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The study will seek to find out whether aged garlic extract is an effective and acceptable adjunct treatment in reducing blood pressure in treated but uncontrolled hypertensive general practice patients.

Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and affects 5-15% of adults over the age of 65 years. Several currently available treatments for depression have proven efficacy, but up to 40% of people with depression fail to recover after a course of appropriate treatment. This, in turn, leads to increased long term morbidity and mortality, greater use of health services, and increased costs to the person with depression, his or her family and the community. Various sources of observational data and a few trials indicate that physical activity improves mood and promotes the remission of symptoms in older people with depression. We designed the present study to determine if a general practitioner mediated physical activity intervention for older adults with depression improves treatment response to usual antidepressant treatment and decreases the prevalence of depression over a 1-year period. The intervention has been designed for delivery to a large number of older people by being inexpensive, home based, and delivered via easily distributed and understood media for self management and monitoring. If successful, the intervention has the potential to influence how health promotion interventions are delivered through a general practice setting.

The primary purpose of the study was to develop, pilot and evaluate a group-based program within a TC, aimed at reducing alcohol problems in drug rehabilitation clients. It was hypothesised that participants who recieved the 5-session intervention would demonstrate reduced alcohol consumption and relapse to drug use, post-residential care. A secondary hypothesis was that participants who received the 5-session intervention would demonstrate improved alcohol use skill acquisition, health status and psychosocial functioning.

Knee pain is a common problem with 19-23% prevalence in people aged 40 and over. Frankston hospital has 138 patients awaiting knee replacement and a waiting time exceeding 18 months. Preliminary work suggest patient with anterior, medial and lateral compartment knee pain who have not had open knee surgery may obtain good but temporary pain relief and functional improvement from selectively anaesthetising the cutaneous nerves supplying the knee joint. This study seeks to validate the injection technique, determine which nerves need to be injected and which patients, pain patterns and pathology may benefit from this treatment or may benefit from a follow-on study of pulse radiofrequency treatment to these nerves.

Mannitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that has been shown to improve sputum clearance when delivered as an aerosol to patients with bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis. We think that if mannitol can be effectively delivered to the airways of intubated (patients on a breathing machine) in intensive care then clearance of secretions can be optimized. This may lead to reduction of sputum related complications less pneumonia , shorter time on a ventilator and reduced time in ICU and hospital.

Patients who experience spinal cord injury loose normal function of respiratory muscles leaving them particularly vulnerable to respiratory complications, loss of optimal speech function and potential development of secondary postural deformities. Gravity, in conjunction with increased abdominal muscle compliance, pulls downward on the diaphragm resulting in flattening of the diaphragm, which reduces its ability to drive respiration. Abdominal binders limit abdominal wall distension when against gravity (sitting in wheelchair) by replacing the non-functioning abdominal muscle (innervated T5-T12) role. The restoration of diaphragm position may assist with improved respiration, speech and blood pressure when a patient is sitting in his/her wheelchair. This study will investigate the effect of an abdominal binder on breathing, speech and blood pressure in newly injured patients admitted to the Spinal Injuries Unit of Princess Alexandra Hospital. Those patients that have suffered an injury resulting in damage to T12 level or above and presenting as a complete injury will be approached. The current practice in the Spinal Injuries Unit is to wean the abdominal binder once the cardiovascular system has adapted and postural hypotension is no longer a concern. However, the abdominal binder has been shown to have an effect on respiratory function. Respiratory, speech and blood pressure measurements will be taken with and without the binder on in sitting at 6weeks post initial mobilizing,12 weeks,24weeks ,and 48 weeks after this point. The results of this study will be analyzed to determine the effect of binder use on outcomes collected. These results will direct further practice and use of the abdominal binder.

The incidence of childhood rickets is increasing and is caused by vitamin D deficiency. Of those children, 81% of their mothers are also deficient. We aim to screen high risk women in early pregnancy and randomise those found deficient to either treatment with vitamin D supplements or non-treatment. We will monitor the effect of vitamin D supplementation by repeating vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy, cord and maternal blood at birth, and infant and maternal blood at six weeks postnatally. We hope to develop a protocol so all high risk women will be identified and treated, thereby preventing paediatric complications.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a tumour in the lining outside of the lung. This type of tumour is closely linked to exposure to asbestos fibres. The purpose of this study is to determine if treatment with thalidomide for people with malignant pleural mesothelioma will delay the time until the disease gets worse and also if it will keep people feeling better. Thalidomide was originally used as a sedative during pregnancy in the late 1950s, with detrimental effects on the embryo. However since then, it has been found that thalidomide may delay tumour growth in people with mesothelioma. The formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), plays an important role in tumour growth and spread. Thalidomide stops or delays the formation of new blood vessels (anti-angiogenic effect), which may prevent or slow down the return of cancer. The research is being done because it is not clear if treatment with thalidomide after treatment with pemetrexed can offer better results than the usual care, which is to have no further chemotherapy treatment after treatment with pemetrexed.

Avena sativa (oats), in its various forms and extracts, has been traditionally known for its physical and psychological fortifying properties. Proposed beneficial effects include: reduced risk of heart disease, raised energy levels, increased ability to cope with stress, reduced anxiety and depression, and increased physical and cognitive performance. The mechanism of effect is currently unknown. However, it has been suggested that green oat extract has a clinically significant inhibitory effect on monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), effects which may improve cerebral vasodilation. As enhancement of cerebral blood flow by vasoactive nutrients has been hypothesised to improve cognitive function, this may be the mechanism by which oat extract could improve cognitive performance and stress response. The aim of this study is to examine the short-term dose-response effects of Neuravena® on cognitive performance, on the ability to cope with stressful cognitive tasks and on psychological well-being (depression, anxiety, stress) and whether these effects are mediated by changes in cerebral blood flow.

The Percutaneous Single Port Access Paragastric Implant Placement Procedure is a novel approach to the treatment of morbid obesity. The saline-filled Paragastric Implant is placed in a minimally invasive fashion into the abdominal cavity in the space adjacent the stomach, thereby reducing the ability of the stomach to expand and reducing oral intake. The Paragastric Implant volume can be adjusted by the addition or removal of sterile saline through a subcutaneous port. This trial is a single-arm, prospective, multi-center study designed to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the Vibrynt Paragastric Implant System in the treatment of morbid obesity. The primary end point of this study will be the six-month efficacy rate, as measured by the average percent excess weight loss for patients treated with the Vibrynt Paragastric Implant System. Patients will be followed for three years for long term safety and efficacy evaluations.