ANZCTR search results

Approximately 50% of preterm children born very early have problems at school. Difficulty remembering things, using something technically known as “working memory”, contributes to these school problems. Working memory is the ability to temporarily store information for everyday activities. It is critical for learning information and developing basic academic skills. This study aims to investigate if an adaptive working memory training program, known as Cogmed, can improve school performance in very preterm children at 7 years of age. It will also be the first study to incorporate advanced neuroimaging techniques in a randomised controlled trial of Cogmed, and will be essential for determining and monitoring the neural changes that occur as a result of adaptive working memory training.

This study is observing changes which occur to bone density and structure, muscle mass, and glucose metabolism (the way that the body converts sugars to energy), after stroke. We are investigating how these outcomes are influenced by physical activity after stroke. This information will be used in future designs of rehabilitation programs aimed at improving stroke patients' health and recovery.

This RCT examined the effectiveness and safety of herbal medicine in conjunction with lifestyle changes, for overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a common disorder with 11-21% prevalence in the Australian and other populations(1). PCOS is associated with short and long term health consequences including significantly increased risks for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Up to 75% of women with PCOS have underlying metabolic disease(3) and women with PCOS have increased risks for infertility, pregnancy and neonatal complications, hyperlipidaemia, sleep apnoea, anxiety and depression(1). The progression of disease is exacerbated by increased body weight and improved by weight loss (1). The evidence based guidelines for the management of women with PCOS, commissioned by the National Health and Medical Research Council indicates that lifestyle intervention including diet and exercise, is first line treatment for women with PCOS (1), The strength of evidence however is limited by high attrition in RCTs and clinical uptake remains impeded by the lack of evidence for optimal dietary and exercise practices. In addition physical and psycho-social barriers are often observed in overweight women, particularly in those with established obesity(1). Many women use complementary medicines (CMs) (4-5). This study investigated one of the CMs, naturopathy in combination with lifestyle intervention for improved menstrual regularity, and other outcomes. Naturopathy was defined as a new herbal medicine regime including five herbal extracts. Herbal medicine is chemically complex and may improve several aspects of PCOS, however the current evidence base is limited (6). This randomized controlled trial will examine the effectiveness and safety of combined herbal medicine and lifestyle intervention in overweight women with PCOS. 1. AAPCOS. Evidence based guidelines for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. March 2011, https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines-publications/ext2 2. ESHRE. Revised 2003 consensus on diagnostic criteria and long-term health risks related to polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertility and Sterility. 2004;81(1):19-25. 3. Hart R, Norman R. Polycystic ovarian syndrome – prognosis and outcomes. Best practice & research Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology. 2006;20(5):751-78. 4. Williamson M, Tudball J, Toms M, Garden F, Grunseit A. Information use and needs of complementary medicines users. National Prescribing Service. Sydney: Department of Health and Ageing, NSW Government; 2008. 5. .Arentz, S., Smith, C.A., Abbott, J.A., Bensoussan, A. A survey of the use of complementary medicine by Australian women with PCOS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2014 14 (1) p.472 6. Zhang J, Li T, Zhou L, Tang L, Xu L, Wu T, Chinese herbal medicine for sub-fertile women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010 (9)

DAILIES TOTAL1 RegisteredTradeMark by CIBA VISION is one of the new silicone hydrogel daily disposable lenses recently released into the contact lens market. This study intends to provide more information on the clinical performance of DAILIES TOTAL1 RegisteredTradeMark in terms of ocular health, vision and subjective comfort. It will allow for comparisons to previous and future contact lens related studies in the hope that it can contribute to further understanding on what causes cotnact lens related discomfort and dryness. The hypothesis of this study is that the ocular responses and subjective comfort ratings will be dissimilar in participants wearing DAILIES TOTAL1 RegisteredTradeMark and other lens types.

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is an idiopathic, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease for which there is currently no diagnostic test or any disease modifying treatment. It is caused by an accumulation of mictotubule associated tau protein in the basal ganglia, midbrain and cortical regions. There is selective loss of inhibitory interneurones and corticocortical projections leading to frontal atrophy which may correlate with the motor and cognitive disabilities. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is capable of inducing action potentials in cortical neurones, and provides the capacity to measure cortical neuronal excitabilityand interneuronal function. Preliminary data shows this may be a method for measuring neuronal function in PSP, which may enable its use as a biomarker. The intention of this study is to determine if these measure ments are able to distinguish PSP from other parkinsonian syndromes with similar clinical features, and if these measurements correlate with advancing clinical features over time.

The aim of this study is to find out if people following a distal radal fracture recover better if they receive a progressive exercise program. Our hypothesis is that a progressive exercise program imiplemented during the rehabilitation phase following a distal radius fracture in addition to advice will achieve better recovery of upper limb activity and functional activities than advice alone.

Clariti TradeMark 1day by Sauflon Pharmaceuticals is one of the new silicone hydrogel daily disposable lenses recently released into the contact lens market. This study intends to provide more information on the clinical performance of Clariti TradeMark 1 Day in terms of ocular health, vision and subjective comfort. It will allow for comparisons to previous and future contact lens related studies in the hope that it can contribute to further understanding on what causes contact lens related discomfort and dryness. The hypothesis of this study is that the ocular responses and subjective comfort ratings will be dissimilar in participants wearing Clariti TradeMark 1 Day and other lens types.

A major focus on weight gain prevention is urgently needed in all population groups including adults who are still within the healthy weight range as well as in those already overweight. Women are an important target group with greater prevalence of obesity, in particular abdominal obesity. Weight gain prevention has the potential to underpin and reduce the need for, intensive and costly obesity treatment programs. information alone. Women in rural communities are living with greater disadvantage, limited access to health services, and according to the longitudinal data from Women’s Health Australia, are gaining weight faster than urban dwelling women. The positive effect of the HeLP-her intervention requires confirmation in larger studies, over longer time periods, in diverse populations and settings. The proposed trial presents an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of HeLP-her in young, rural women with benefits to physical, metabolic and reproductive health. If, as appears likely, we can prevent weight gain with a simple intervention which proves to be cost effective and can be delivered easily to most women in Australia, we can make a significant contribution toward preventing the predicted upward shift in population weight and the consequences of obesity related illness. The Healthy Lifestyle Program (HeLP-her) is voluntary and participants were able to withdraw at any stage within the program. Written consent was provided by all participants and data collected was stored in a de-identified manner to ensure participant confidentiality.

Our group has recently found that women with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (an autoimmune disease causing dry eyes and mouth) are considerably more likely to suffer obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) compared to women without Sjogren’s syndrome. OSA is a common condition in which the upper airway repeatedly closes during sleep and can lead to severe daytime sleepiness, one of the common problems reported by Sjogren’s sufferers. A likely key cause of OSA in Sjogren’s syndrome is reduced and stickier airway secretions that may predispose to airway obstruction and disturbed sleep at night. Recent research in OSA patients without Sjogren’s syndrome has shown that lubricating the upper airway with a substance called surfactant improves OSA. Surfactants are naturally produced in the lung and work by decreasing the “stickiness” (surface tension) of fluids. Therefore, at least in OSA patients without Sjogren’s syndrome, surfactants applied to the upper airway appear to help the airway to stay open and reopen more easily if it becomes closed. Women with Sjogren’s syndrome are likely to similarly benefit from this form of treatment. The aim of this study is to determine whether the topical application of surfactant in women with primary Sjogren’s Syndrome who have obstructive sleep apnoea as well, will reduce the severity of their OSA and salivary stickiness and will improve their symptoms of overnight dryness and general morning well-being or not.

This project aims to see if a 4 week rehabilitation program will improve the health of older people living in an aged care facility who have recently had a hip fracture.