ANZCTR search results

The aims are to characterise key antimicrobials (cefotaxime, vancomycin, meropenem, ampicillin, gentamicin, piperacillin-tazobactam, flucloxacillin voriconazole, fluconazole, micafungin, ceftazidime, anidulafungin & teicoplanin) pharmacokinetics (PK) in critically ill children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (heart and/or lung support) & continuous renal replacement therapy (kidney support). We aim to design dosing regimens that will be optimised, to achieve maximal effective antimicrobial exposure. Participants will be critically ill children in the Paeditric Intensive Care Unit at Queensland Children's Hospital & University Children's Hospital, Zurich. Method: A prospective observational antimicrobial PK study of critically ill children on extracorporeal therapies. The PK analysis will be performed using a population PK modelling approach P-Metrics 3.5.1 using the concentrations from the patient plasma samples. Building PK models will include an assessment and correlations between the extracorporeal therapy settings, developmental factors and/or clinical factors for each child. Expected outcomes: Improved, optimised antimicrobial dosing treatment regimens for children on extracorporeal therapies.

Botulinum toxin to treat lower limb hypertonia has been shown to benefit children with cerebral palsy when coupled with therapy. There is little consensus on the details of the therapy regimes. There is concern about the potential effects for the Botulinum toxin to produce significant atrophy in the muscle, felt to be related to repeated injections. Efforts to limit the number of injection episodes by prolonging the effects of the toxin should be explored. This study aims to investigate if the duration of effect of Botulinum toxin injection in the legs of children with cerebral palsy differ with robotic-enhanced therapy compared to conventional therapy. The study will also investigate whether robotic-enhanced therapy is judged to be more or less engaging and fun for participants, and if it is cost effective.

This research project is being conducted to determine whether treatment with Nasodine Nasal Spray reduces the severity of the common cold when given within 36 hours of symptom onset and over 5 consecutive days, multiple times a day.

The purpose of this project is to evaluate a digital version of an empirically supported group resilience-training program for adults living with multiple sclerosis (MS) called REsilience Activities every DaY (READY) for MS. The program was developed by researchers at University of Queensland (UQ) and is designed to teach resilience skills for managing life challenges. It is based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which is a recent variant of the well-established cognitive and behaviour therapy. The project involves a collaboration between UQ and two industry partners: a patient support organisation (Partizan Worldwide Pty Ltd) and a pharmaceutical company, Biogen Australia Pty Ltd. It is predicted that compared to people with MS on a waitlist, those who participate in the READY program will report significantly greater improvements in resilience, quality of life and distress.

This is an open-label study of adjunctive treatment with agomelatine in adults with major depressive disorder. This study aims to understand the biological correlates and consequences of agomelatine treatment.

Current research provides strong support that there is a relationship between sleep disturbances and developing many diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and dementia. This highlights the key role of sleep monitoring in identifying important changes in individual’s sleep at a very early stage. The EMFIT QS (Quantified Sleep), an unobtrusive, contact-free sleep monitoring device, is used for tracking the changes in individual’s sleep. This device provides heart and respiration rate measurements, a sleep stage estimation, sleep quality analysis, and heart rate variability. This study is an open label pilot trial to determine sensor validation.

The last Adelaide Stroke Incidence Study (ASCEND) was carried out for 12 months between 2009 and 2010, sampling the western suburbs of Adelaide. We are 10 years on, and significant changes to the delivery model of stroke care in South Australia has occurred. Newer acute therapies and primary prevention methods, with shifting demographics make a repeat study necessary. A repeat population based study in South Australia (SA) will allow: 1. Identification of current Stroke incidence, outcome, recurrence rates and aetiology in SA. 2. Comparison to other Australian and International incidence studies – Are we still providing good quality care? 3. Comparison to initial ASCEND population – Are our primary prevention strategies well targeted? Is stroke incidence and aetiology evolving? Are risk profiles changing and are we managing risk better? 4. Evaluating future burden of stroke in SA for better directed resource allocation. 5. Identifying gaps in our current model of hyperacute stroke care provision. Are we missing out on revascularisation opportunities of Large Vessel occlusion strokes? 6. Understanding of how evolving demographics is modifying stroke incidence and risk profiles. 7. Comparison of Coded stroke aetiology to Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST); Atherosclerosis, Small vessel disease, Cardioembolism, Other, Dissection (ASCOD) criteria and causative classification system (CCS) criteria. 8. Investigating the embolic stroke of undetermined source population for rates of symptomatic non-stenotic carotid disease (SyNC) to see if this may be a potential under-reported aetiology that warrants a different treatment paradigm. Expressed in the null, our main hypothesis is that in South Australia (SA), the age adjusted incidence of stroke will be similar to that reported 10 years ago in a similar population. In summary, a repeat Adelaide stroke incidence study, will allow an accurate contemporary classification of stroke incidence, risk profiles, subtypes and outcomes assisting in judicious delivery of primary prevention, hyperacute, subacute and rehabilitation stroke services in SA and nationally

The study aims to evaluate the use of acupuncture to reduce perceived stress levels in tertiary students. Participants will take part in four acupuncture interventions at either high or low frequency (once or twice per week). The study hopes to inform clinical decision making in practice. The hypothesis is that acupuncture is effective to reduce perceived stress, and that there is a difference (in both speed and size of effectiveness) between higher acupuncture treatment frequency than lower treatment frequency.

Vitamin D is a vitamin with roles in regulation of calcium and phosphate in the body and in bone health. It has also been found to regulate cell functions, including those of the immune system. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one the most common disabling neurological conditions among young adults. Lower vitamin D levels are associated with a higher risk of developing MS. Our study aims to elucidate the effect that Vitamin D supplementation has on the immune cells firstly in healthy participants, following which we will aim to explore this in people with MS as well.

This aim of this study is to establish the efficacy for the first brief integrated intervention for parents of children with autism aged between 2 and 5 years 11 months of age. It will examine the following outcomes: 1) child externalising behaviours; 2) child social communication symptoms and adaptive functioning; and 3) parenting, parent-child interactions and parental wellbeing. It is hypothesised that at post, the intervention group, relative to the waitlist group, will have significantly lower levels of: 1) child externalising behaviour 2) child social and communication difficulties 3) dysfunctional parenting 4) parenting stress 5) inter-parental conflict. It is hypothesised that children who receive the intervention will have improved adaptive functioning and improved parent-child interaction at post-assessment, relative to the waitlist group. It is also hypothesised that the improvements across child and parent domains at post-intervention will be maintained at three-month follow-up for the intervention group.