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Some adults with cerebral palsy have more difficulty with walking as they get older. Impaired balance and reduced balance confidence have been suggested to be contributing factors to this decline. This project will conduct a small randomised trial to examine the effect of a physiotherapy program of balance training on the walking self-confidence and balance of adults with cerebral palsy, compared to a different program of a variety of meditation, relaxation and lifestyle activities.

The main aim of this study is to compare two products for preventing or reducing the severity of radiation induced dermatitis (RID). RID is a common side effect of radiation therapy. RID is characterised by skin redness and in severe cases, the skin thins and begins to weep and may be susceptible to infection. With ongoing radiation, the skin condition and appearance often worsens. This trial aims to compare sorbolene cream which is the standard product that is recommended for use by patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital with a lotion containing extract of Calendula officinalis (marigold flower), called Calendula lotion. Calendula is reported to have anti-inflammatory properties and may encourage skin healing. The hypothesis for the study is that Calendula lotion offers significant benefits compared to sorbolene when used for the prevention or treatment of RID. Who is it for? This study is open to women 18 years and over who have undergone prior lumpectomy or mastectomy and are due to undergo post-surgical radiotherapy for breast cancer using standard treatment pathways. Participants will need to provide informed consent, and not be undergoing any concurrent chemotherapy at the time of participation. Full exclusion criteria for this study can be found in the relevant section of this form. Trial details You will be randomised to receive either Calendula officinalis lotion (marigold extract 32%v/v) or Sorbolene lotion with 10% glycerine, which will be topically applied to skin twice a day every day of the week during radiotherapy treatment (typically a 5 week period) and for up tp 6 weeks. Participants will be instructed to apply lotion generously to entire irradiated skin using an amount approximately in size to a 20cent-50cent piece (dependent on physique).

The aim of the study is to identify patients with poor medication-taking behaviour and implement personalised interventions to improve medication-taking behaviour. We hope to learn about changes in medication-taking behaviour over time and to determine the degree to which improvements in this behaviour are sustained. We also want to learn if using the MAQ and Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire - Specific was helpful to improve medication-taking behaviour. We hypothesise that: - Personalising interventions to patients known to have poor medication-taking behaviour will improve medication-taking behaviour at three months. - Improvements in medication-taking behaviour at three months will not be sustained at six months. - Medication-taking behaviour, and the reasons for poor medication-taking behaviour, will change over time in all groups studied.

This study aims to examine whether extra support from a midwife in early labour, before arrival at hospital, can safely reduce the number of women who give birth by caesarean. Women who agree to take part are allocated by chance to receiving this extra care, or to the usual support provided at the hospital. Once they arrive at hospital, care is provided according to the usual hospital practices.

This study is looking at methods used to intubate (insert a breathing tube that connects to a ventilator) sick infants. The standard method, which has been used internationally for many years, involves the doctor first inserting a laryngoscope into the infant’s mouth. This is an L-shaped device with a light at the tip. When it is manipulated correctly, it moves the infant’s tongue and jaw allowing a view of the infant’s airway. The doctor can then insert the breathing tube through the voice-box into the airway. This is a difficult procedure for doctors to learn and more than one attempt is often required to insert the breathing tube correctly. A more senior supervising doctor is usually present to assist during the procedure but is limited by the fact that he/she cannot see in the infant’s mouth. The devise being examined in this study is a videolaryngoscope. This is structurally the same as a traditional laryngoscope but displays real time images on to a nearby monitor. This essentially means that the assisting doctor can now see what the intubating doctor sees and can therefore potentially offer improved guidance and assistance. This is a randomised controlled trial and any infant at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, who requires intubation, is eligible for inclusion. If the infant is very sick and needs urgent intubation, they are excluded. All intubations in the study will be performed by neonatal registrars, who are junior doctors in training. The enrolled infants will be allocated randomly into the intervention group or the control group. In the intervention group, the registrar will attempt to intubate the infant using the videolaryngoscope and standard breathing tubes. A supervising doctor will be present and view the videolaryngoscope screen. They will offer instruction to the registrar based on the images they see. In the control group, the registrar will attempt to intubate using the videolaryngoscope and standard breathing tubes. However this time, the monitor will remain covered during the intubation attempt. The registrar will still be offered verbal guidance, as would be standard current practice. In both groups it will be recorded if the first attempt resulted in correct placement of the breathing tube. The main result of the study will be a comparison of the rate of correct tube placement between the two groups.

Damage to the Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a ligament vital for the stability of the knee joint, affects the ability to perform daily activities and physical exercise. The reduced physical activity caused by knee injury can cause changes in the muscle of the leg, causing decreased muscle strength, size and endurance. This study proposes to test the effect of ACL injury (knee injury) on muscle on a microscopic or molecular level, and investigate how such molecular changes in the muscle can affect knee function. A second aim of the study is to investigate the role of inflammation in the knee joint and how it affects leg strength and physical activity levels. This will be achieved by measuring strength, balance, physical activity levels, and muscle samples in patients undergoing ACL reconstructive surgery compared to a matched control group. It is hypothesized that after acute ACL trauma, functional changes in quality of life and muscle function of the injured limb will be associated with adverse changes in knee extensor muscle contractility on a biochemical level.

The purpose of this project is to improve our understanding of the mechanism by which patients with advanced Liver disease (or cirrhosis) develop common complications related to abnormalities in blood flow. These complications include bleeding from the gut (variceal bleeding), behavioural changes (hepatic encephalopathy) and fluid build-up in the abdomen (ascites). Events such as these have a significant impact on patients affected by cirrhosis leading to a deterioration in their quality of life, frequent hospital admissions and in some cases, death. The mechanism behind this abnormal blood flow that occurs in cirrhosis is so far not fully understood. Recently studies performed by our group on animal blood vessels strongly indicate that these problems arise in cirrhosis due to abnormal responses to a hormone, Angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7). As of yet, studies of human blood vessel reactivity to Ang 1-7 in cirrhosis have not been carried out. We propose to perform detailed analysis of blood vessel reactivity to Ang 1-7 on approximately 16 Austin and Alfred Health patients using a technique called Forearm Plethysmography (FP). The FP study will involve insertion of a small tube (cannula) into an artery of the forearm through which Ang 1-7 and other agents will be delivered. After drugs to be studied have been administered changes in blood vessel reactivity will be assessed using a specially designed band around the forearm which records and measures changes in it’s size. Half of the patients involved in the study will have cirrhosis and will be listed for Liver transplantation. The other half will be patients not affected by Liver disease (‘the control group’). Patients with cirrhosis will be asked to return for a repeat study after they have undergone liver transplantation. This study will help us to establish the role of Ang 1-7 in human cirrhosis and may lead the way to further research and the development of available therapies. Also in this study we will evaluate a novel medical device called EndoPAT. EndoPAT is a non-invasive device used to assess the reactivity of blood vessels by applying sensor pads to the tips of the fingers. It's use has not yet been studied in a cirrhotic population where it has the potential to be used as a screening tool to predict complications of cirrhosis.

The overall goal of this project is to develop an online CBT based self-help program for children and adolescents with OCD which incorporates families and carers in the treatment plan. This will fill the current gap between psychoeducation only and high intensity face-to-face assessment and therapy. Consistent with the proposed actions of the research plan, this program will improve the support given to and build the resilience of families and carers of young people with OCD, expand community based youth mental health services, and provide an accessible and targeted treatment to those young people who do not require immediate high intensity intervention.

To compare two different treatment methods of reducing pain and recurrent episodes in individuals with recurrent corneal erosion syndrome, a syndrome characterised by pain, watering and light sensitivity due to episisodic loosening of the surface cells of the eye. The two methods are laser treatment and alcohol treatment to the surface of the eye. It is hypothesised that the two methods are comparable in their effect.

This proposed pilot study's purpose is to explore the viability of a mindfulness meditation intervention in a sample of older-adults residing in a residential aged-care home who have chronic pain. It is hypothesised that for those older adults in the intervention group, mindfulness meditation will have a beneficial effect and decrease these older-adults scores on measures of pain and depression, while also demonstrating a tendency for increased post-study scores of acceptance and awareness.