ANZCTR search results

This study will evaluate the use of a pre- and post-operative DVD or web-based patient education for patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you aged 18 years or above and have been diagnosed with primary early-stage head and neck cancer and your treatment plan includes surgery. Study details Participants in this study are randomly allocated (by chance) to one of two groups. Participants in one group will receive a DVD, or be directed to a website, that provides them with pre- and post-operative educational information on the surgical management of head and neck cancer. While participants in the other group receive a standard pre- and post-operative education of provision of the Cancer Council Head and Neck Information Booklet. Participants will be asked to answer questionnaires on anxiety levels and quality of life before the operation, at discharge and 3 months after the operation. Partners and family members will also be asked to answer questionnaires at the same time periods as the patient.

The aim of this project is to determine the effects of preferred retinal loci (PRL) training in patients with macular disease, especially macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ranks third among the global causes of visual impairment with a blindness prevalence of 8.7%. Macula degeneration leads to a loss of central vision affecting reading, recognising peoples faces, driving or other fine detailed tasks, which causes a large impact on a patient’s quality of life and independence. Patients are never completely blind from macular degeneration since the remaining peripheral retina is healthy and is then useful for navigational purposes. It is reported in the literature that some patients spontaneously use another area of the healthy retina known as a PRL when the macula is compromised. This project aims to determine the patients PRL using the MAIA micro perimeter and over a series of 10 training sessions to establish wether PRL training improves a patient’s visual acuity, fixation stability and reading speed, thus having a positive impact on a patient’s quality of life.

The present study investigates a psychological theory-based intervention to reduce alcohol pre-drinking - the practice of consuming alcohol at a home or private residence, prior to attending a subsequent event (where alcohol consumption often continues). The intervention comprises a motivational component that facilitates autonomous motivation to reduce pre-drinking alcohol consumption, and a volitional component that enables participants to generate their own 'if-then' plans to enact in response to contextual cues surrounding pre-drinking. The intervention comprises four conditions: an autonomy support only, an implementation intention only, a combined, and control condition. The control condition will receive information from the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines with respect to consuming alcohol in moderation to reduce the risk of alcohol-related harm. It is hypothesized that the controlled condition targeting both motivational and volitional aspects will be most effective in reducing pre-drinking alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm.

We already know that the amount of walking completed by people in rehabilitation is very low and people find it hard to regain their walking ability in the community after having a hip fracture. This study will find out how much walking can feasibly and safely be completed by people who have been recently discharged from hospital after having a hip fracture. The results will help guide therapists as to how much walking they could prescribe to patients living in the community for long-term health benefits.

No study has yet investigated the therapeutic impact of computerized cognitive training (CCT) in frail or cognitively impaired daycare centre (DCC) clients or residents of retirement vilages, nor the relative merits of any particular booster training schedule. DCCs and retirement villages are an ideal health care setting to test CCT for primary and secondary prevention as they engage ultra high risk frail and old-old individuals and routinely deliver activities to their clients. This study will therefore compare two different booster training schedules in these settings with the aim of determining whether monthly booster sessions are equally effective at maintaining CCT gains as fortnightly booster sessions over a 3-month period. Specifically we aim to: 1. Compare the efficacy of monthly vs fortnightly booster sessions, by measuring cognitive function 3-months post-training; 2. Test the impact of the two booster schedules on everyday functional activities; If booster sessions can be spaced out like this without major loss in efficacy, then this will have significant ramifications for the practical and widespread implementation of computerized cognitive training in DCCs and retirement villages. Positive findings may also result in delaying the onset of cognitive impairment or loss of functional independence. In turn, these outcomes may benefit individuals, carers, communities and the health system.

The proposed project seeks to examine the acceptability, efficacy and feasibility of low-intensity CBT-based treatment program, the UniWellbeing Course, in reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, low mood and depression in tertiary students attending Macquarie University. The UniWellbeing Course is based on the already established and efficacious Wellbeing and Mood Mechanic Courses (e.g., Titov et al., 2013, PLOS One; Johnston, et al., 2014, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry).

The Coronary Angiogram Database of South Australia (CADOSA) Outcomes Study was established in 2011 to evaluate self-reported health outcomes of patients undergoing coronary angiography for the evaluation of chest pain. The CADOSA Outcomes study assesses baseline, 1 and 12 month health status which includes symptomatic status, physical impairment from their condition, quality of life, and depression) in patients who agree to participate in a 12 month follow-up assessment.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of Brazil nuts in increasing selenium status in healthy males aged 65 years and older, as this is the average age of prostate cancer diagnosis in Australia. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are a healthy, non-smoking male aged 65 years or older, who does not have any nut allergies, and does not regularly use a selenium supplement. Study design: Participants in this study will be assigned to 1 of 3 groups and asked to consume 2, 5, or 10 Brazil nuts daily for 30 days. At baseline volunteers will complete a questionnaire on dietary habits, supplement use, and demographic details. Height and weight will also be measured. Volunteers will be asked to avoid selenium enriched foods (e.g. fish, liver, kidney, and additional Brazil nuts) during the study period, but otherwise they will be asked to continue eating as normal. A 24-hour dietary recall and food frequency questionnaire will be used to verify the types of foods consumed at baseline and endpoint of the study period. Participants will also be required to give blood samples at the end of the 30 day study period in order to evaluate blood levels of selenium and other nutritional markers. The Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is the best source of selenium, a trace element and mineral that is nutritionally essential for human health. This antioxidant is the focus of significant recent research in prostate cancer, as it is proposed that selenium may reduce tumour growth and cancer progression. The data from this study will be explored to inform future nutrition intervention studies in men with advanced prostate cancer.

Breastfeeding is recognised as the optimal method for feeding infants with health gains made by reducing infectious diseases in infancy; and chronic diseases, including obesity, in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Despite this, exclusivity and duration in developed countries remains resistant to improvement. The objectives of this research were to test if an automated mobile phone text messaging intervention, delivering one text message a week, could increase “any” breastfeeding rates and improve breastfeeding self-efficacy and coping.

The aim of the study is to examine the effectiveness of an evidence based decision making intervention (OPTIONS tool) for older people considering treatment options for end stage kidney disease. The anticipated study outcome will be reduced decisional conflict and uncertainty, improved knowledge regarding benefits and harms of dialysis and lower decisional regret.