ANZCTR search results

Regulation of the factors that control food intake, the function of the stomach and small intestine and release of gut hormones is complex, and our understanding of this field is far from complete. There is increasing evidence that nutrient stimuli in the gut, especially in the small intestine, induce changes in gut motor and hormonal functions that play a central role in the control of energy intake and blood glucose. In particular high-protein diets have been found to be very effective for weight loss and for improving blood glucose in obese with and without type 2 diabetes. This study aims to investigate the effects of the amino acid, L-phenylalanine, on gut motility, gut hormone release, blood glucose control and energy intake in humans. We hypothesise that L-phenylalanine as building block of proteins, may substantially contribute to the beneficial effects of whole protein on gut functions and energy intake regulation. This has not been evaluated in detail and will be important in order to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effects of dietary protein on eating control.

This trial investigates the use of a guidelines based approach (Project Air Strategy, 2011) to supporting families, partners and carers of people with a personality disorder

Treatment for personality disorder is effective but only specialist long-term approaches have been studied on specific subsets of patients with highly trained staff. This study aims to evaluate a whole of service approach in a large public mental health service. The treatment is guidelines-based approach based on a relationship model (Project Air Strategy for Personality Disorders 2011). A delayed randomised controlled trial compares this approach to standard care.

This study will investigate the effect of including a small amount of adrenaline in the local anaesthetic (ropivacaine) solution used for the abdominal wall nerve blocks commonly performed now to provide pain relief after abdominal surgery. Ropivacaine is commonly used for these nerve blocks because it is a longer-acting local anaesthetic. Adrenaline is a naturally occurring substance in the human body. It is commonly added to local anaesthetics to increase the duration of their effect, and to reduce the rate local anaesthetic is taken up into the blood stream (to limit the risk of side effects to the local anaesthetic). The specific purpose of this study is to determine how much, if at all, the inclusion of adrenaline reduces uptake of the local anaesthetic ropivacaine, with these particular blocks, and thus whether or not it increases the safety. Currently, adrenaline is routinely added to local anaesthesics for certain types of nerve blocks but its potential safety benefit in abdominal wall blocks using ropivacaine is unclear.

This study will describe the usual dietary nutrient profile of a patient group with NAFLD and associations with a range of indicators of liver disease severity and cardiovascular risk. After a 3-month dietary intervention with a Mediterranean-style test diet vs. a low-fat control diet, the influence on measures of cardiovascular risk and liver fat, will be assessed. Patients will maintain their weight during this 3-month period to allow for assessment of the influence of diet, independently of the known effects of weight loss. By re-examining the same markers of liver disease severity and cardiovascular risk, the effects of the intervention and control diets will provide insight into whether there is a superior nutrient profile to improve cardiovascular risks and/or liver fat in this patient group. This will also determine if there is a role dietary therapy in NAFLD for patients who are unable lose or maintain weight loss.

To ascertain whether the addition of intravenous magnesium sulphate for treatment of acute asthma exacerbations where standard treatment has failed to resolve the attack will improve outcomes and reduce the need for admission to hospital

Compared with the general population, dialysis patients have a 100-fold increased risk of dying from heart disease which has remained unchanged over the last decade. The main factor which predicts this risk in dialysis patients is abnormal heart muscle structure and function. Excess body fluid and high blood pressure are critical risk factors leading to these heart abnormalities. Current tests to identify dialysis patients at high risk are quite inaccurate and optimum blood pressure/fluid targets remain undefined. There is an urgent need for a blood test that accurately detects the early stages of heart injury to enable effective treatments. NT-proBNP is a heart hormone released during heart stress and early studies suggest it can predict which dialysis patients do poorly. The aim of our research is to develop a monitoring guideline based on regular testing of NT-proBNP to identify high-risk dialysis patients early. This would enable treatment before a serious medical complication occurs, potentially improving patient outcomes on dialysis. We will achieve this by testing NT-proBNP monthly in a group of 150 dialysis patients for 2-years, and correlating changes in the hormone levels with changes in patient symptoms, their health, body fluid state, and heart structure and function.

The aim of this study is to ascertain whether a standard clinical dose of 320 mg or a 640 mg dose of a specific extract of Bacopa Monnieri [KeenMind (Registered Trademark) - CDRI 08] would acutely affect cognition, mood, anxiety and stress at an earlier timepoint than previous Bacopa Monnieri supplementation studies. This study will investigate the cognitive and stress effects of a two doses of bacopa compared to placebo. Participants will be required to consume one of three treatments on each testing day, and will consume the other treatments on the other two days of testing. There will be a seven day washout period and the process will be repeated again. (1) Bacopa – 320mg (2) Bacopa – 640mg (3) Placebo

This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility of the methods and procedures used in order to guide a larger open-label randomised trial. In addition, this pilot study will examine the primary outcome measures and the ability to recruit 50 participants in a 6-month period. This study will also involve a cost analysis to compare the cost attributed to both groups. The study aims to measure and compare clinical outcomes for two clinical management strategies for the treatment of diabetic foot osteomyelitis, these are a) prolonged IV treatment and b) early commencement of oral antibiotic therapy (following a brief initial treatment with IV antibiotics); and to compare the quality of life of participants receiving prolonged treatment with an oral antibiotic strategy and those receiving prolonged treatment with an intravenous antibiotic strategy. Data regarding the infection (presence or absence and infection severity), the wound size and the participant’s quality of life will be collected at various time-points. There will also be three follow up visit at 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks post cessation of antibiotic treatment, which will evaluate the infection (presence or absence and infection severity grade) and the wound size. Whilst an additional plain X-ray will be performed at 4 weeks post cessation of treatment in order to determine if the infection has resolved. The tentative hypothesis for the pilot study is that a treatment strategy of predominantly oral antibiotics with high oral bioavailability and expected high bone concentration will have a success rate equivalent to that of a strategy of six weeks of intravenous antibiotics, but a lower rate of major complications, a lower cost and a better quality of life. Although this pilot study will not formally test these hypotheses it will enable the researchers to assess the ability of these hypotheses to be formally tested in a future definitive randomised controlled trial.

This study tests the short and medium term efficacy of the online Wellbeing Course with consumers with symptoms of anxiety, when administered by staff from the MHA, NSW.