ANZCTR search results

The purpose of this project is to explore whether cognitive control training can help alleviate some of the symptoms of depression. Depression is associated with changes in both emotions and cognition (i.e. thinking skills). Research has shown that the emotional and cognitive symptoms of depression interact with each other, and these interactions can contribute to the severity and length of depressive episodes. Examples of these interactions include preferential memory for negative memories and paying greater attention to negative thoughts or negative environmental stimuli. We are interested in whether targeting the cognitive symptoms of depression may also help to improve the emotional symptoms. We are exploring this using cognitive control training (CCT). CCT involves practicing a thinking activity that has been designed to improve attentional processing. The type of attention that CCT is designed to improve is subsumed by activity in a frontal area of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Research has shown that a mild form of brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) administered to this brain region can enhance cognitive processing. tDCS involves the application of gentle electrical currents to the scalp though electrodes, and can increase activity in various parts of the brain, depending on where it is applied. We are also interested in whether tDCS may be a useful means of augmenting CCT in depression.

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), commonly associated with long term smoking, the earliest abnormality occurs in the very small airways. However, these changes to the small airways are unable to be detected by common lung function tests used in clinical practice and therefore early detection of COPD at present is impossible. In our laboratory we have two easy-to-perform lung function tests that are sensitive to abnormalities in the small airways and we want to determine whether these tests are able to detect abnormalities when common lung function tests remain normal and if they can be treated with administration of bronchodilators. If either of these tests are sensitive to small airway abnormalities it will mean that they have the potential to be used for the early detection of COPD in smokers. We hypothesise that IOS parameters will be sensitive to alterations in small airway function, as defined by abnormal ventilation heterogeneity measured by MBNW, in smokers with normal spirometry. Also, these abnormalities may be partially of completely reversed with bronchodilators.

Inhaled “bronchodilator” medications (found in puffers/inhalers) are used for the treatment of COPD at all stages of the disease. Large clinical trials have proven the benefits of these medications in patients with COPD. However, we still do not fully understand the effects of these medications on lung function. Our research team has access to advanced methods of measuring lung function, and by using these techniques we hope to understand more about the lungs respond to bronchodilator treatment. By improving our understanding of the effects of these medications on lung function, we may be able to improve future treatments for patients with COPD.

The objective of this study is to determine relative vulnerability to alertness failure using a sleep loss (extended wakefulness) challenge in people with obstructive sleep apnoea, and to collect data on related markers of biological function (biomarkers) for comparision. By examining the biomarkers in people who are more vulnerable to alertness failure compared with those who are more resistant, it may be possible to develop new, readily usable measures to predict vulnerability to alertness failure, to allow better tailored care and advice for those individuals.

Prior Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies have administered EMA401 in a capsule formation. This study in normal healthy adults will inform the selection of an oral tablet dosage form of EMA401 for future Phase 2/3 clinical trials.

The primary aim for this study is to quantitative and qualtitative feedback regarding the feasibility and acceptability of a remotely delivered self-management course designed to increase physical activity, myMoves, to community-dwelling adults living in the Australian community following an Acquired Brain Injury.

The T4ADS study will investigate whether androgen deficiency-like symptoms, such as decreased sense of well-being, energy, libido, motivation, improve following 6 weeks of testosterone (T) gel application significantly more than during 6 weeks of placebo gel treatment. The study will run at the Department of Andrology, CRGH and will aim to recruit 40 men with possible androgen deficiency-like symptoms from the local community. Men 40 and over will be invited to join the study if they or their own doctor believe they have androgen deficiency. Volunteers interested in participation will be screened for eligibility by medical history, physical examination and blood tests. Eligible and consenting participants will be randomised at enrolment to receive either T or placebo gel as their first 6 week treatment and the alternative gel in the second treatment period. The third 6 week treatment period will let the men chose which gel they prefer to use. Study visits will be over a total of 27 weeks. It is hoped that androgen deficiency-like symptoms improve significantly following 6 weeks of T gel application than during 6 weeks of placebo gel treatment. We would also like to determine whether pre-treatment blood T levels predict a superior response to T compared to placebo and whether the participants preferred treatment, either T or placebo is reproducible when the preferred treatment remains blinded.

Ageing is associated with a physiological reduction of appetite and energy intake, which has been called the “anorexia of ageing”. Dietary supplementation with liquid protein preparations is now used frequently to increase energy and protein intake in older adults in both institutionalized and community-dwelling populations. Although the latter would appear a logical approach, evidence for success of increased energy intake in older individuals is limited. It is well established that the ingestion of nutrients induce a number of changes in gastrointestinal (GI) function, which are associated with the modulation of appetite and energy intake. These changes include the slowing of gastric emptying, which sustains gastric distension and is associated with proximal gastric relaxation. Urgent investigation is warranted to determine the optimal load of protein that can be incorporated into their diet to assist in sparing muscle mass without reducing their appetite. The study aims to characterise in healthy older individuals, the effect of timing of protein preloads on energy intake, appetite, plasma concentrations of hormones (i.e. CCK, PYY, ghrelin, GLP-1, GIP, glucagon and insulin) and glucose, and studies the relationship between the suppression of appetite and energy intake by protein.

Study hypothesis: Current clinical management of OSA is to use continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) as a first-line treatment, and CPAP is approved in Australia for this purpose. Some people find CPAP difficult to tolerate and sleep with, so other treatments may be useful. Oxygen therapy is one form of treatment that could potentially treat OSA patients with unstable breathing control as the key factor underlying OSA. Primary purpose: The aim of this study is to test if oxygen therapy is an effective and acceptable alternative treatment to CPAP for patients with unstable breathing control underlying their OSA.

The primary purpose of this trial is to test whether Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is effective for older adults with comorbid insomnia and depression, and test whether an advanced form of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for insomnia and depression (CBT-I-D) produces better sleep and mood outcomes for older adults. It is expected that the advanced CBT-I-D group will produce better overall outcomes compared to the CBT-I group and control group.