ANZCTR search results

This project will look at the effects of twice daily treatment using a new airway clearance device called the MetaNeb®, on lung function, secretion clearance and CF related symptoms compared to twice daily treatment using usual ACT in adults with CF who are hospitalised with a respiratory exacerbation. We hypothesise that in adults with CF, hospitalised with a respiratory exacerbation, twice daily MetaNeb® treatment, compared with usual ACT, will produce greater improvements in lung function, secretion clearance, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and respiratory signs and symptoms. If this device is shown to be more effective than the commonly used techniques, this would be of great clinical significance as it will assist in guiding clinical use of the device throughout CF centres in Australia and internationally.

The purpose of the study is to investigate whether a virtual reality exposure therapy program, delivered using 360 degree videos, can reduce public speaking anxiety compared to a waitlist control. We expect that the 360 video program will lead to decreased public speaking anxiety at 2 weeks post-intervention compared to the control.

The aim of this study is to examine the association between a modified carbohydrate diet, quality of life and glycaemic control in adults living with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The study design is an cross-sectional, case control cohort study: pre and post intervention. The intervention group (n= 23) will undergo the modified carbohydrate diet for 12 weeks. The matched controls group (n= 23) will undergo "usual" care for 12 weeks. Each participant will complete the validated diabetes specific quality of life questionnaire and have their HbA1c collected pre and post the intervention period. This study will determine if a modified carbohydrate diet mediates the relationship between quality of life and glycaemic control in adults with T1DM.

Yawardani Jan-ga means 'horses helping' in Yawuru (local Broome) language. It is a direct response to community concerns over youth social and emotional wellbeing, and requests for research programs that are strengths-based and focused on building resilience among youth. Yawardani Jan-ga will investigate the effects of using equine-assisted learning (EAL) to increase the social and emotional wellbeing among Aboriginal youth as an alternative approach to traditional Western models of mental health service provision.

Peanut allergy affects up to 3% Australian children and peanut oral immunotherapy (POIT) is the most studied method for peanut desensitization. While results from POIT are generally promising, it is worthy to note that desensitization actually accounts for only the first year of treatment, after which regular maintenance of peanut ingestion demands much longer-term patience and perseverance. This is of great importance because many children dislike the taste of peanut, and it is timely to shift focus from initial safety to ongoing adherence in POIT. A major design-limitation of all currently published OIT studies is that they do not incorporate a well-structured protocol for maintenance therapy post-desensitization. This may contribute to non-adherence. A well-designed and high-quality post-desensitization RCT is therefore needed to make best use of the time and expense already put into OIT while maintaining the long-term benefit of desensitization in the years that follow. Successful desensitization can reduce psycho-social morbidity by offering the child protection from accidental ingestion of at least the same amount of desensitization-dose peanut. However, there no studies have been done to compare Quality of Life between adherent and non-adherent subjects post-desensitization. The fact that many desensitized children have opted to drop-out from treatment rather than maintaining ingestion is concerning, and may indicate that the time immediately after desensitization is an inflection point for Quality of Life changes. We think this study will reveal vital data in the understanding of causes and consequences of longer-term poor adherence after initially successful desensitization.

The study aims to assess whether laser treatment (also called photobiomodulation) can help with neurotoxicity from chemotherapy. Photobiomodulation is the use of a low-power laser to improve the nerve damage. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are male or female, aged 18 years or older with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms. There must be at least 3 months following last exposure to neurotoxic chemotherapy, including taxane and platinum classes. Study details All participants in the study will be randomly allocated (50/50) chance to one of the following treatments: 1. Laser treatment to the hands, feet and back for 6 weeks. 2. The control treatment, which is the same (including laser treatment), however the laser source is covered up. This means people in the control group do not know which treatment they are getting. During the study, the participants wear black goggles to prevent them from identifying their treatment. While on the study, participants will be asked about their symptoms, their day-to-day function and have a physical exam focused on nerves. It is hoped this laser treatment will improve nerve symptoms in the patient population and help inform a larger study with more patients.

Suicide is the most common cause of death in Australians aged 15 to 44 years, however, only 28% of adolescents and young adults with suicidal thoughts and/or attempts sought help from health professionals. Smartphone app-based psychological treatments for suicidal thoughts have the potential to reduce obstacles in help-seeking by providing accessible, anonymous, and timely support. As such, Black Dog Institute has developed the LifeBuoy app, which was developed based on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and was informed by young people with lived experience of suicidal thoughts and/or suicidal behaviours. The aim of this trial was to evaluate whether the app is effective in reducing suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety symptoms among young people. It is hypothesized that participants who used the app will report greater reductions in suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety symptoms compared to those in control condition.

This study aims to establish a clinical registry, encompassing patient data from men with prostate cancer undergoing focal LDR brachytherapy. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are man aged between 40 and 85, with a diagnosis of Prostate cancer, clinical stage T1c or T2a. Study details The study visits will be 6 weeks following treatment, then three-monthly for 24 months following treatment, then six-monthly until five years following treatment. At these visits, various clinical assessment and blood tests will be performed. In addition, the study will also involve collecting data from multi-parametric-MRI scans, biopsies and questionnaires relating to quality of life and functional outcomes, particularly in the domains of urinary, gastro-intestinal and sexual function. It is hoped that the registry can establish an evidence base for the national uptake of focal LDR brachytherapy, in addition to provider greater insight into the global body of data regarding primary focal therapy for PCa.

This pilot trial will determine whether noradrenaline, a medication commonly used to treat low blood pressure in hospitals, could benefit patients undergoing major surgery. There is new evidence in the literature to suggest that targeting a higher blood pressure during surgery might be associated with improved patient outcomes. The aim of the study is to determine whether a larger definitive trial is worthwhile and feasible. The results from this study will be used to guide the development of a larger study across many hospital sites.

Recent studies have demonstrated that specific nutrients, including lauric acid and L-tryptophan, have energy intake-suppressant and blood glucose-regulatory effects via several pathways, including stimulation of gut hormones and motility, and the slowing of gastric emptying. We aim to investigate the hypothesis that the combined intraduodenal administration of lauric acid and tryptophan, compared with the individual nutrients, will more potently stimulate gut functions, including gut hormones, and gastric emptying, associated with reduced postprandial blood glucose