy approach is best for treating prostate cancer with the smallest amount of side effects. The results will help inform a future larger trial of these treatments that may definitively answer this question.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established efficacious treatment to reduce symptoms associated with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease. The success of DBS relies on accurate electrode lead implantation and optimised DBS stimulation. DBS stimulation includes several fitting parameters, including stimulation polarity. This study aims to explore the effects of DBS stimulation polarity on speech and gait outcomes in Parkinson’s disease.

The menstrual cycle may affect physical performance. However, existing evidence is inconsistent and often based on isolated testing timepoints rather than typical training conditions. By monitoring resistance training and quantifying kinematic outputs during exercise, practitioners can gain insight into how performance varies according to menstrual cycle phase, perceived symptoms, motivation, and readiness. This study aims to (1) investigate changes in kinematic outputs during resistance training across different menstrual cycle phases, and (2) examine whether symptoms and perceptions of motivation and readiness are associated with these changes across two mesocycles in resistance-trained females.

Excessive and unbalanced screen use is an increasing concern among Australian adolescents, with potential impacts on physical, psychological, and family well-being. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a family-based intervention designed to promote healthy screen use among adolescents in Australia. The study will adopt a single-arm pre–post design conducted within secondary schools in South-East Queensland. The intervention will be delivered over approximately 2–3 weeks and will include interactive school-based sessions, short educational video modules, parent engagement activities, and home-based action strategies. Outcome data will be collected at baseline and immediately post-intervention to assess changes in screen use behaviours, related psychosocial measures, and implementation feasibility.

We are conducting this research study because in sick people requiring help with breathing, the insertion of a breathing tube with the assistance of an airway introducer is frequently done. Often the breathing tube (endotracheal tube or ETT) will catch on the voicebox as it goes into the windpipe, requiring extra steps. There are two designs of endotracheal tube in common use, one has the tip with a side facing bevel, and the other with a front to back facing bevel. It is theorised that the direction of the bevel at the end of the endotracheal tube influences the ease of insertion, making it less likely to ‘catch’ when an airway introducer is routinely used. There are no studies that show this is the case with the current available combinations. This trial will address this lack of knowledge, and assist our departments to decide which design of tube to use. Currently we use both designs.

Liver transplant recipients are at high risk of antibiotic-resistant bacterial and fungal infections after transplant. In patients who are colonised with antibiotic-resistant superbugs, this study will test whether it is safe, feasible, and effective to adjust the antibiotics given at the time of liver transplant surgery to cover these superbugs, instead of following a “one-size-fits-all” approach where all patients receive the same antibiotics, regardless of whether they carry superbugs. In patients who are not colonised with antibiotic-resistant superbugs and are started on antifungal medications, this study will also test whether it is safe, feasible, and effective to give a fixed duration (five days) of antifungals compared to a clinician-guided duration after a minimum of five days. This is a small, early-stage study. The primary aim is to assess whether this type of study is feasible, including whether enough patients can be recruited, whether the study procedures can be carried out as planned, and whether sufficient high-quality data can be collected. In addition, two optional substudies will be undertaken at Austin Health and will be available only to participants enrolled at this site. The first will investigate the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic properties of perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis during liver transplantation. The second will evaluate longitudinal changes in the microbiome during the first 90 days following liver transplantation. The outcomes for the substudies will not be described as these are exploratory and specific to one site.

The aim of the study is to identify risk factors for glaucoma progression (worsening of glaucoma) independent of the eye pressure, but specific to open angle glaucoma, which may include a combination of genetic, metabolic and lifestyle factors, and provide a deeper understanding on how optic nerve damage occurs in open angle glaucoma. The knowledge gained will help improve early detection, guide prevention strategies and support development of new treatments that target more than just eye pressure. This study will follow patients with glaucoma, optic neuropathy and healthy controls (no eye disease) for five years. All study participants will receive care consistent with standard clinical practice. Open angle glaucoma and optic neuropathy participants will undergo routine clinical management, while no experimental interventions will be applied during this observational study.

This study will examine how small blood vessels in the skin and larger arteries in the arm, leg, and neck function in healthy younger and older adults. Using non-invasive imaging techniques (ultrasound and optical coherence tomography [OCT]), we will measure how these blood vessels dilate and increase blood flow during simple procedures, including blood pressure cuff inflation, gentle skin heating, inhalation of low concentrations of carbon dioxide, and administration of a standard cardiac medication, glyceryl trinitrate, sublingually. We aim to determine how the responses of small and large blood vessels are related and whether age, sex, and fitness level influence these responses. We hypothesise that simple assessments of skin microvascular function may reflect the health of deeper arteries that are more difficult to evaluate directly. This information may help inform the development of simpler methods to detect early vascular dysfunction and future cardiovascular disease risk before clinical symptoms arise.