ANZCTR search results

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a first-line psychological treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The original, standard form of CPT consisted of 12 one-hour sessions, typically delivered once or twice per week. Research shows that variants in its delivery (e.g., guided self-help, massed or intensive therapy over 1-2 weeks, or longer duration) can also be efficacious. Research in psychotherapy shows that when clients have choice over therapy options, this can improve adherence and possibly engagement. In an uncontrolled design, the project will test the outcomes of CPT when clients are given the choice of a range of formats of CPT, including self-help, guided self-help (i.e., with clinician support), abbreviated CPT (less than 12 sessions), and standard and flexible length CPT. Primary outcomes are PTSD and depression symptoms, and treatment adherence. The project uses a pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up design.

Body image concerns are common in children and increase risk for eating disorders and mental health problems. Butterfly Body Bright (BBB) is a whole-school program designed to promote body confidence and healthy attitudes in primary school students. This study will test whether BBB improves children’s body image and related outcomes, while also examining how schools can best implement the program in real-world conditions. Sixteen Victorian primary schools will be randomly allocated to either receive BBB during the study or continue usual practice and receive access later. Students in Years 5–6, along with parents and teachers, will complete surveys before and after the program and at follow-up. Some parents and teachers will also take part in interviews, and school community workshops will help identify barriers and strategies to improve delivery. The study will also test whether the program is cost-effective. Findings will guide future implementation of body image programs in schools and support national prevention efforts.

The impact of climate change upon sport and exercise participation has underscored the importance of cooling intervention strategies, but many are underpinned by limited empirical evidence or lack translatable and relevant designs. One cooling method that appears in the research literature is the placement of multiple cold, wet-towels on an individual during or after exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommend using the intervention, but with limited underpinning empirical evidence (Roberts et al. 2021; Casa et al. 2015). The intervention is feasible and low-cost, highlighting the relevance across all sport and exercise contexts.

Stroke is a serious health condition that can affect people of all ages, often leading to long-term challenges. One concern after a stroke is the risk of falling. In Australia, falls are the leading cause of hospital stay due to injuries resulting from falls and not only are costly to the healthcare system but can impact on people’s independence and participation in meaningful life activities. For people with stroke, the risk of falling is even higher—about 75 percent will experience a fall, usually at home, within the first year after their stroke. This can lead to injuries, hospital visits, and a loss of confidence in daily life. We need strong evidence on the best ways to prevent falls after stroke. A program called Action Falls has been shown to reduce falls by 43 percent in older adults living in nursing homes. FISS - Australia trial will test whether Stroke Action Falls (Action Falls adapted for people who have had a stroke) along with usual care reduces falls in people living in the community following their stroke. The trial will evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the Stroke Action Falls intervention from the perspective of patients and their carers (clinicians and significant others) via participant reported questionnaires as well as interview data for a sample of participants who have received the Stroke Action Falls intervention.

This study is a prospective, three-arm, randomized controlled trial investigating the clinical outcomes of standard, intermediate, and high doses of intravenous dexamethasone administered during total knee replacement surgery for knee osteoarthritis. We hypothesise that higher doses of dexamethasone will reduce pain, lower opioid use, and improve early functional recovery compared with the standard dose.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion results in persistent post-concussion symptoms (pPCS) in 31% of cases, contributing to lasting disability and significant cost burden. Evidence of efficacy of treatments for pPCS is scant and most individuals do not have access to evidence-based and timely treatment. There is a growing awareness that physical (e.g., vestibular, cervical), psychological (anxiety, fear avoidance) and medical factors interact in a variable fashion to perpetuate pPCS and need to be addressed in treatment. Mild TBI Guidelines recommend multidisciplinary treatment for pPCS. Evidence for the efficacy of such interventions remains limited. Our team co-designed and piloted an Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation program for Concussion Recovery (i-RECOveR), modifying it in response to consumer feedback. This led to a current randomised controlled trial funded by MRF2016112 (Ponsford CIC) (ACTRN12622000702718) of co-ordinated interdisciplinary treatment (neuropsychology, physiotherapy, medical) delivered in person. However, access to specialised interdisciplinary treatments is limited in rural/remote areas and public sector hospitals. Telehealth can increase access to such treatments for rural/remote residents, although evidence for telehealth concussion interventions is not established. With the aim of improving long-term outcomes after mTBI we will evaluate the efficacy of the i-RECOveR interdisciplinary intervention delivered to individuals with pPCS across Australia via telehealth, extending our pilot telehealth trial (ACTRN12624000924550) and its comparative effectiveness with our existing in-person delivery (ACTRN12622000702718). Our team will partner with individuals with pPCS including those in rural/remote areas, to evaluate the experience of receiving the intervention in-person and via telehealth and experiences of clinicians delivering it. The project will assess outcomes including symptom reduction, functional goal attainment of daily activities and quality of life, providing robust evidence of the effectiveness of this interdisciplinary model in addressing pPCS. A process evaluation will assess treatment integrity and content, participant experience, and cost effectiveness.

The aim of this study is to to assess the safety, usability and applicability of the ENDOGUARD™ laparoscopic safety device amongst advanced laparoscopic surgeons. Given the successful testing with cadavers, we hypothesise that this device would provide surgeons with the added confidence and security associated with the reduced risk of inadvertent intra-operative thermal and sharp injuries.

Persistent pain after traumatic injury can significantly affect a person’s recovery and their long-term physical and social wellbeing. This project aims to find out whether an early, coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to care can lead to better outcomes for people with post-trauma pain. The study will also explore whether participants and their caregivers found the intervention easy to take part in and worth doing.

Pleural effusions are a collection of fluid that can develop in the space around the lung. This study is looking to see whether emergency doctors, after focused training, can use bedside 'point of of care' ultrasound (POCUS) to assess pleural effusions in children as accurately as traditional ultrasound done by specialists. If this are shown to be accurate, further research could then be undertaken to assess if this would expedite management. The study will involve an emergency department doctor undertaking a bedside ultrasound in addition to the formal ultrasound routinely undertaken by a specialised ultrasonographer in children who present to the emergency department with a pleural effusion who would routinely require an ultrasound. The diagnosis of a pleural effusion, size and complexity and time to obtain results of each type of ultrasound will be reviewed.

This randomised controlled trial aims to determine if one day of oral prednisolone for preschool children with moderate to severe wheeze is non-inferior to the standard three days of treatment. We will compare outcomes between two preschool asthma treatment arms in 1074 children to find out if reducing the course of treatment from three days to one day of oral prednisolone is just as safe. Eligible participants will be recruited as sites in New Zealand and Australia and randomised to either standard treatment of three days of oral steroid or one day of oral steroid and two days of placebo.