ANZCTR search results

By conducting this project we hope to explore the short and long term benefits of a self-guided treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. We also hope to find out how acceptable the program is to consumers and how we can improve the program. The results will inform us about who is likely to benefit from this treatment protocol and how best to administer this program.

This study investigates whether using a new pain monitoring device, the ANI monitor, can better predict how much pain-killing medication patients having keyhole gallbladder surgery need. During gallbladder removal patients are asleep and unaware but still need pain-killing medication such as morphine or fentanyl to make sure they are not in severe pain when you wake up. Anaesthetist currently estimate how much pain-killing medication is needed based on factors including patient age, body weight, thepatients response to the surgery judged by blood pressure/heart rate monitoring and the anaesthetists clinical experience. Using these methods, patients sometimes wake up after surgery with severe pain because the prediction of dose for pain-killing medicine during surgery was incorrect. In this study, we will be testing a new pain monitor which may be able to more accurately predict a patients analgesia requirements during surgery. This monitor requires two gel electrodes to be placed on your chest, alongside the gel electrodes that are put on by the anaesthetist for standard heart monitoring. It records heart rate with great accuracy and using complex mathematical formulas, generates a number (the acute nociception index) which may better predict the pain levels while the patient is anaesthetized. This study compares the comfort of patients waking up after gallbladder surgery when the monitor is used compared with standard care.

Gamma glutamylcysteine (GGC) is commonly found in many foods, such as garlic and whey, which are anecdotally associated with numerous health benefits. GGC can potentially be used by the body to synthesise the commonly termed “master antioxidant” glutathione, which is responsible for protecting our cells from oxidative stress and for the elimination of toxins. As we age our body’s capacity to produce sufficient glutathione progressively declines leaving us vulnerable to many age related diseases and disorders. In this study, we will investigate whether oral administered GGC can be of benefit in increasing the glutathione content in blood cells in young. mature and aged populations.

This study has been designed to test the efficacy and safety of an 8 week regimen of subcutaneous teriparatide. A prospective randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled study design will be used. There will be a one-year follow up period. During the intervention and follow up phases, participants will undergo dental examinations, biochemical and radiological investigations, as well as a quality of life questionnaire.

The purpose of this research study is to compare the concentration of Ropinirole in the blood after application of the patch to the concentration of Ropinirole in the blood after taking the tablet formulation. The study will also look at how safe the Ropinirole patch is, as well as how well subjects tolerate the dose delivered transdermally (study drug is absorbed through the skin).

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disorder which results in increased thickness of secretions, especially in the lungs. By adulthood, the majority of patients with CF will have a bacteria living in their lungs, called Pseudomonas aeruginosa which can cause lung infections. This usually results in worsening respiratory symptoms and often an acute deterioration in their lung function. They are usually treated with antibiotics that target the Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These antibiotics are typically given as short intravenous infusions several times a day. This study aims to compare the standard method of giving these antibiotics with a different strategy of giving these antibiotics to see if this can improve the outcomes of treatment of these infections and reduce the amount of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lungs of these patients. This strategy consists of giving the same antibiotics continuously, to ensure there is always enough antibiotic in the bloodstream and the lung to be able to kill the bacteria.

This study has been designed to investigate how isocaloric loads of protein (whey protein hydolysate), or fat (intralipid (10%)) differentially affect gastrointestinal motility, gastrointestinal hormone release, and appetite sensations in male individuals with a range of BMI (between 18-35 kg/m2). Further, the sensitivity of these individuals to the presence of protein or fat in the oral cavity will be measured and related to their gastrointestinal responsiveness to protein and fat, respectively. Relationships between BMI, gastrointestinal and oral sensitivities and habitual macronutrient and energy intake will also be assessed. Thus, the specific aims of this study are to determine: the effects of small intestinal lipid and protein, infused at a rate comparable to that of average gastric emptying, on antropyloroduodenal motility, gut hormone release, appetite and energy intake across a range of BMI oral fatty acid, and glutamate, sensitivity across a range of BMI And to assess the relationships between: oral sensitivity to oleic acid and glutamate and gastrointestinal responsiveness to fat and protein, respectively energy intake with oral taste sensitivity and/or gastrointestinal responsiveness, to fat and protein BMI with oral taste thresholds, and gastrointestinal sensitivity, to fat and protein habitual intake, BMI and oral and/or gastrointestinal sensitivity to fat and protein.

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 different oral protein loads on energy intake, appetite, antral area, gastric emptying, plasma concentrations of amino acids, hormones (i.e. CCK, PYY, ghrelin, GLP-1, GIP, glucagon and insulin) and glucose, and to determine the relationship between the suppression of appetite and energy intake by protein with ‘intragastric’ and ‘small intestinal’ mechanisms.

This study will investigate the effects of exercise training in adults with congenital heart disease. Thirty patients with congenital heart disease will be randomised to either a 12 week exercise training program, or control group who will mainatin their usual activities, to review the effect on vascular function, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and quality of life.

Post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is one of the most common complications after coronary artery surgery, affecting 20-50% of patients. It is a serious post surgical complication that is associated with increased morbidity and long-term health care costs. The development of this arrhythmia after surgery is multi-factorial and reliable pre-operative predictors have not been found. The inability to reliably predict patients at risk means that current methods of preventing POAF remain suboptimal. Mounting evidence suggests that increased reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress play a major part in POAF development, opening the possibility of antioxidant supplementation as a preventative measure. During cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), increases in reactive oxygen species occurs after blood contact with the CPB circuit, the inflammatory response syndrome, ischemia-reperfusion and hyperoxia resulting in oxidative damage to myocytes. In addition there is also a reduced antioxidant response. Some of the primary antioxidants rely on appropriate levels of trace elements for normal function. One such trace element is selenium, which is required by the antioxidant glutathione peroxidase. Reductions in selenium during and after surgery are associated with increased mortality. This observational study will measure oxidative stress levels (by malondialdehyde), as well as selenium levels, pre-, intra- and up to 5 days post-operatively, to determine if an association exists between these levels and the development of POAF. The study will separate participants into patients at low risk of post-operative mortality and those at high risk. In this way we hope to better define the effect of pre- and intra-operative low levels of selenium (and increases in oxidative stress) on events such as POAF. Understanding the pathophysiological differences of low selenium between various patient risk groups may lead to targeted pre-operative antioxidant therapies that have better success at preventing POAF.