ANZCTR search results

People experiencing mental illness experience poor physical health at disproportionate rates when compared with the general population. The research goal is to improve the cardiometabolic health of young people living with severe mental illness. The study objectives are to determine whether a specialist-delivered intervention improves cardiometabolic outcomes of people living with severe mental illness and to determine whether a specialist-delivered intervention improves global functioning, dietary intake, physical activity level, neuromuscular and cardiorespiratory fitness, eating behaviours and nutrition knowledge of people living with severe mental illness.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a leading cause of mortality in the adult population and its prevalence is known to rise steadily with increasing age. The presence of obesity and low levels of physical activity are the major lifestyle determinants of NIDDM. Given that both are potentially modifiable, there is universal agreement that lifestyle strategies emphasising improved diet and increased physical activity play important roles not only in the primary prevention of diabetes, but also the secondary prevention of diabetic complications arising from poor glycaemic control. Unfortunately, traditional approaches combining endurance-type exercise with dietary modifications, may be compromised in elderly NIDDM patients because of age-associated declines in muscle strength and functional capacity. Resistance (weight) training may be a plausible exercise alternative for elderly NIDDM patients because of its known effects on muscle strength, size and function. However, the efficacy and feasibility of dynamic resistance training in elderly NIDDM patients is not known. We postulate that the combination of resistance exercise training with moderate energy restriction will counterbalance fat-free mass loss often seen with energy restriction alone and may have additive or synergistic benefits in the non-pharmaceutical management of glycaemic control, cardiovascular risk factors and general well-being of elderly NIDDM patients. The aim of this randomised controlled trial is to therefore examine the safety, feasibility and effects of high-intensity PRT combined with healthy eating to elicit moderate weight loss in glycaemic control and body composition in those with type 2 diabetes.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic complications which can include insulin resistance, damaged blood vessels, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Some studies have shown that regular exercise can help to reduce tissue fat levels, improve glucose control, blood flow and fitness. However, the optimal type and dose of exercise for health improvement in women with polycystic ovary syndrome is unclear. Recently, high-intensity functional training (HIFT) has become increasingly popular, particularly among younger women. This form of training focuses on performing repeated functional, multi-joint movements which can incorporate aerobic and/or muscle-strengthening components. Consequently, we aim to determine whether this form of training can improve fitness and health outcomes in women with PCOS. We’ll be comparing the effectiveness of HIFT on physical fitness and cardiometabolic outcomes to an exercise program matching the current physical activity guidelines, as well as to usual-care in women with PCOS. The results produced from this study will provide a greater evidence base for future physical activity guidelines for PCOS.

Laparoscopic Fundoplication (LF) is the gold standard surgical procedure for the treatment of Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD). Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRYGB) is commonly performed to achieve weight loss in obese patients, but it also has anti-reflux properties. Hence, in the obese population suffering from GORD, LRYGB is an attractive alternative to LF and indeed is recommended in some national and international guidelines despite there being no randomised trials comparing the two procedures to provide efficacy data (subjective or objective), either in normal, overweight or obese patients. The aim of this trial is to compare LF and LRYGB in an obese population presenting for consideration of surgical correction of GORD.

The aim of this research is to determine if the established effectiveness of a real-time continuous glucose monitoring system (RT-CGM) combined with a prescriptive low carbohydrate eating plan for optimising glycaemic control for T2D management, can be maintained when delivered by Community GP practices. The research also investigates the real-world pragmatics of translating such research for an innovative, public health and clinical service delivery model of care that can be delivered in a cost effective and sustainable manner.

Background: Approximately half of all spinal cord injury patients develop chronic pain. Current treatments for this pain have proven to be largely ineffective and many have significant side-effects. We will examine whether a novel non-intoxicating component of cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), can reduce pain. Using modern brain imaging techniques, we aim to determine if pain reductions result from normalisation of brain, immune, psychological and sleep function. In addition, we aim to identify a biomarker that will predict whether an individual will respond to CBD treatment, easing suffering, saving time and reducing costs. Study Aim: To determine the impact of CBD treatment on chronic pain following SCI and to investigate biological changes associated with reduced pain. Hypothesis: We hypothesise that CBD treatment will reduce ongoing pain to a significantly greater degree than placebo. Furthermore, we hypothesize that pain relief during CBD treatment will be associated with reduced diffusivity markers of astrogliosis, reduced resting infra-slow oscillations in the ascending pain pathway, restored thalamic blood flow to control levels and reduced thalamocortical rhythm power. We also hypothesize that CBD treatment will reduce ongoing peripheral inflammatory markers, improve sleep and psychological state and that this will correlate with a reduction in ongoing pain. Finally, we hypothesize that pain relief during CBD treatment will be associated with pre-trial levels of endogenous pain modulatory ability and endocannabinoid levels.

This study examines opioid prescriptions that are given to patients following a wide variety of common surgery types. One week following going home, patients will be asked to fill out an online survey via their smart phone or via phone with a research nurse. The amount of opioid used will be examined and pain crises explored. This data will be used to create a prediction model to predict patients' requirements so that unused opioids in the community can be minimised while protecting patients from pain crises.

This study will be a pilot examination of the effectiveness of a multi-strain probiotic intervention to improve cognitive symptoms (primary outcome variables), and cognition-related fatigue, everyday functioning and health-related quality of life (secondary outcome variables) in people living with Relapsing Remitting MS. The study will also examine the potentially important relationship between gut microbial imbalance, kynurenine pathway biomarkers, and cognitive symptoms in this population. The study will broaden our understanding of the role of the gut-brain connection in MS pathogenesis. It is a requisite step in exploring the innovative application of probiotics to improve cognitive symptomology and associated clinical and psychosocial outcomes in people living with MS.

We are conducting a trial to evaluate whether the removal of pathoanatomically-based biological information about knee osteoarthritis from a patient information pamphlet changes consumer management beliefs, compared to a standard information pamphlet that includes pathoanatomical information. The entire trial will be administered in one single online survey. Participants will initially complete screening questions within the survey to determine eligibility. Eligible participants will then complete baseline outcome measures before being randomly allocated to one of two groups, both of whom will then be asked to immediately read a digital information pamphlet about knee osteoarthritis on screen: i) Control group: the pamphlet will contain information about osteoarthritis including biological pathoanatomical information and language about osteoarthritis ii) Experimental group: the same pamphlet as the Control group, but with all pathoanatomical information and language relating to the structure of an osteoarthritis joint removed. All participants will complete outcome measures again, immediately after reading their allocated digital information pamphlet.

Study Purpose: to understand the general publics opinion of delivering health information using augmented reality, and any factors that improve/reduce its perceived effectiveness. Description: we will demonstrate health education delivered via an app called Zappar, which works with an AR poster we developed with adolescents. Our study involves interviews designed to understand peoples opinions on digital education, including our intervention in particular, and learn the perceived strengths and weaknesses of our intervention. Study Hypothesis: Education via AR interventions are an acceptable alternative to adolescents