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There is strong evidence of adverse effects of polypharmacy in older people and of the benefits of deprescribing generally and antipsychotics particularly. Halting Antipsychotic use in Long Term Care (HALT) is a collaboration between consumers, residential aged care providers, staff, general practitioners, pharmacists, the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service (DBMAS), Dementia Training Study Centre (DTSC), and specialists to reduce inappropriate antipsychotic medication use in long-term resident users and correspondingly to reduce complications, rates of decline and mortality without consequently increasing behavioural and psychological symptoms. We aim to demonstrate that HALT is a nationally applicable and sustainable model.

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of morning bright light therapy for adolescents with Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder, using newly developed portable LED glasses technology. The study also aims to investigate whether morning activity influences adolescents sleep, daytime functioning and cognitive performance.

Coleus forskohlii extract contains the bioactive compound, forskolin. Preliminary studies have shown that forskolin can increase fat metabolism thus reduce fat accumulation in both animals and humans. It has been suggested that forskolin may also suppress appetite thus reduce energy intake and results in weight loss. This study will evaluate the appetite suppressent properties of Coleus forskohlii extract. In addition the effect on central obesity and risk factors of metabolic syndrome will also be investigated.

The purpose of the research is to investigate brain and movement-related biomarkers associated with chronic neck pain, and determine if these can be used to increase the effectiveness of manual therapy and exercise treatment for neck pain. Patients with insidious-onset non-specific neck pain will be compared with healthy age and gender matched control participants at baseline to determine brain and movement-related biomarkers associated with neck pain. Neck pain participants will be randomised to receive 6 sessions of physiotherapy (manual therapy + exercise) with task-specific training or physiotherapy alone. Assessments will occur a baseline, post-treatment (7 weeks form baseline) and 6 months (26 weeks form baseline). Outcome measures are pain (VAS), kinematic biomarkers measured with 3-D motion analysis, cortical biomarkers measured with magnetic resonance imaging (structural imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, resting-state functional MRI, and MR spectroscopy), and clinical measures including spinal stiffness, muscle performance on the deep neck flexor test, pressure pain threshold, cervical range of motion, Neck Disability Index, SF-12, Pain Impact questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire-28. This pilot study will (1) determine potential cortical and kinematic biomarkers that can be used to develop targeted interventions for neck pain, and (2) determine if physiotherapy (with or without task-specific training) has effects on cortical and kinematic biomarkers and reduces pain.

Background: Diabetes is on the rise, increasing the burden on our health system. Many people are admitted into hospital with poorly managed diabetes and require insulin initiation to improve their health outcomes. This project aims to improve the transition of care from hospital to the home, using an innovative new Transition Diabetes Team. If successful, it would improve the current care provision to this vulnerable population group, reducing costs and improving health outcomes. This model could be replicated at other Australian hospitals, improving health outcomes and reducing costs nation-wide. Aims: To trial the functionality and effectiveness of Transition Diabetes Team, comprising: a credentialed diabetes educator (CDE) and diabetes specialist in commencing insulin in the home versus in the hospital. To compare hospital Length of Stay (LOS), blood-glucose control and patient satisfaction for patients with poorly managed Type 2 Diabetes between patients receiving Transition Diabetes Team care to people who receive Standard Care. Methods: Eligible participants: * Adults greater than 18 years of age * Admitted into Austin Health *Type 2 diabetes * Need to start or change insulin or other injectable therapy post discharge to improve their glycaemic management – necessitating a diabetes educator to provide education prior to discharge to undertake self-management. All who consent will then be randomly allocated to either the standard care group or the Transition Diabetes Team group: Standard care Group: inpatient diabetes educators providing insulin initiation education while the patient is admitted in hospital. Transition Diabetes Team Group: An RDNS credentialled diabetes educator working with an Austin Health Endocrinologist to provide insulin initiation education after the person is discharged from hospital – in their own homes. Data will be collected on demographics, medical history, medications, diabetes management, HbA1c, hospital length of stay and diabetes treatment satisfaction.

The efficacy of proteasome inhibitors (bortezomib, carfilzomib) in reversing or ameliorating renal impairment in myeloma patients has been demonstrated. The response to myeloma therapy can often be better gauged by the reduction in serum free light chains which have a shorter half-life of 3 to 5 hours, as compared with the full immunoglobulin paraprotein. The initial, very early impact on the level of free light chains is therefore likely to be critical in the effectiveness of carfilzomib in reversing renal failure. We aim to assess the effect of carfilzomib therapy on serum free light chains at very early time-points (24 and 48 hours after the day 2 dose and 24 hours after day 9 dose) following dose administration, with the aim of assessing the value of these measurements as a marker of efficacy and, in future trials, the basis on which to modify treatment regime to maximise the improvement in renal function.

Osteoporosis is common in the Australian population and is a disease in which the bones lose minerals such as calcium, more quickly than the body can replace them. As a results, the bones become fragile and brittle, leading to higher risk of fractures and a loss of bone mass. Bisphosphonates are the main drugs used in the treatment of osteoporosis and work by inhibiting bone loss. Bisphosphonates also have additional effects that are not related to preventing bone loss. These additional effects are thought to be due to their action on the immune system (the cells that fight against disease in the body). There is no study to date showing that bisphosphonates are taken up by human immune cells and this study will enable us to examine the impact these medications have on the human immune system.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex chronic disease that is characterised by a progressive deterioration of pulmonary function punctuated with exacerbations that frequently require hospitalisation. COPD affects approximately 2.1 million Australians and it is the 4th leading cause of death in this country. Evidence-based guidelines for clinical management of COPD are widely available, however concordance with treatment guidelines is relatively low in the primary care setting. Numerous barriers to guideline adherence have been identified, and there are evidence-based approaches that could be used to address these barriers. Currently, there is no formal, systematic process for specialists to provide personalised, guideline-based recommendations to GPs beyond the traditional referral letter. This prospective randomised controlled trial will test the effect of an electronic checklist, the “COPD Snapshot”, on the management of outpatients with COPD. We aim to determine whether this checklist will improve GP uptake of specialist treatment recommendations. Patients attending the outpatient clinic at The Prince Charles Hospital will be invited to participate in the study. After obtaining written informed consent, participants will be randomly allocated to either a control group or an intervention group. The control group will receive usual best practice care from their thoracic physician. The intervention group will receive a COPD Snapshot in addition to usual best practice care form their thoracic physician. The COPD Snapshot is a communication tool that is contained on a credit card-sized USB stick. It is a checklist-format adaptation of the Lung Foundation Stepwise Management of Stable COPD Guidelines. This Snapshot will contain key management points that have been identified by each patient’s thoracic physician as requiring ongoing review by the patient’s GP. The electronic Snapshot will be completed during the clinic appointment and given to the participant at the end with instructions to give it to their GP to review when they next attend for ongoing care, within the next 2 months. After reviewing the Snapshot, GPs will return it to their patient and complete a brief, 3-question survey. After attending follow up with their GP, participants will return the COPD Snapshot to the investigators by mail in a pre-addressed envelope. In addition, participants will complete a brief follow up survey regarding their experience with the Snapshot and the clinical care they received. We will assess whether the COPD Snapshot has an effect on GP implementation of specialist treatment recommendations. In addition, we will assess the feasibility of the Snapshot, clinician uptake, and clinician and patient satisfaction.

The primary purpose of this research is to determine whether targeting perfectionism directly in treatment, using an evidenced based transdiagnostic CBT, is an effective intervention for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and elevated perfectionism; and to compare the outcomes of this with a waitlist control condition. It is hypothesized that individuals who receive the intervention will demonstrate superior outcomes as indexed by reliable change and clinically significant change, compared to wait listed participants. Data obtained whilst the ERP arm of the study was still in operation will be reported if and where appropriate for comparison purposes.

The Paragon hip stem and the Global acetabular cup non-cemented prostheses will be evaluated following primary total hip replacement surgery.