ANZCTR search results

Research has shown that in addition to carbohydrate, fat and protein in foods cause a delayed rise in blood glucose. In some people with type 1 diabetes meals higher in fat and protein require extra insulin. This is a 4 day, home- based study looking at how much extra insulin to give for meals higher in fat and protein. We hypothesise that administration of an additional 60% of the meal insulin dose will reduce mean glucose excursions at 180 mins post- meal without an increase in hypoglycaemia.

Rib fractures are common injuries and can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Among the common regional anaesthetic techniques to treat rib fracture and related acute pain are thoracic epidurals and paravertebral catheters which are technically challenging and pose potentially serious harms. In recent years, the Erector Spinae Plane block has been used for our rib fracture patients at the Alfred and the aim of this study is to test whether continuous erector spinae plane catheter improves lung function in patients with more than 3 contigous rib fractures before and at various time points after implementation of ESP blockade.

Modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) is a therapy for improving arm function after stroke. Despite strong research supporting its use, mCIMT is not routine practice for Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) physiotherapists and occupational therapists. RITH therapists have received training, specific resources have been developed and additional clinical support have been provided to encourage mCIMT to become standard post-stroke care. Hypothesis: With adequate staff training, clinical support and development of context-specific resources, mCIMT will become usual care for appropriate patients referred to RITH with arm impairment after stroke. Research Aims: This study will seek to determine if implementation of mCIMT within an early-supported discharge rehabilitation service is feasible, acceptable and sustainable within existing resources and staffing.

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of an intervention program to reduce depression, anxiety, stress and compassion fatigue among medical students based at the University of Tasmania’s Hobart Clinical School and junior medical officers (JMOs) based at the Royal Hobart Hospital via the development of their psychological capital and promotion of their skills and capacities for coping with inevitable work-related stressors. Using a randomised trial, we will compare the PsyCap workshop with an active control condition (psychoeducation only) and the PsyCap workshop plus a “booster session” and test the following hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: Increasing PsyCap (resilience, optimism, self-efficacy, and hope) will reduce CF and psychological distress; and Hypothesis 2: The PsyCap + booster session group will maintain the positive effect of the intervention for longer.

The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of a Flexible Exercise Participation Program (FEPP) for people with minimal disability from multiple sclerosis. The 12-week FEPP will guide participants to independently participate in their preferred sport or exercise at a location of their choice. Exercise progression will be guided by individual energy levels and a weekly telephone coaching session with a physiotherapist. Participation in exercise or sport will be recorded in parallel with assessment of disease biomarkers, subjective vitality and high-level mobility. The aim of the study is to help increase participation in sport or exercise for people with multiple sclerosis.

This study aims to investigate the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the exercise-related enhancement of motor learning. The benefit of acute exercise on the retention of motor learning has been well-established, however the specific neural processes that underpin this effect remain unclear. By using Sulpiride to selectively block the action of specific dopamine receptors, we hope to better understand the role that dopamine may play in this process.

Mobile technology has been proposed as an innovative opportunity to assist in improving the management of chronic illnesses as young people transition to adult care services. The TransitionMate study is the first trial that we can identify of a generic mobile application for the self-management of a cohort of adolescents with chronic illnesses transitioning from paediatric to adult care services. It is a two centre, pragmatic, single arm, mixed methods cohort study conducted within two University Teaching Paediatric Hospitals in Sydney, Australia. We hypothesis that use of the TransitionMate mobile application will result in improved engagement and retention of adolescents with chronic illness within adult services as well as reduce deterioration in illness control and unplanned hospitalisations.e with chronic illness in their transition from paediatric to adult health care services.

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of delivering an individualised exercise prehabilitation program amongst high risk surgical patients presenting for major cancer surgery. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or above and are scheduled to undergo major abdominal cancer surgery. Study details Participants in this study will receive an indivdiualised exercise prehabilitation program for a period of six weeks. Potential participants are recruited through our cardiopulmonary exercise testing clinic at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Participants are then followed for a period of six weeks preoperatively and thirty days post-operatively in order to review any surgical complications, length of stay in hospital and other clinical outcomes. If preoperative exercise is feasible within this population, we may be able to implement a program for patients of high risk to lessen surgical risk post-operatively.

Approximately half of those attending residential rehabilitation for methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) use methamphetamine within 3-months of leaving rehabilitation. One factor associated with relapse following residential treatment is “approach bias” – easily-triggered impulses to approach drug-related stimuli, and to seek drugs in response to these stimuli. Approach bias develops after frequent drug use, but studies in people with alcohol use disorders (including our own research) suggest that approach bias can be reduced through computerised training known as “approach bias modification” (ABM), which also reduces likelihood of relapse. However, aside from our small open-label feasibility study with methamphetamine withdrawal patients, this approach has not been trialed in people seeking treatment for MUD. Moreover, the approach of seeking to increase the efficacy of ABM by personalising the stimuli used in ABM training (e.g. to match the specific forms of drugs and route of administration that individual clients use), has not been trialed for any substance so far. We intend to commence a pilot RCT to test a 2-week course of personalised ABM (3 sessions per week). Patients with MUD will be randomised to receive either personalised ABM or a sham training control condition. Participants will be followed up 1- and 3-months post-discharge from rehabilitation to determine whether personalised ABM reduces methamphetamine use, craving, MUD symptoms, and methamphetamine approach bias, relative to patients who receive “sham” training.

In Australia, 35,000 people have cerebral palsy (CP), and between 60-70% of these have difficulties with movement on both sides of their body. There are currently no effective interventions for children with CP that affects both sides of their body to improve their ability to use their hands, walk and perform daily life tasks. We will test the efficacy of Hand Arm Bimanual Intensive Training Including Lower Extremity (HABIT-ILE), in pre-school aged children with cerebral palsy and compare results to usual care.