ANZCTR search results

The aim of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of an online training program for mental health clinicians. The training is called Men in Mind, and focuses on engaging male clients in therapy and responding effectively to men’s distress and suicidality. The project will also evaluate the cost of the intervention per user. The online ~8 hour, 5 module training program has been developed in consultation with international experts in men’s mental health, and is designed to be a leading evidence-based resource for clinicians to develop skills and knowledge in male-specific adaptations to treatment. The project represents a partnership between Movember (leading the delivery of the intervention), and Orygen/Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne (leading the evaluation of the intervention). The online data management system will be managed by our sub-contractor, Strategic Data Ltd. The effectiveness of Men in Mind will be evaluated in a waitlist-controlled randomised superiority trial. Intervention group participants will complete self-report and vignette-based assessments before the training, and 6 weeks after they complete the training, in addition to 3-months / 12-weeks follow-up. Control group participants will receive access to the training following a 6-week waiting period, and after completion of pre-training and post-waitlist assessments. The primary outcome will be whether Men in Mind training participants, relative to waitlist control participants, display more greatly improved self-reported capacity to engage male clients at 6 weeks post-training according to the Engaging Men in Therapy Scale (EMITS).

The BXT-786 System used as part of a standard genicular block (block of the knee region) could provide a more effective (potentially reduced pharmaceutical analgesic intake) benefit for patients with unrelieved pain from knee osteoarthritis that are undergoing, or who meet the criteria for, total knee arthroplasty (TKA). (Note: it is not required for the subject to actually have a scheduled TKA, just that they meet the criteria for the procedure). The administration of the BXT-786 Focused Cold Therapy creates a physical effect in the specifically targeted peripheral nerves. without permanently damaging the nerve or injuring surrounding tissues. Based on previous research, it is anticipated that the analgesic effect may last weeks to months. This will allow for the benefit of temporary analgesia without damaging the nerve through a minimally invasive treatment. Over a 12 week period, subjects will participate in live and Telehealth visits, as well as complete a subject diary to aid in the assessment of the research block's safety.

One cause of unsuccessful implantation of high-quality embryos during IVF treatment is inadequate endometrial production of the beneficial cytokines LIF and VEGF, both known to assist embryo development and attachment. Our hypothesis, based on positive results from preliminary in vitro experiments, is that application of a copper containing gel to the uterine cavity before ovulation will upregulate the endometrium’s production of LIF and VEGF around the time of a later embryo transfer, thereby augmenting implantation success. The primary objective of this study is to determine the optimal dose of copper for up-regulation of endometrial LIF/VEGF without causing any safety concerns for the study participants. Secondary study outcomes include assessment of uterine fluid copper content and the influence of this fluid on embryo (mouse) development in vitro.

Motor neurones are a specific type of neurone that connect our muscles to our central nervous system (brain and spine). Thanks to motor neurones we are able to transform electrical impulses generated in our brain into muscle contractions, translating into strength and movement. Motor neurones have the ability to do this through a phenomenon called persistent inward currents (PIC). Research has shown that in the presence of serotonin, PICs are facilitated, and thus strength is achieved easier. Apparently, caffeine may influence the development of PICs in human motor neurones. Yet, the degree at which caffeine affects PIC and movement is still unknown. Therefore, we are testing the effects of caffeine on PICs, strength development and time to fatigue. We hypothesized that the consumption of caffeine will increase PICs amplitude, increasing levels of force and diminishing fatigue.

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of protein supplements on serotonin levels, mood, cognition, fatigue, sleepiness and parameters of muscle strength. Your participation will involve: 3 morning testing sessions of ~ 3 hours each to the Exercise Physiology Research Laboratory at QUT, Kelvin Grove campus. Each visit will consist of questionnaires of sleepiness, mood, cognition, neuromuscular testing on your calf muscles, the consumption of a supplement and repeating all testing plus performing a muscle fatigue protocol.

In this study, patients receiving a liver or bowel transplant will also receive a transplant of skin. The study will assess whether it is safe to transplant skin with a liver or bowel transplant by recording all adverse outcomes and assessing the survival of the skin transplant at regular intervals. It is hypothesised that it is safe to transplant skin. Future studies will assess whether the skin transplant can alert doctors to rejection occurring in the liver or bowel transplant.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating and costly condition. Conventional treatments are insufficient and fail to adequately address comorbid conditions such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. Dietary intervention is a well-established approach in treatment of physical conditions whereas building evidence suggests improving diet quality may address factors that are maintaining and exacerbating PTSD. However, current research in dietary improvement programs for those at risk of PTSD is limited in quantity and quality. We aim to adapt the My Food and Mood app for adults with PTSD symptoms, using a co-design approach with those with lived experience of PTSD. 24 adults at risk of current PTSD (i.e. with an elevated score on a PTSD symptoms measure) will undertake a consumer survey, trial the My Food and Mood app and provide feedback in an online group meeting. This information will be used to develop the Healthy Eating Lifestyle Program (HELP) app to pilot. This project will provide a solid foundation for the co-development and optimisation of a digital program targeting diet quality improvement for those at risk of PTSD. Given the relatively high prevalence of PTSD and its enormous individual and societal costs, an online self-help approach could provide a pragmatic and effective adjunct treatment strategy. Outcomes of the project will inform funding applications for a large online RCT to establish the comparative efficacy of dietary interventions for PTSD populations.

Flash glucose monitoring is a form of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) that continuously measures interstitial glucose while the sensor is implanted into a patient. Flash CGM use the same basic technology, but require the patient to ‘flash’ the sensor with a reading device every 8 hours to read the data that is gathered in the continuous monitoring. While there has been a relatively large amount of research looking at traditional CGM and flash CGM in patients with especially type 1 diabetes, there is currently little evidence around the utility of flash CGM for patients with type 2 diabetes Therefore, this paper presents the protocol for a randomized pragmatic trial comparing flash glucose monitoring to care as usual in a group of acutely unwell people with type 2 diabetes requiring insulin. This will provide important information about the potential benefits of the technique to clinical metrics, as well as answering key questions about the feasibility of use in this target group. A non-technical explanation is that this study will compare a continuous glucose monitoring technology, which measures people's blood sugars over time rather than them having to prick their fingers, to the usual care people are given after being discharged from hospital. The hypothesis is that this may improve people's management of their blood sugars and help the specialist and patient to get their sugars on track more effectively.

You don’t have to be having sex or be able to function sexually from a biological perspective as prerequisites for sexuality. Sexuality is very multi-dimensional. Beyond sexual function, it includes sexual orientation, preferences, motivation, pleasure, body image, self-esteem, intimacy, relationships and communication. Sexuality is a fundamental part of being human and following traumatic brain injury (TBI), sexuality doesn’t end, but it can change. Up to 50% of people who have had a traumatic brain injury experience a significant change. The majority report a global reduction in sexuality, including reduced frequency of sexual encounters and lower quality when they do occur, as well as reduced libido, arousal, and orgasm. There have been only two single case study intervention studies that have explored remediation of sexuality disturbance after TBI. Indeed, the lack of evidence-based treatments for sexuality problems after TBI is a significant barrier to addressing this topic in rehabilitation settings. The aim of this study is to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of an individualised intervention using a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) framework to treat sexuality problems after TBI. Treatment consists of eight weekly, individual therapy sessions, combining behavioural, cognitive, and educational strategies to address a diverse range of sexuality problems. Clinical psychologists adopt a patient-centred and goal-oriented approach whilst following a treatment guide and accommodating TBI-related impairments. This research will assist clinicians and services providers improve their knowledge and skills and further inform the development of guidelines to support the management of sexuality across the continuum of care.

This trial will identify the efficacy of CBD for the treatment of anxiety in children and adolescents with Tourette Syndrome. Forty children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years will be recruited to a 32-week randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled cross-over trial. Participants will be randomised on a 1:1 basis to either the active group (CBD) or control group (placebo). Following 14 weeks of the trial participants will then cross-over to the alternative group for comparison. It is proposed that while participants are in the active group their levels of anxiety will be significantly lower than when they are in the placebo group. Similarly, it is proposed that participants in the active group will also have significantly less tics, lower levels of depression, decreased obsessive-compulsive behaviours and improved quality of life, sleep and global symptomology.