ANZCTR search results

The intended purpose of this study is to objectively quantify the improvements in pain and function experienced by patients after having partial knee replacement surgery to the patella of their knees.

The purpose of this study is to compare two surgical approaches to see which has the best muscle healing post-operatively.

The purpose of this study is to compare two differnt types of prosthesis used in total knee replacement to see which gives the best functional outcome.

Agoraphobia, a quite common anxiety disorder in Australia, is defined as the fear of being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult or embarrassing. Standard exposure therapy is not bereft of weaknesses. Hence, new research lines study the virtual reality exposure therapy. Virtual reality allows patients to interact in real time 3D computerized worlds. The project will include a sample of volunteered patients suffering from agoraphobia who will be exposed to virtual environments specifically created for the present study using an affordable game editor. This collaborative effort’s goal is finally to search for a better understanding of agoraphobia innovative treatment and to discover presence objective measure instruments.

The primary purpose ot the study is compare two of the commonly used needles in arterial blood gas taking and to determine the level of pain/success rate & complications. Whilst the smaller needle may be theoritically less painful, there is uncertainty whether it is more difficult to perform leading to lower success rates & complications.

Currently the doses of medication given to treat cancer are generally determined by a simple body surface area (BSA) calculation based on weight and height. However, physiological differences between individuals may affect the way cancer drugs are processed by the body, potentially leading to variable dose levels in the body, and differences in toxicity and efficacy between individuals. This study is looking at the way the body processes the drug doxorubicin (this is called pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics), to see if gender, stage of puberty, or body composition may impact the effectiveness or toxicity of doxorubicin. The study focuses on osteosarcoma, Ewing family of tumours and Hodgkin lymphoma because there is some evidence that there may be a difference between males and females in the response to chemotherapy for these cancers. These cancers mainly affect young people, many of whom are undergoing the physical changes of puberty, which are different for males and females.

The aim of this trial is find out the best type of fluids for patients after elective large bowel surgery. Nutrition plays an important role in recovering after surgery. At the moment after elective large bowel surgery, patients are fasted for a period before starting on a ‘clear fluids’ diet. If this is tolerated, they progress to ‘free fluids’ diet, then light diet, and then full diet. The theory is that there is no difference in outcomes, and therefore it will be safe to commence 'free fluids' as a first diet type post elective large bowel surgery

Impairments in motor functioning are well documented in autism and Asperger's disorder, and are associated with specific brain processes. The purpose of this study is to determine whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can be used to improve motor function in autism and Asperger's disorder. rTMS involves the administration of magnetic pulses to the scalp, and can be used to alter brain activity. Participants will complete 3 separate sessions (one week apart) in which a different type of rTMS will be administered. They will complete motor tasks before and after each rTMS application, and brain activity will be recorded via electrodes placed on the scalp. It is expected that stimulation of a brain region called the "supplementary motor area," which is involved in preparing movement, will result in an improvement of motor function.

This project involves undertaking a cluster randomised controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of an organisational knowledge translation model in order to make recommendations about its applicability for public health decision-making settings.