ANZCTR search results

Preterm birth can be associated with long-term neurodevelopment abnormalities. This is at least partly explained by the detrimental effects of a highly stressful environment and the lack of tactile stimulation normally experienced in the womb. Infant massage has been shown to accelerate brain development, resulting in a pattern more similar to that observed in term-born infants. We will teach mothers to directly perform massage as part of the intervention program, and the short term effects of infant massage on brain structure will be examined through advanced neuroimaging techniques. We will recruit 40 preterm infants, and we will randomly allocate them to one of two groups (intervention or control group). 10 healthy newborns will also be recruited to serve as a typically developing comparison group. Short term effects on mother's mood and anxiety and on mother-infant bonding will also be explored by structured scales and questionnaires. Long term outcome measures will assess child development, parent child interaction and parental pyshological, social and emotional problems.

The use of complementary and alternative medicines is on the rise, with many people opting to supplement their diet in order to ‘top-up’ nutrients lacking from their diet. Recently, research has associated poor nutrition with cognitive decline, and it has also been suggested that aspects of nutrient intake may be associated with mood. Research has found associations between depressive symptoms and a number of key micronutrients, however little research has investigated the role of multivitamin supplementation on symptoms of anxiety and stress. This study will investigate the effect of supplementation with 50+ Ultivite on mood, stress and brain function in healthy, community-dwelling, older participants. Specifically, the study will aim to investigate the role of supplementation on measures of depression, anxiety and stress, as well as measures of brain function.

Antibody mediated rejection post kidney transplant has become a significant clinical problem given that over 25% of kidney transplant candidates have antibodies (are sensitized) to potential organ donors. Currently there are no approved treatments for AMR and options to treat are limited. It is hoped that eculizumab will reduce the incidence of AMR post kidney transplant from deceased donors to whom the recipient is sensitized.

The main purpose of this study is to determine if claimed improvements in a new version of a common medical device are reasonable and if it is appropriate to use these devices instead of the current devices in use (at the Royal Adelaide Hospital)

Circulating Tumour DNA as a marker of complete athological response and long term outcome for locally advanced rectal cancer treated with pre-operative chemoradiotherapy. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that the eradication of ctDNA in peripheral blood following completion of pre-operative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a sensitive and specific predictor of complete pathological response (pCR) in locally advanced rectal cancer

The purpose of this study is to measure cancer specific gene changes in the blood as a biomarker in monitoring disease status in stage II and IV colorectal cancer. Biomarkers are substances that can be found in blood and/or tumour tissue and may be used to measure the effects or progress of a disease or condition. Genes are substances in the body which contain information about characteristics us as individuals. Previous studies have found that the majority of colorectal cancers contain mutations in several genes (the gene is changed or different from the common form) and that these cancerrelated mutations can be detected in the blood. Identifying biomarkers are important because: they may be linked with disease progression, they may help to identify people who are most likely to benefit from a certain treatment such as chemotherapy, or they may be used to track the status of cancer without the need for invasive procedures, such as biopsies.

The effectiveness of treatment to reduce heart disease risk can vary a great deal between individuals. this is partly due to an individuals genetic makeup. Fatty acid metabolites called CYP450metabolites of arachidonic acid can act on blood vessels and the kidney to regulate blood pressure. one of these metabolites known as 20-HETE is known to be affected by dietary salt intake. we will study volunteers with two different genetic make-ups that affect 20-HETE levels differently to see if they affect blood pressure and heart disease risk. We will asses whether having either genetic make up causes a blood pressure and plasma and urinary 20-HETE when participants have different intakes of dietary salt.

This project will investigate the effect of pasta incorporating red and white sorghum flours on hunger, blood glucose and other blood measurements related to health.

This is a Phase II clinical trial for the study of the efficacy of Lariam (Mefloquine) antimalarial drugs against Plasmodium falciparum by experimental challenge with a low dose of blood stage parasites in healthy adult volunteers. This trial is to be conducted under the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Clinical Trial Notification Scheme(CTN). The purpose of the study is to characterize the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship of mefloquine on clearance of Plasmodium falciparum parasites from the blood in healthy volunteers following infection with blood stage parasites, to characterize the pharmacokinetics and the relationship between mefloquine pharmacokinetics and parasite kinetics in healthy volunteers following infection with blood stage Plasmodium falciparum.

Foot pain is highly prevalent in older people, and in many cases is associated with wearing inadequate footwear. In Australia, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) covers the costs of medical grade footwear for veterans who have severe foot deformity. However, there is a high demand for footwear by veterans with foot pain who do not meet this eligibility criterion. Therefore, the purpose of this randomised controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of low cost, off-the-shelf footwear in reducing foot pain in DVA recipients who are currently not eligible for medical grade footwear. One hundred and twenty DVA clients with foot pain residing in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, who are not eligible for medical grade footwear will be recruited from the DVA database, and will be randomly allocated to an intervention group or a “usual care” control group. The intervention group will continue to receive their usual DVA-subsidised podiatry care in addition to being provided with low-cost, supportive footwear (Dr Comfort [registered trademark]) fitted by a podiatrist. The control group will also continue to receive DVA-subsidised podiatry care, but will not be provided with the footwear until the completion of the study. The primary outcome measure will be pain subscale on the Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ), measured at baseline and 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks. Secondary outcome measures measured at baseline and 16 weeks will include the function subscale of the FHSQ, the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index, the number of DVA podiatry treatments required during the study period, general health-related quality of life (using the Short Form 12), the number of falls experienced during the follow-up period, the Timed Up and Go Test, the presence of hyperkeratotic lesions (corns and calluses), the number of participants using co-interventions to relieve foot pain, and participants’ perception of overall treatment effect.