ANZCTR search results

The purpose of this project is to investigate factors associated with healthy eating, physical activity and healthy weight gain during pregnancy, maternal feeding practices post partum and how these may differ according to mothers’ pre-pregnancy weight and pregnancy weight gain. What we are interested in are women’s knowledge, attitudes and beliefs; factors that help women continue with healthy behaviours once they make changes such as support from family, friends and their health care providers and things that are needed to have a healthy lifestyle such as access to healthy foods, new skills and services.

Endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysm with coils and stents requires procedural anticoagulation, most commonly with unfractionated intravenous heparin (UFH). Where the risk of thromboembolic complications is high (eg post stenting) heparinisation is continued for 24-48hrs post treatment. Post-procedural anticoagulation regimes aim for ‘therapeutic range’ based on repeated laboratory testing of sampled blood. In practice this can be difficult to achieve with consistency using UFH. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) offers some theoretical advantages over UFH but there is no published data on its use in neurointervention. We propose to compare post-procedural anticoagulation using UFH with LMWH (enoxaparin) in patients treated electively for intracranial aneurysms. Patients who meet entry criteria will be randomised to one of three regimes: a) UFH - continuous IV infusion, titrated by APTT test results (current standard of care) b) LMWH given as a single dose of 1.5mg/kg by subcutaneous injection at the end of the procedure c) LMWH given 1.0mg/kg by subcutaneous injection at the end of the procedure and at 12hours. The primary outcome will be achievement of therapeutic range as assessed by APTT (UFH) or anti Xa (LMWH) testing. The secondary outcome will be development of a clinically evident thromboembolic event (CETE) or a clinically silent lesion, either ischaemic (CSIL) or hemorrhagic (CSHL), assessed by neurological examination at 24 hours and MRI at 48hrs.

Preventing alcohol misuse was listed amongst the top three Australian preventative health priorities in a national review. Despite evidence that community rates of alcohol related harm are rising, to date, the evidence-based recommendations for the federal government to implement price controls and for state government regulatory controls have not been implemented. In this context, it is important to investigate whether there are feasible and effective intervention alternatives to reduce alcohol-related harm. Evidence from other developed countries and preliminary work in Australia (Rowland et al, 2012) suggests that evidence-based strategies that are coordinated and delivered by communities can be feasible and effective for implementation in Australia. However, in order to be supported for wider dissemination these community delivered alcohol-related harm prevention strategies require comprehensive evaluations of longer-term outcomes and economic benefits. Our team is the major Australian research group working to develop and evaluate effective community delivered strategies that can reduce adolescent alcohol use. In recent years, with support from Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage funding (ACTRN 12612000384853), we have mounted a randomised community trial that utilised evidence-based supply and demand reduction strategies that have reduced population rates of early adolescent (age 13/14) alcohol use by 26%. Although our 2010-14 trial reveals community intervention is feasible, and our trial has reduced population rates of early adolescent alcohol use, in order for the intervention approach we are using to be recommended in evidence-based health economic reviews , longer-term follow-up and economic evaluation are required. The current proposal is a “Type 2 translation research trial” that the Society for Prevention Research have recently advocated for priority research funding to increase understanding as to how evidence-based interventions can be sustained and expanded into large scale implementations that demonstrate population impacts. Rowland, B., Toumbourou, J.W., Osborn, A., Smith, R., Hall, J., Kremer, P., Kelly, A., Williams, J., Leslie, E. (2012) A clustered randomised trial examining the effect of social marketing and community mobilisation on the age of uptake and levels of alcohol consumption by Australian adolescents: Study protocol. BMJ Open. 24;3(1) doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002423

This study aims to determine the repeatability of an investigational instrument (Liquid Jet Aesthesiometer) and its application in contact lens related comfort. The instrument is used in optometric research to assess corneal sensitivity (i.e. measuring the smallest amount of stimulus for the anterior eye to detect sensation). To achieve this we wish to take measurements using the instrument over several days. Approximately 30 participants (15 contact lens wearers and 15 non-contact lens weares) will take part in each stage of the study. In Stage 1 of the study, we wish to assess the repeatability of the instrument in measuring corneal sensitivity over the course of 5 days. Once this stage is complete and pending data analysis of Stage 1 we may invite you to Stage 2, if you choose to participate, where we aim to assess the correlation between corneal sensitivity measurements and comfort over the course of 3 days. You do not have to participate in both stages of the study.

It is well established that physical activity is associated with many physical and psychological health benefits. Participating in regular physical activity during childhood is also vital for optimal growth and development and kids who are active show greater resilience and increased social-emotional wellbeing. However, more than 80% of adolescent girls do not meet government physical activity recommendations and there is a striking difference in activity levels between boys and girls at all ages. Current strategies to engage girls in physical activity and sports programs have had minimal impact and innovative approaches that address the underlying socio-cultural barriers that girls face are needed. Targeting fathers to take an active role in increasing their daughters’ physical activity levels may be one such innovation. The DADEE Program is an intervention which engages fathers in positive lifestyle role modelling and effective parenting strategies to improve the physical activity behaviours, physical confidence, sport skills and social-emotional wellbeing of their daughters. Importantly, DADEE also targets girls to improve the fitness and physical activity levels, and parenting skills of their fathers. The program has been successfully tested in an efficacy RCT at the University of Newcastle. The aim of this trial is to test the effectiveness of the DADEE Program when delivered by local trained facilitators in community settings (i.e., schools). As in the DADEE pilot study, the two major purposes of this community effectiveness trial are: (i) to help fathers improve their own physical activity levels and learn parenting skills to promote and role model positive behaviours relating to physical activity for their daughters (ii) to improve the physical activity behaviours, fundamental movement skill proficiency and social-emotional well-being of their daughters.

This study aims to collect out-of-pocket costs of treatment and management of cancer in patients in three centres in Sydney, Australia. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or above, have a diagnosis of any cancer (early or advanced), are receiving at least one cancer-directed therapy which is expected to continue for at least 3 months, and are under the care of a Medical Oncologist at a centre participating in the study. Study details All participants will complete a questionnaire collecting basic details about their age, income status, sociodemographic details and those of their cancer and it's treatment. They will also complete up to 3 cost diaries which will collect information regarding out-of-pocket costs of their treatment, investigations, appointments, and travel. Participants will grade on a Likert scale how easy to how difficult it was to complete the diaries. Finally, participants will also be required to complete two questionnaires at the end of the three month study period, to evaluate financial distress/toxicity. The information that is collected will help to inform healthcare professionals, patients and government bodies of the costs of cancer treatment and the impact of these costs.

This research will compare commonly used types of orthodontic removable retainers and assess the changes in tooth position that occurs from immediately post treatment to 3 months and 6 months after orthodontic treatment is complete. Patient reported satisfaction from wearing the retainers will be assessed with the use of a questionnaire.

This study is aiming to recruit 50 participants that have HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer with 1-5 synchronous brain metastases, with at least one met requiring treatment. The purpose of the study is to determine; 1. How likely the tumour/s are controlled after treatment with local therapies Neurosurgery (NS) and/or Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS). 2. How likely is it that other tumours develop at new sites in the brain when no Whole Brain Radiotherapy (WBRT) is given. Study Details: For patients who have HER2 positive breast cancer which has spread to the brain (metastasised), the main treatment options for these brain metastasis are Whole Brain Radiotherapy (WBRT), Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Neurosurgery (NS) Participants will be given either SRS or surgery or a combination of both depending on the particular features of each tumour. All participants will be followed up at regular 3 monthly intervals for 12 months after completing thier trial treatment (i.e. from the day of their last SRS treatment or of neurosurgery, the latter of the two). At each follow-up visit they will have a clinic visit with the study doctor who to assess any symptoms, record current medications and/or surgeries, monitor their brain metastasis, have a blood test and imaging (CT scan, a bone scan and MRI brain).

This study is comparing the analgesia outcome of surgically guided direct vision Transverses Abdominis Plain ( TAP) block versus standard surgical infiltration of Pfannenstiel wound during elective Lower Uterine caesarean Section (LUCS) delivery via the Pfannenstiel incision, under Neuraxial Blockade (NAB) anaesthesia at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively. The Null hypothesis is that there is no difference in analgesic outcome between these two techniques. The study will also seek to compare post operative nausea and vomiting PONV rates, sedation, pruritis and patient satisfaction score between these two groups. It will also look at ease of instillation of the Local anaesthetic in the correct plane and whether this correlates to analgesia outcome.

Developmental disabilities and neuromotor disorders such as childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) can result in delays in speech articulation, language production and reading in children. Traditional CAS therapy involves extended one-­on-­one therapy with a speech language pathologist (SLP), which can be difficult to manage due to time constraints and expenses. Thus, there is a need for practical and cost-­effective technological interventions to complement traditional face-­to-­face therapy sessions. Electronic speech therapy aids are rapidly gaining acceptance as valuable clinical tools. Studies have shown that children with speech disorders have higher levels of engagement with computer-­based interventions than with traditional therapy. Mobile apps for speech therapy have also become increasingly popular as touch-­based devices (e.g., tablets, smartphones) are intuitive and engaging compared to desktop and paper-­based alternatives; and cost-effective for in-­home therapy. Though the existing tools facilitate practice at home, they are standalone apps with no remote and automated speech assessment. The lack of automatic assessment capabilities makes it hard to monitor progress effectively and adapt the therapy regimen on-­the-­fly to meet the specific needs of each child. Our team has developed a system called Apraxia World that includes speech­-driven games for tablets to deliver speech therapy exercises remotely, and speech processing algorithms required to extract disorder-specific variables for use in controlling gameplay and accurately monitoring therapy progress. We will clinically validate the use of remote speech therapy as an effective medium for intervention in CAS with this intervention effectiveness trial conducted through the University of Sydney.