ANZCTR search results

The overall aim of this research is to advance the knowledge of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the treatment of OCD. A double-blind randomised controlled trial will be conducted involving active tDCS vs sham tDCS over the brain regions that have been implicated in OCD in a group of general OCD patients. We hypothesise that the participants receiving active tDCS will show clinically and statistically significant improvement in their OCD symptoms, their depression and anxiety symptoms, a reduction in obsessive beliefs and an increase in their quality of life compared to those receiving the sham condition. We also anticipate that there will be an improvement in the ability to inhibit impulses and think flexibly in those receiving the active tDCS.

Aortic stenosis is a common condition caused by a narrowing of the aortic valve that can be resolved by replacing the valve. Traditionally this has been performed with open-heart surgery, which is effective but may be associated with significant complications. Transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVI) is an alternative to surgical replacement that has resulted in improved results for patients at high and intermediate risk for surgery. It is understood that surgical valve replacement may negatively affect cognitive function, though the effect of TAVI on cognitive function is less clear; relieving the narrowing improves blood flow to the brain and may improve cognition, however, the procedure may lead to small blood clots being sent to the brain that limit this improvement. In this study, we are looking to examine whether patients who undergo the different aortic valve procedures may have disturbances in the blood flow in their brain after the procedure and how this affects mental performance. We will use transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) to measure blood flow in the brain during a series of mental tests and compare the results before and after the procedure.

Hypnotherapy can be effective and superior to distraction techniques in reducing children’s pain and anxiety during painful procedures and may be beneficial in treating itch experienced after procedures. Hypnotherapy can be used in different settings, with different individuals, in varied delivery modes and durations without high technical requirements. Little is known regarding the feasibility of examining hypnotherapy with burned children in an acute setting. This research aims to find out if it is feasible to examine hypnotherapy for pain, itch and anxiety following the use of hypnotic suggestibility tests in burned children.

This study aims to describe the early natural history of cerebral palsy (CP) by mapping the development of infants with, or at-risk of CP, over the first two years of life. Infants will be assessed in their homes by a trained therapist at regular intervals up to 24 months of age, across a variety of developmental domains (such as movement, thinking skills, language, and more). This will provide, for the first time, comprehensive developmental trajectories of this group. This will contribute to the existing knowledge of CP development, which will assist clinicians and therapists in: 1) accurate diagnosis and prediction of CP, 2) providing targeted early interventions at the 'just-right' challenge, and 3) aiding in the early monitoring and prevention of secondary impairments (for example contracture and hip dislocation). Where indicated, individual participants' results from this study will be used to inform their therapy. A cost analysis of healthcare resources will also be applied as a part of the study. This study is intended to form part of a larger multi-site international study.

This trial consists of two components recruiting people who have been diagnosed with cancer, and people who may be at high risk of cancer, for example because of family history. Cancer patient study: This study will determine whether there is a difference between the number and type of circulating tumour cells in cancer patients before and after treatment. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18-80 years, diagnosed with any cancer and have received treatment at least 3 weeks ago or will receive treatment within one week. Cancer patient study details The study aims to establish the Circulating Tumour Cell (CTC) detection method using the ISET (Isolation by SizE Of Tumour cells) device (Rarecells, France) in conjunction with cancer therapies including those offered at NIIM. There will be no changes to the participants’ cancer treatment plans. Participants will be required to provide a blood sample at the beginning of their treatment and 3-4 weeks after commencement of treatment. The blood will be processed using the ISET technology to determine the number and types of Circulating Tumour Cells. Early detection screening study: This component of the study aims to determine whether the ISET screening blood test can be used for early detection of cancer. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this part of the study if you are aged between 18-80 years and have a family history of cancer, or have been diagnosed with chronic disease, or are attending a health check. Early detection screening study details: Participants in this part of the study will undergo a blood test at baseline and at 3-12 months following the baseline test. The ISET test has the potential to detect potentially malignant cells, and other illness causing rare cells. Additional cancer marker testing can tell, whether cancer cells are from the prostate (in men) or breast (in women). In 2023 we introduced viral activation testing using viral markers to test in chronic fatigue patients for reactivation of dormant Epstein-Barr-Virus, Cyto-Megalo-Virus, or Herpes Simplex Virus reactivation, as a high number of Circulating Rare Cells (CRC) may be linked to viral reactivation and a suppressed immune system. It is hoped that this research using a simple blood test will assist in determining both cancer treatment efficacy, and early detection of cancer when used as a cancer screening tool by measuring the presence of cancer-specific cells. Furthermore, additional marker testing on the same patient's blood sample may shed light on the origin of cancer cells, or assess potential reactivation of dormant viruses.

This service (commenced at Monash Health in 2015) applies systematic review evidence into practice for obese women (with a BMI of greater than or equal to 35 kg/m²) who are booked to birth at Dandenong Hospital, with the aim of reducing excess weight gain and preventing complications.

This is a substudy of the Cancer Molecular Screening and Therapeutics (MoST) Program, which is registered on ANZCTR with ID ACTRN12616000908437. This substudy will evaluate the activity of Tildrakizumab in patients 18 years or older, with pathologically confirmed advanced osteosarcoma or soft-tissue sarcomas. Who is it for: You may be eligible to join the study if you are aged 18 years and older, with pathologically confirmed advanced and/or metastatic cancer of any histologic type, including haematological cancers, or an earlier diagnosis of a poor prognosis cancer and have confirmed molecular markers. Molecular profiling will be performed and assessed by the Molecular Tumour Board who will confirm if you have the right molecular markers for this study . Study details: Eligible participants will receive Tildrakizumab at a dose of 200mg every 28 days continuously via subcutaneous injection as long as they and their doctor agree there is a benefit from treatment. Tildrakizumab works by targeting a protein called IL-23, and recent research conducted at Garvan Institute has shown that IL-23 may be involved in growth of sarcomas and osteosarcomas. Tildrakizumab is approved in Australia and is used to treat psoriasis. However, tildrakizumab is not approved to treat bone or soft tissue sarcoma and is therefore an investigational treatment for these advanced and rare cancer types. Clinical and safety assessments are scheduled prior to registration and then every 4 weeks during treatment. Clinical assessments will continue until treatment is stopped. We cannot guarantee that patients will receive any benefits from this study. This study is being carried out to improve the way we treat cancer patients who may have limited treatment options available to them. It is hoped that Tildrakizumab will be well tolerated and will improve outcomes for future patients, however, there may be no clear benefit from participation in this study.

Almost half of Australians will have a mental health condition in their lifetime, with 3 million adults having anxiety and/or depression in any year. Exercise has recently received a lot of attention for its ability to help prevent and manage symptoms of depression, as well as improving physical health. Mindfulness, which is attention to the present moment, also demonstrates positive effects on mood and mental health, however, not much is known about the effects of combining the two activities on mood in people with depression/anxiety. Yoga is an increasingly popular activity in Australia, and essentially combines exercise and mindfulness together in varying combinations, depending on the type of yoga practiced. We are interested in the effect of different combinations of exercise and mindfulness, such as exercise without mindfulness (cycling), mindfulness without exercise (yin yoga) and exercise and mindfulness combined (vinyasa yoga), has on mood state in people with depression and/or anxiety. This study involves doing a 30-minute bout of different combinations of yoga, exercise and mindfulness each week, and goes for 6 weeks in total. We are interested in measuring mood state, depression, anxiety & stress scores, sleep quality, expectation of the condition’s effectiveness, as well as some basic physical health measures such as blood pressure and blood glucose levels, before and after each session. The primary aim of this study is to investigate and compare changes in mood in people with diagnosed depression/anxiety after engaging in 30 minutes of physically active yoga (vinyasa) or non-physically active yoga (yin). The hypotheses for the study are: 1. Physically active yoga (vinyasa) will have a greater effect on improving mood in people with depression/anxiety than mindfulness-based yoga (yin). 2. Physically active yoga (vinyasa) will have a greater effect on improving mood in people with depression/anxiety than sham control and attention control. 3. Mindfulness-based yoga (yin) will have a greater effect on improving mood in people with depression/anxiety than sham control and attention control. Secondary questions that we intend to explore are: 1. Are acute changes in mood present 24 hours post yoga? 2. What are the acute effects of vinyasa and yin yoga on cardio-metabolic health measures (central blood pressure, augmentation index, blood glucose levels)? 3. Which condition scored the highest on the credibility expectancy questionnaire?

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral ivermectin for outpatient treatment of those at high risk for hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2.

The 2017 ‘Closing the Gap’ report suggests that Indigenous health gains are off target, with the Federal government emphasising the need for verifiable data that can be compared across the nation to provide a clearer picture of progress. Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) are preventable, yet prevalence in some Indigenous Australian communities is one of the highest recorded globally. The ‘End RHD’ Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) (NHMRC 1080401) is developing a roadmap for how RHD can be eliminated as a public health problem in Australia. Robust data are critical to support the CRE’s policy recommendations to jurisdictional and federal governments. In particular, there is a need for: 1. Definitive baseline data and targets for evaluating progress towards goals; currently data on ARF/RHD burden are fragmented and methods under-developed nationally 2. Disease progression data: little is known outside of the Northern Territory (NT); there are no conclusive national data to determine whether current strategies are working. 3. Detailed population-wide studies of hospital utilisation and costs in acute rheumatic fever (ARF)/RHD to enable comprehensive economic evaluation. 4. Data on technical and health system challenges need to be documented at regional and national levels to optimise the interventions and strategies to control ARF/RHD in Australia. Linked administrative data from RHD registers, hospital admissions and deaths are used to build a cohort of ARF/RHD cases around Australia. This data will be augmented by data from additional datasets relating to specific sub-studies. For example, the ANZSCTS ED data, Perinatal datasets. The study aims to align existing datasets to track progress of implemented RHD elimination strategies in Australia. This includes determining the RHD baseline burden and assessing the impact of existing health interventions and strategies on ARF and RHD rates.