ANZCTR search results

This study has been designed to investigate how the load of Whey Protein Hydolysate effects gut motility, gut hormones, and appetite sensations in obese individuals. Further, how response to a specific load of Whey Protein Hydolysate differs between obese and age-matched lean individuals will be investigated. There is evidence that protein more potently suppresses appetite and energy intake than carbohydrate and fat, however, the mechanisms behind this are not clear, and many studies show variable results due to differences in methodology. Our team has developed an intraduodenal infusion protocol appropriate to characterise the effects of varying protein loads in lean individuals on antropyloroduodenal motility, hormone release, and energy intake. Evidence suggests that normal hormone release and motility responses are perturbed in obese individuals. Thus, this study aims to characterise the effects of protein loads on gut motility, gut hormones, appetite sensations, and subsequent energy intake in obese individuals. We hypothesise that protein will modulate these parameters in a load-dependent manner, however, obese subjects will be less sensitive to loads of protein infused into the duodenum, compared to a healthy lean population. The results of this study may aid food and pharmaceutical industries in identifying appropriate responses to aid body weight management.

This research project is aiming to determine the effects of glucose and caffeine on cognitive function, stress and mood. Both caffeine and glucose are said to play a role in improving attentional resources with attending to activities with a high cognitive demand. This project will assess the effectiveness of various levels of caffeine and glucose combination drinks on performance of a multitasking battery and mood measures. Further measures for a subset of participant will include an MRI scan where performance on attentional tasks will be evaluated. Participants will be required to attend four testing sessions (and one practice session). Each session will see participants taking one of four drink interventions; (1) Caffeine drink (40mg caffeine) (2) Caffeine and Glucose Drink (25mg Glucose, 40mg caffeine) (3) Caffeine and Glucose Drink (60mg Glucose, 40mg caffeine) (4) Placebo

This research study aims to test how effective the BioNessL300 is on fatigue induced gait variability in people with MS. In this study participants will wear a commercially available peroneal nerve stimulator (NessL300) for 8 weeks. The first 3 weeks will consist of training and acclimatisation to the device, starting at 15 minutes per day, building up to 8 hours of use per day. Participants will then continue to use the device as an orthosis for the next 5 weeks.

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.