ANZCTR search results

A range of challenges faced by children and adolescents with asthma contribute to their increased experience of psychological distress and lower quality of life than peers without asthma. Psychological interventions such as cognitive and behavioural therapies (CBT) may provide young people with techniques and strategies to manage symptoms of psychological distress and therefore symptoms of asthma, to avoid exacerbations. However, reports indicate low uptake of psychological intervention in this age group, with youth preferring to seek help themselves via internet sources. To improve access to and uptake of evidence-based treatments for elevated psychological distress in adolescents (aged 13-17 years) with asthma, this project will evaluate augmented reality technology (AR) as a delivery mechanism for a component of CBT. Development of AR tools have been guided by a comprehensive protocol for health program development, with direction from experts in Design, Information Technology, Respiratory Medicine, and Psychology. The practicality and feasibility of these tools for use by youth, their parents/guardians, and health professionals will be explored through this feasibility pilot study with 1-month follow-up. This study will provide essential pilot data to guide development of a fully powered randomised controlled trial.

This project aims to develop online dementia assessment training for interpreters. We will co-design with interpreters, clinicians, people with dementia and their carers online training modules for interpreters. These training modules will: describe dementia and its impact on cognitive and linguistic ability; explain the tools used to assess and diagnose dementia; and engage interpreters with effective interpreting strategies for cognitive assessments. The impact of the training on interpreter’s quality of communication will be evaluated using a randomised controlled trial. Key objectives of this project are to: a) improve the quality of interpreter communication in cognitive assessment for dementia, and b) implement the training in Victoria to plan for national scale-up. The training modules will ultimately be maintained on our industry partner, the National Accreditation Authority for Translators & Interpreters (NAATI) website and will be integrated in the mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for interpreters. Interpreters will be able to complete the training at any time once it is on the NAATI website.

This study is being conducted to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of online singing groups as an intervention for wellbeing and symptom management in participants with COPD and interstitial lung disease (ILD) in Australia. Online delivery is important to determine feasibility and acceptability of alternative delivery models to improve accessibility and equity. Previous studies have shown some benefits to singing groups for COPD patients, but no randomized, controlled trials have been conducted in Australia or in participants with ILD. Singing is not anticipated to present risks or adverse effects based on previous cilnical trials and widespread implementation in the UK.

Remote monitoring (RM) has been established as advantageous in the follow-up of patients with implantable cardiac devices as a safe alternative to standard clinic follow-up. While RM is associated with various benefits, compliance is often sub optimal suggesting a more intensive model of RM is required. The aim of the current trial is to determine the clinical utility, feasibility and workflow of implementing an intensive RM program compared to standard RM in patients with implantable cardiac devices. We hypothesize that time from event to action will be shorter for patients in the intensive remote monitoring program compared to participants in the standard remote monitoring program.

This study is being conducted to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of online singing groups as an intervention for wellbeing and symptom management in participants with COPD and interstitial lung disease (ILD) in Australia. Online delivery is important to determine feasibility and acceptability of alternative delivery models to improve accessibility and equity. Previous studies have shown some benefits to singing groups for COPD patients, but no randomized, controlled trials have been conducted in Australia or in participants with ILD. Singing is not anticipated to present risks or adverse effects based on previous cilnical trials and widespread implementation in the UK.

This project will investigate the impact of a professional development training program, (herein called the Training) for early childhood educators that has a focus on improving the communication interactions with children in their care. The Training is a modified version of Learning Language and Loving It [Trademark] Online program developed by the Hanen Centre [Registered Trademark] and modified by the current research team to suit the needs of the local community. The modification has been approved by the Hanen Centre [Registered Trademark]. Previous research by the current team established that educators reported increased confidence using trained interaction strategies following the Training. The current study will evaluate the direct change in child and educator language use during communication interactions before and after the Training. We hypothesise that participation in the Training leads to positive child and educator communication outcomes including an increase in the number of interaction skills used by educators following Training, and the number and complexity of words used by children during these interactions. Eligible educators and children will be paired by centre of attendance and language background. Children will be aged 24-42 months and have typically-developing communication skills. Twenty-four educator-child pairs will be recruited in two groups: Group A and Group B. Each group of educators will receive the 8-week Training in two separate stages; Group A in Stage 1 and Group B in Stage 2. This will allow for control and follow-up comparisons to be completed. Demographic information will be collected from educator and child participants before any training commences. In addition, 15-minute educator-child interactions will be video recorded at four time-points within their early childhood education centre. Measures will examine the extent to which educators use target interaction strategies and the way children use language in these interactions. This project will help to address a critical gap in knowledge about whether this modification of the Learning Language and Loving it [Trademark] Program has a direct impact on children’s communication outcomes.

HepTemp is a prospective observational study of heparin pharmacokinetics whereby the effect of therapeutic hypothermia on heparin clearance will be observed at different temperatures in individual patients and compared with the equivalent rate of clearance when the same patient is returned to normothermia at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass, prior to separation. Mathematical modelling to demonstrate the changes in elimination time constant with differing temperatures will be derived to allow correction of existing mathematical models of heparin elimination.

(S)-S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is a physiological co-substrate, involved in cellular metabolism. SAMe is available as an over-the-counter complimentary medicine with an emerging role in the treatment of depression. Pre-menstrual spectrum disorders, including pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), are highly prevalent and often treatment elusive. This study proposes a pilot open label clinical trial of SAMe in women with PMS/PMDD. 30 women will be recruited between the ages of 18-45 years old who experience regular menstrual cycles. Participants must have a diagnosis of a PMS or PMDD, or meet the criteria for diagnosis as determined at recruitment. Data will be collected over a 16-week period, involving the completion of questionnaires, including at baseline, and on day one of menstruation for a total of four menstrual cycles, alongside a daily pre-menstrual symptom questionnaire. Participants will receive SAMe 1200mg oral / day (400mg tablet taken three times per day) for 14-days prior to menstruation for two consecutive menstrual cycles. It is expected that SAMe will reduce pre-menstrual symptoms, and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in treatment cycles compared to control cycles (no SAMe treatment). This novel study may provide preliminary evidence to support a future placebo-controlled double blinded randomised control trial.

The AIROPLANE trial aims to evaluate the effect of commencing respiratory support at birth, in preterm infants born 32 to 35 completed weeks’ gestation, with either 30% or 21% oxygen. The primary outcome is the need for ongoing respiratory support upon leaving the delivery room. This study will be conducted as an unblinded, multi-centre, cluster randomised crossover trial, with recruitment occurring over a 2 year period, overlapping with GenV recruitment. We hypothesise that if respiratory support is required during transition at birth, commencing with 30% oxygen will be superior to commencing with 21% oxygen, resulting in improved transition and less need for ongoing respiratory support.

Pain is multifactorial and involves both biological and psychological components. Multi-disciplinary treatment approaches incorporating drugs, cognitive-behavioural therapy and exercise interventions are the most efficacious for managing chronic pain. Single sessions of exercise and pain education are both demonstrated to have positive effects on pain in people with chronic pain such as osteoarthritis, however it is not known whether pain education delivered immediately prior to exercise can enhance the efficacy of exercise in relieving pain. Recent studies from our group have identified that the pain relieving effects of exercise involve a psychological component that influences the appraisal of pain; this would likely be augmented by a combination of exercise and education. The current project will examine the effect of explicit pain education about the pain relieving effect of exercise, compared to more general exercise and pain education, on pain responses to exercise in people with chronic osteoarthritis). The results will provide insight into the impact of pain education on the pain response to exercise and may have implications for how exercise and pain education are combined in clinical practice in the management of chronic pain