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The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the feasibility of a larger scale study and the potential for its subsequent success. Particularly, implementing a strength and conditioning program into various curricula to attempt to prevent future injuries in the manual therapy professions. All participants will undergo a series of baseline measures over seven days. This will include demographic information, history of musculoskeletal injury, and maximal strength of muscle groups, which will be estimated using the multiple repetition test procedure (5-10 submaximal strength test) instead of traditional one repetition maximum test (1RM). 1RM will be calculated for each of: strict shoulder press (SP), bench press, seated row, Latissimus Dorsi pull down, deadlift, and back racked lunge. Participants will be instructed on correct usage of equipment prior to the testing session and given time to familiarize themselves with the equipment. A warm up will be completed prior to testing. Thereafter, 3-5 separate single attempts will be performed. Subjects will lift a weight initially 40%-60% of the perceived 1-RM. The increments of weight are dependent upon the effort required for the lift. The weight added will become smaller as the effort to lift the weight increases. If subjects are able to perform more lifts than designated by the testing protocol, subjects are allowed a minimum of four min rest and then reassessed. Participants will be instructed to perform each exercise to acute muscular exhaustion or form fatigue. Any repetitions that are not performed with a full range of motion will be discarded. When the subject can only lift the weight five to ten times, that weight and the number of repetitions are considered to estimate the 1-RM. Grip strength dynamometry will be performed during the strength testing procedure. After completion of all baseline measures, each participant will be randomly assigned to either the intervention (n=5) or comparison (n=5) group using a random number generator. Intervention group participants will undergo a 12-week strength and conditioning program, whilst the control group will perform 30 minutes of moderate intensity walking 3 days per week. After the 12-week period all participants will undergo the same assessments completed at the baseline.

Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) is a new ventilatory technique in neonates to aid babies with respiratory distress. It uses the baby's diaphragmatic electrical activity as a trigger for each breath. This electrical activity is measured using a special nasogastric tube (Edi catheter) with electrodes at the level of the diaphragm. To date, there is a little data on the Edi signal in neonates with no existing respiratory conditions and on no respiratory support. By gaining a reference Edi data range, clinicians will be better equipped to titrate NAVA levels in ventilated neonates. We hypothesise that Edi peak and Edi min were higher in (1) Higher gestational age group, (2) awake and postprandial states and (3) after caffeine administration (caffeine is only administered to those infants using the medication as part of their hospital treatment).

Smoking prevalence amongst people with alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems is extremely high. In Australia, up to 95% of people entering AOD treatment smoke tobacco, which is five times greater than for the general adult population. Although number of quit attempts are high, sustaining cessation is challenging for people with AOD dependence: many factors related to addiction, lack of cessation support and the high levels of smoking in their social network contribute to high relapse rates in this population. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) can reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings and aid cessation, however our research with AOD users indicate they are hesitant to use traditional forms of NRT. Electronic Nicotine Devices (ENDs) hold significant potential as both cessation aids and harm reduction support. Unlike combustible tobacco cigarettes, ENDs deliver nicotine in an inhalable form without the tobacco, hence removing many of the health harms associated with smoking. This proposal is for a trial aimed at exploring the feasibility, acceptability and potential effectiveness of the use of electronic nicotine devices (ENDs) as smoking cessation aids when used in conjunction with one of two commonly used quit smoking strategies: 'abrupt cessation' and 'gradual cessation'. Abrupt cessation involves smoking tobacco as normal until a designated quit day, followed by total abstinence. Gradual reduction strategies also involve the designation of a quit day, however smokers utilizing this method aim to reduce or scale their intake of tobacco cigarettes prior to the quit day, usually according to a predefined schedule (i.e. a 25% reduction in tobacco cigarette consumption by week 1). Specifically, this study will aim to determine how the use of ENDs and liquid nicotine in conjunction with a 'gradual reduction' or 'abrupt cessation' quit strategy impacts smoking cessation or smoking reduction outcomes. It will determine whether the provision of ENDs assists smokers with AOD addiction to quit or reduce their tobacco consumption and whether using these devices reduces cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Finally, this study will evaluate whether AOD clients find ENDs devices acceptable as a quit smoking aid.

The primary aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of PPGP in women attending Westmead Hospital for ante-natal care. The secondary aim is to identify factors associated with PPGP. The third aim is to determine the accuracy of a simplified assessment procedure for classification of PPGP compared to standard assessment procedure.

In both scientific and public domain, dietary saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are linked with adverse health effects. However, epidemiological and interventional studies have produced contradictory results. Although negative views about SFAs have prevailed, there is increasing evidence to suggest that SFAs are not as harmful as they appear to be and may not be the prime cause of elevated blood lipid levels. Some studies have shown that SFAs induce beneficial effects on blood lipid profiles and that not all SFAs have the same effect on cardiovascular health. SFAs are classified as short (SCFA), medium (MCFA) and long (LCFA) chain fatty acids. SCFA range between 2 to 4 carbons atoms and are found in milk and dairy products. MCFA contain 6 to 12 carbons atoms and are found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil and citrus seeds. LCFA are 14 or more carbons long and are found in animal products like lard, tallow and suet. The digestion, absorbtion and metabolism of fatty acid depends on their chain length. SCFA and MCFA are easily broken down and undergo rapid beta-oxidation for energy production. However LCFA are not easily digested and are deposited in the peripheral tissues. Thus it is convincing to suggest that consumption of SCFA and MCFA, because of their unique structural, absorption and metabolic characteristics can lower blood fat levels and result in less accumulation of fat in the adipose tissues. Evidence from pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that short and medium chain fatty acids do not contribute to obesity, improves blood lipid profiles and other cardiovascular risk factors. If the same is true for humans, naturally occurring SCFA and MCFA intake might help prevent cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Thus, we hypothesize that short chain saturated fats (butter), medium chain saturated fats (coconut oil) may not be hyperlipidemic as long chain saturated fats (lard).

The prevalence of scabies is significant in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia, affecting about 7 in 10 at any given time, more than six times the rate seen in the rest of the developed world. Existing scabies treatments have been associated with serious side effects and there is evidence of increasing resistance of scabies mites leading to treatment failures. These public health concerns clearly demonstrate the need for further clinical studies into alternative treatments. Tea tree oil (TTO) has shown promising results in preliminary studies and has been successfully used as an antimicrobial agent for several decades. Pre-clinical investigations have demonstrated that TTO out-performs widely used scabicidal agents (such as permethrin 5% cream and ivermectin) when tested against scabies mites in a laboratory setting. However, current data are insufficient to warrant a broad recommendation for its use for the management of scabies in a wider population because previous studies were small (interventional case studies focused on a small group of hospitalised patients) and limited to in vitro observations. The aim of this research is to examine the effectiveness and safety of a simple and low-cost TTO gel treatment as compared to permethrin cream in treating paediatric scabies infestation and preventing associated secondary bacterial infection in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in remote Australia. The 200 participants will be aged 5-16 and randomised (1:1) into control treatment [permethrin 5% cream] and test treatment [5% TTO-gel] groups. The primary outcome investigated in this study will be the cure (i.e. complete resolution) or improvement of scabies skin lesion within 4 weeks after treatment. Other outcome measures determined will include relief of symptoms, scabies recurrence rate, patient compliance with treatment regimen, adverse effects and patient acceptability.

Hypothesis: Adult consumers with a mental health diagnosis will have increased skills in self-management and reduce likelihood of crisis presentations through utilising a Personal Safety Tool. The Personal Safety Tool aims to support adult consumers within a community mental health setting who are distressed and agitated to regain a sense of calm through identifying their triggers, early warning signs and using a range of individualised sensory strategies and tools to self-soothe and self-regulate. The Personal Safety Tool will adopt a strengths based approach and promote greater self-management in managing their symptoms and health care. The Personal Safety Tool will work to reduce emergency department presentations, inpatient admissions and length of care in hospital. The Personal Safety Tool adopts recovery and trauma informed care principles. It additionally aligns with the Mental Health act and supports least restrictive approach e.g. reducing need for restraint and seclusion. The pilot study will work to strengthen partnerships between Occupational Therapists within northern public mental health services and establish greater flow through of information across services. This will in turn, support continuity of communication and consumer care.

This RCT will evaluate the acceptability and efficacy of an online iCBM program targeting health anxiety symptoms by comparing positive iCBM with neutral iCBM. This study will also explore individual difference factors that predict better response to CBM, as well as the effect of the intervention on symptoms comorbid with health anxiety (such as depression).

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a treatment designed to improve psychosocial function in depressed individuals. The proposed study assumes that cognitive, emotional and social cognitive impairments underlie (i.e., cause) psychosocial dysfunction. Accordingly, the proposed study will target functioning in these domains by administering repeated cognitive, emotional and social cognitive treatment tasks. Overall, the study consists of an 8 week RCT and an observational 6 months post-RCT follow-up phase. As primary outcome, we expect that psychosocial function (as measured by the FAST) will be improved at 8 weeks (end of RCT) relative to baseline, and that this improvement will be retained over a 6 month observational period. In addition, the effect of treatment on resilience, occupational functioning, functional disability, cognitive failures and depression symptom severity will also be measured. Also of interest is whether serum biomarkers related to cognition and psychosocial function are sensitive to treatment, as there is little research in this area. It is possible that personalising treatment by individuals’ baseline impairments will lead to more effective treatment outcomes. To this end, half of the participants will complete a personalised treatment while the other half complete a standard (i.e., non-personalised treatment). Although we expect that the personalised treatment arm will result in greater improvement than the standard treatment arm, we expect clinical improvements of patients in both treatment arms during the RCT phase.

Breastfeeding is distinctive to all newborn mammals and provides babies with optimal nutrition, protection from disease and enhanced development. Coordination of sucking swallowing and breathing (SSB) is critical for efficient feeding. The tongue plays major role in infant sucking, facilitating milk removal from the breast and safe swallowing of the milk bolus. Current evidence suggests that SSB coordination in breastfeeding babies with ankyloglossia differs to those without oral anomalies and they are likely to experience breastfeeding difficulties including maintaining attachment at the breast and reduced milk transfer. Further, their mothers may experience nipple pain and trauma that can result in early weaning. Although frenotomy is associated with decreased maternal nipple pain and improved breast attachment, the impact of ankyloglossia and frenotomy on SSB coordination and associated breastfeeding difficulties is not well understood. We aim to compare the following measures in age-matched healthy infants between those without and those with ankyloglossia and breastfeeding difficulties (pre and post frenotomy) 1. Intra-oral vacuum strength, 2. SSB coordination, 3. Tongue movement 4. Milk transfer (total mL) 5. Maternal nipple pain, and breastfeeding confidence 6. Breastfeeding duration We hypothesize that for infants with ankyloglossia more than one component of the SSB coordination will change post frenotomy to be comparable with those of the control group