ANZCTR search results

A recent discovery in our laboratory demonstrated that in comparison with lean subjects, the alimentary canal (oral and gastrointestinal tract) response to fats and fatty acids in foods was attenuated in overweight and obese human subjects. This data supports evidence that overweight and obese individuals consume excess dietary fat. There are two possibilities for these findings, first, that consumption of a high-fat diet induces environmental adaptive changes in the body’s sensitivity to fat, or, second, that genetic predisposition determines an individual’s fat sensitivity. Using both monozygous and dizygous twin pairs; we will estimate the magnitude of fat sensitivity heritability and its links to obesity.

There is evidence to suggest that acupuncture can modulate both non-specific and specific immunity. Published literature suggests that this modulation is most prominent in subjects with chronic inflammatory diseases including allergic rhinitis. Claims are also made regarding the “uniqueness” of acupuncture treatment in that it can have differing effects with an identical stimulus, depending on the starting state of the organism. The overall objective of this research is to investigate the effects of acupuncture on the mucosal immune response in the upper respiratory tract. We will study patients with allergic rhinitis where there is evidence that acupuncture treatment is clinically beneficial. We will also study healthy subjects without allergic disease to investigate any differences in effects that the same acupuncture treatment might have on mucosal immune responses compared to patients with allergic rhinitis.

An acquired brain injury (or ABI) refers to an injury to the brain that has occurred after birth. Common causes of traumatic brain injury (the most common subtype of ABI) are motor vehicle accidents, falls, sporting injuries, or assaults. Other causes of brain injury include stroke, tumor, infection, or hypoxia. In children, brain injury can cause existing skills and abilities to be lost at least temporarily, and can also cause delays in the development of new skills. Some children recover very well, however it is quite common for children to experience some form of behavioural, social, academic, physical, emotional or developmental problems. It is recognised that acquired brain injury can impact on the entire family system. Not only do parents have to manage the stress associated with the difficulties that their child is experiencing, they are also often dealing with many emotions related to the ABI, attending many appointments for their child, and dealing with schools and various other agencies. This study aims to assess the efficacy of a behavioural family intervention, plus an ACT-based intervention addressing the emotional costs of ABI, tailored specifically for parents of children with ABI, with an emphasis on the difficulties that might be unique to these families. It is predicted that this intervention will lead to decreases in child problem behaviour and emotional difficulties, improvements in parenting style, and improvements in parental adjustment.

Introduction The currently accepted definition of dentine hypersensitivity states that ‘Dentine hypersensitivity is characterized by short, sharp pain arising from exposed dentin in response to stimuli, typically thermal, evaporative, tactile, osmotic, or chemical, and which cannot be ascribed to any other form of dental defect or disease.’ The hydrodynamic theory is the most widely demonstrated and accepted pathophysiological theory of dentine hypersensitivity. The theorem proposes that dentine hypersensitivity is a result of movement of fluid within the dentine tubules. Most pain-producing stimuli cause movement of dentinal tubule fluid, the most common being cold and evaporative stimuli. This results in a pressure change across the dentin which activates intra-dental nociceptive nerve fibers, via a mechanoreceptor response, to cause pain. Currently available dentine desensitisers can be divided into two categories by their modus operandi: one is to interrupt the neural response to pain stimuli; the other is to occlude open tubules to block the hydrodynamic mechanism. Clinpro Tooth Creme is a white paste that contains 950 ppm fluoride ion (similar to regular toothpaste) and a functionalised tri-calcium phosphate ingredient Aims 1) Investigate the efficacy of Functionalised tri-Calcium Phosphate in relieving dentine hypersensitivity 2) Assess the efficacy of Functionalised tri-Calcium Phosphate in relieving dentine hypersensitivity in comparison to an alternative desensitising agent 3) Compare the efficacy of Functionalised tri-Calcium Phosphate in relieving dentine hypersensitivity when applied topically and with brushing vs application during brushing only

Seventy to eighty-five percent of people with cognitive impairment fall each year. This alarming rate is twice that seen in cognitively normal older people. In addition, people with cognitive impairment and dementia are at increased risk of serious injury and have a poorer prognosis following a fall. Falling in older age can markedly change an individual’s health trajectory, having debilitating and isolating consequences. Falls can start a downward spiral of immobility, reduced confidence and incapacity leading to institutionalization, and can be a cause of premature death. Typically, fall studies conducted with community-residing people exclude those with cognitive impairment. Thus little is known about how to best conduct falls prevention in this population. This project will refine, trial and pilot a program that integrates the known evidence for falls prevention for environmental adaptation along with a dementia-specific approach to safe activity engagement in fall risk situations. Assessment of functional abilities and functional cognition will be conducted using Allen’s Cognitive Disability Model of practice. This will frame the intervention which will utilise the older person’s personal and environmental resources to make adaptations to the environment and behaviours that will significantly reduce their risk of falling.

This project aims to investigate if chewing gum will increase circulating nitrite and nitric oxide and if these effects are associated with cognitive and vascular benefits.

This study looks at whether testing for 'biomarkers' may be used to select the best treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. A biomarker is a biological characteristic that can be measured in tumour tissue or blood, which may provide information on the behaviour of cancer or help predict the likely effect of a given treatment. We know that not all cancers or patients are the same, and that some patients may respond better to certain treatments. This study will help increase our understanding of how we might be able to select treatments to suit individual patients and their cancers. By doing this we hope to obtain the best outcomes for future patients while minimising side effects from treatment. Who is it for? You can join this study if you have radiologically and histologically confirmed metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma, confirmed by biopsy. This is a phase II multicentre, randomised, open label study to evaluate biomarker directed treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Trial Details Participants will be in two groups. Group 1 will receive Gemcitabine, and Group 2 will receive a combination of Oxaliplatin, Leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil (mFOLFOX6). Treatment will continue as long as it seems to be helping, provided participants do not have troublesome side effects. Through this study we hope to gain information about the following: 1) Can testing for hENT1 help us to identify patients who are more likely to benefit from initial treatment with gemcitabine chemotherapy? 2) Is it possible to do the tests in patients quickly enough to enable use in routine clinical practice? 3) How effective is FOLFOX chemotherapy as treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer? 4) Are there any other biomarkers in cancer cells or blood that may help us determine the best drug to use against an individual cancer? This randomised phase II exploratory study is vital in understanding the optimal design of future studies evaluating this novel approach to the management of pancreatic cancer, and may be expanded to a phase III study if this approach is validated.

This study will examine the safety and pharmacokinetics (the study of the way the body absorbs, distributes: and gets rid of the drug) of AA4500 following concurrent administration of two injections of AA4500 0.58mg into the same hand of subjects with Dupuytren's contractures and palpable cords.

BMS-943539 is a non-therapeutic Adnectin (Trademark) with binding affinity for human serum albumin (HSA). It is intended to serve as an albumin binder to extend the serum half-life (T-HALF) when integrated into a single polypeptide chain with a separate therapeutic Adnectin or other protein that would otherwise be rapidly eliminated. Cohorts of subjects will be treated with 0.1, 0.3, or 1.0 mg/kg BMS-943539 or placebo once every two weeks for a total of two drug administrations.

6 month observational study in general practice using a diabetes educator program to initiate and titrate insulin