ANZCTR search results

This study is looking at the use of attenuated Botulinium Toxin to prevent long term loss of salivary secretion in patients undergoing radiation of the head & neck for malignancies. Botulinium Toxin is used to protect the parotid gland, responsible for 60% of resting saliva, from irradiation, and will be administered via a subcutaneous injection of the attenuated botulinum toxin delivered directly into the parotid gland through the skin. This will cause the gland to slow down, and therefore avoid becoming the target of irradiation. Xerostomia (or dry mouth) is a dehabilitating condition which is inevitable in bilateral neck irradiation for the treatment of head and neck cancers Trial Details In this study you will receive a single dose of attenuated botulinum toxin (100units), delivered via subcutaneous injection directly into the parotid gland through the skin 3-4 days prior to your scheduled radiation treatment. Who is it for? This study is available for participants 20 years and over who are undergoing radiation as the primary treatment modality, and have bilateral submandibular irradiation with existing head and neck cancer

The current study aims to investigate the potential appetite suppressing, mood enhancing and weight loss effects of protease inhibitor PI-2 found in a potato protein extract (SolaThin). The study will utilize pre and post supplementation scale measurements of appetite, mood, energy intake, CCK and morphometric data to assess the effect of 21 day supplementation of SolaThin.

Overweight and obesity is a major health problem increasing the risk of several lifestyle diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancers and effective strategies for weight loss are needed. A number of studies have shown equal effect on weight loss when using intermittent fasting (fasting 24h followed by 24h ad libitum eating) vs. continuous dieting. Preliminary data has suggested that an intermittent diet strategy using an energy restricted diet, in line with the continuous diet, instead of fasting produces greater weight loss compared to continuous dieting; but this has been investigated only in men. This research will look into the effect of intermittent dieting vs. continuous dieting in a cohort of overweight and obese women Aim: To investigate the effect on weight loss of an intermittent energy restriction compared to a continuous energy restriction, in healthy overweight to obese participants. Hypothesis: An intermittent energy restriction will result in greater weight loss.

The aim of this study is to conduct a randomised trial to determine the effectiveness of a parenting intervention in improving child and parent/couple outcomes.

Acne is a common, chronic and sometimes severe skin condition affecting up to 93% of 16 to 18 year olds. It is dismissed as an adolescent disorder, but the physical and psychosocial symptoms can continue into adulthood. Over-the-counter and prescription medications are clinically effective but adherence is poor, often due to an unacceptable side-effect profile. Aromatherapy is the controlled application of essential oils for improved health and well-being, and a potential treatment for acne. In vitro studies have found essential oils to be effective against Propionibacterium acnes, but there is scant evidence of clinical effectiveness. Tea tree oil is a proven effective treatment, but the strong odour and known side-effects can hinder its therapeutic value. The impact of consultation on clinical outcomes is documented in mental health, psychotherapy and CAM modalities but not reported for aromatherapy. Aim: To explore the clinical and cost-effectiveness of aromatherapy treatment for the physical and psychological symptoms of acne. Methods: The proposed study will be a prospective, randomised wait-list controlled trial. 300 participants will be recruited through TAFE colleges and block randomised to one of three trial arms. 1) usual care (wait-list control) 2) standard blend of essential oils 3) individualised aromatherapy treatment (in-depth consultation and bespoke blend of essential oils). Data will be collected on the physical symptoms of acne and quality of life (using the AQOL-8D). Costs of treatment will be collected also. The clinical and cost effectiveness of the two aromatherapy treatment options for acne will be compared with each other and against usual care. Null Hypothesis related to primary clinical outcomes a) Aromatherapy consultation (treatment arm 2) is no more effective than a standard essential oil blend (treatment arm 1) or wait-list control (usual treatment) in reducing acne severity at 12 weeks. b) A standard essential oil blend is no more effective than wait-list control in reducing acne severity at 12 weeks

The proposed study aims to investigate the impact of consuming Hi-Oleic peanuts on vascular function and how this can alter cardiometabolic health as well as cognitive performance. Peanuts have the potential to improve the cardiometabolic risk factors; glucose control, blood lipids, blood pressure and body composition. Peanuts are a source of resveratrol, shown to target endothelial cells and may result in improved circulatory function. The mechanism proposed is through enhancing the availability of nitric oxide (NO), an important vasodilator. The precursor to NO is the amino acid arginine, which is also found in rich supply in peanuts. In addition, the potential cardiometabolic benefits of peanut consumption may also help improve endothelial function. Thus, peanuts contain the precursor, key ingredient and potential cardiometabolic benefits needed to enhance vasodilatation. Impaired vasodilatation is recognised as a key contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease and reduced cognitive performance, due to poor peripheral and cerebral perfusion. This study will test whether cognitive performance and cardiometabolic health in adults is enhanced following daily consumption of peanuts. This may generate novel evidence of inter-relationship between cerebral blood vessel function and cognitive performance and provide a foundation for future studies to evaluate the effects of diet on both cardiovascular and cognitive performance.

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an online based behavioural family interaction program. Behavioural family interaction programs are the treatment of choice for conduct problems in children. However due to issues of 'reach' (i.e geographical) and time restrictions not all families are able to access this treatment. Online based interventions have the potential to overcome these barriers and provide families with better access to treatments that would otherwise be unavailable. The aim of this current research is to evaluate whether a online based behavioural family interaction can lead to an increase in pro-social behaviour and effectively reduce aggression and anti-social behaviour comparable to standard behavioural family interaction programs which are usually delivered face to face in a clinic setting. This online based behaviour family interaction program aims to teach parents to modify unhealthy parenting practices by targeting negative reinforcement contingencies operating in the family. Parents through accessing modules in a virtual clinic and via follow-up phone calls with a clinical psychologist are taught to encourage good behaviour by giving positive reinforcement and rewards, and discourage bad behaviour through the provision of consistent, emotionally neutral punishment. It is hypothesised that families receiving the online based program will show comparable improvements in levels of disruptive behaviour, decrease in parental stress and improvements in parenting behaviour to those receiving face to face therapy.

Evidence demonstrates that social cognition training improves social cognition and social functioning in individuals with a psychotic disorder. The aim of this study is to determine the critical cognitive and biological markers underlying the effects of social cognition training and the degree to which they predict changes in social functioning for young people with a psychotic illness. As suggested in the literature, face perception, emotion recognition, theory of mind and attribution bias are key cognitive markers of social functioning in humans. We speculate that OT may further underlie these cognitive changes via feedforward mechanisms stimulated by engaging with social cognition training. This will be investigated by examining the impact of social cognition training on plasma levels. We also directly administer OT in-order to amplify biological and cognitive markers that facilitate improvements in social-functioning. Hypotheses Following SCT treatment, individuals with early psychosis in the SCT + OT + TAU condition compared to SCT + Placebo + TAU condition will demonstrate: Outcome Hypothesis 1. Significant improvement on measures of social cognition and social function. Mechanism Hypothesis 1. OT administration will enhance social-cognitive and biological markers compared to the placebo condition. 2. OT administration will enhance social functioning outcomes following SCT training compared to the placebo group. 3. Changes in biological and social-cognitive markers in both the OT and Placebo SCT groups will predict improvements in social functioning. This association will be stronger in the OT condition given the influence of OT on critical markers will be amplified.

The limited existing empirical evidence has generally pointed towards a discrepancy between objective and subjective outcomes following AmED consumption. This discrepancy has been argued to result in increased alcohol consumption and/or risk-taking post-consumption. However, there is a dearth of research (i) supporting this proposed increase in risk-taking, and (ii) attempting to explain the potential mechanisms underlying any changes in risk-taking post-consumption. Consequently, the aim of the current study will be to examine the subjective physiological and psychological outcomes and objective risk and impulsive behavioural outcomes of independent and combined alcohol and energy drink consumption.

Post-prandial lipemia is an elevation in triglyceride (TG) and chylomicron remnants that occurs after digesting a fat-containing meal. Post-prandial lipemia has been established as a risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. However, dietary intake of green tea and aerobic exercise results in lowered post-prandial lipemia. The study will examine the effect of a different form of exercise called high intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) and green tea on postprandial lipemia.