ANZCTR search results

This study aims to determine the effect of a 26-week seated Simplified Tai Chi Exercise Program (STEP) on the quality of life of older Taiwanese people in wheelchairs living in long term care, and on their depression, mood states, and self-efficacy.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death worldwide. In addition to generating high healthcare costs, COPD imposes a significant burden in terms of disability and impaired quality of life. Unlike many leading causes of death and disability, COPD is projected to increase in much of the world as smoking frequencies rise and the population ages. The use of home oxygen for hypoxic COPD patients has increased since studies have shown improved survival. Home oxygen however is cold and dry and may be uncomfortable and lead to thickened secretions. This study aims to assess the feasibility and short term physiological respiratory changes caused by using an alternative device AIRVO (high flows of warmed and humidified air enriched oxygen ) versus the currently used home oxygen (low flow oxygen therapy).

The study was approved in 1998 by the Royal Brisbane Human Research Ethics Committee.

The overall aim of the current study is to examine the brain correlates of emotion recognition in patients with HD using a double-blind placebo controlled intranasal oxytocin design and two MRI techniques involving fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

While evidence-based parenting programs have been shown to be effective for the treatment of child conduct problems, their effective dissemination is a major challenge for the field. Online interventions can increase the reach and accessibility of parenting support, and reduce the prevalence of child behaviour problems. This study aims to evaluate a brief online parenting program for parents of children with conduct problems. It is expected that program completion of the intervention has the potential to reduce ineffective and coercive parenting practices, and lead to improved child behavioural and emotional adjustment and better family wellbeing.

The stated goal of the research project is to determine the effect of undertaking a Social Skills and Relationship (SS&R) course which will impact on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to sexuality for people with an intellectual disability (ID). A well-used and respected tool within the Behaviour Support Team (BST) is the Assessment of Sexual Knowledge (ASK). This is the main tool currently available to the researcher and her BST colleagues when assessing clients sexual knowledge. One of the components for the research project is to analyse the scores of the pre and post ASK assessments for each of the SS&R Course participants to determine if the programme has been tailored to suit the individual educational needs of the group. It is envisaged an increase in scores may occur in the clients’ scores once the programme is completed. The ASK involves a series of pictures being shown to the client and a number of set questions, that are sequentially graded are asked by the administrator of the ASK. The client’s answers are recorded on set answer sheets by the administrator and a standardised scoring system is utilised. The ASK has high levels of test-retest reliability of 76% and can be utilised to test individuals both prior to commencing an education programme and again upon its completion.

Physical activity is important for physical and psychological health, as well as for maintenance of physical function and independence in young people with physical disabilities. However, people with physical disabilities have difficulty finding appropriate avenues for physical activity. This project involves the development and evaluation of a novel and feasible pedometer-based physical activity self-management program for young people with physical disability. Given its low-cost, low-touch nature, once developed, this program could be readily incorporated into ongoing clinical services.

The benefits of an existing inpatient treatment regimen involving ketamine infusion for the purpose of pain desensitisation/opioid detoxification will be documented. A sample of approximately 40 female chronic pain patients with either multiple sclerosis (n=20) or complex regional pain (n=20) will be evaluated before and after a 5-day inpatient ketamine infusion procedure (termed “Burst Ketamine”). The procedure itself involves the patient receiving an intravenous infusion of ketamine, administered within a subanaesthetic dose range, whilst an opioid is concurrently given. The endpoints of interest include patient pain thresholds (evaluating the degree of hypersensitivity/allodynia before and after the ketamine protocol), sensitivity to opioid analgesia, quality of life measures, mental health assessment, sleep quality and cognitive processing measures. Additionally, these endpoints will also be assessed in healthy female volunteer participants (n=20) to provide normative comparisons for which the pain patients can be compared against. Collectively, the pre- and post-treatment measures will enable us to determine whether: 1) ketamine therapy increases pain thresholds in patients, 2) ketamine therapy normalises sensitivity to opioids, 3) quality of life, mental health, sleep quality and cognitive measures improve subsequent to ketamine therapy.

The primary objective of the MitraClip System ANZ Clinical Trial is to gather real-world clinical and health-economic outcome data to support the long-term safety, efficacy and economic value of the MitraClip System in the continuum of therapies for treating MR. Specifically, the following clinical and economic data will be collected: New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class, Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) distance, quality of life (QOL) information, echocardiographic measures of left ventricular size and function, and data associated with the index hospitalization, rehospitalizations, concomitant medications and discharge facility to support the MitraClip System economic analysis.

It is frequently reported that clinicians across a range of professional disciplines experience strong negative reactions toward patients with eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two different educational interventions in reducing negative attitudes and blame-based stigma (in fourth year medicine students) toward patients with AN. The current study will compare the effectiveness of a traditional intervention (emphasising the contribution of multiple factors in the development of anorexia nervosa), a more biologically-based intervention (emphasising the biological, neurobiological and genetic factors in the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa), and a wait-list control group (no intervention/education). Attitudes and stigma will be measured pre-intervention, immediately following the intervention, and eight weeks later.