ANZCTR search results

In this study, we aim to use eyelid movement data collected from a commercial system from Optalert (Optalert Australia Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia) in patients with seizures in order to develop models to detect, predict and classify seizures. The device records eyelid and eye movements using an infrared light emitting diode located on a pair of light weight glasses frames. Participants admitted for inpatient video-EEG monitoring across the combined Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at The Alfred Hospital and The Royal Melbourne Hospital will be invited to participate in the study. Participants will wear the glasses during wakefulness throughout the monitoring period, which typically lasts five days. Once the seizure annotations and associated eyelid movements are collected, machine learning shall be used to determine if there is a digital biomarker that can be used to: 1. predict the onset of a seizure, 2. identify the occurrence of a seizure 3. classify the nature of the seizure.

Veno-arterial extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) involves the use of a machine that performs the function of the heart and lung. It is occasionally required after open heart surgery as a means of providing life-saving, temporary support of organ function if other strategies to support organ function are not working. There is little data about outcomes after such a strategy in the Australian context. This observational study based on historical data from patients who required VA-ECMO after cardiac surgery seeks to describe the 30 day outcomes for these patients. Furthermore, modelling will be performed on the data to determine if there are risk factors that can predict survival.

MVP is a common clinical diagnosis. Whilst the majority of patients with MVP have a benign prognosis, increased rates of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death have been reported in some patients with MVP. This observational study will attempt to assess whether patients with MVP are at higher risk of ventricular arrhythmias or sudden death compared to a control cohort. Patients (study group and control group 1) will be recruited after initial echocardiography has identified the presence of mitral valve prolapse and will undergo continuous cardiac rhythm monitoring with an implantable loop recorder. They be followed up for a minimum of 3 months. The patients for control group will be patients who have an ILR inserted for clinical reasons. The primary outcome will be identification of ILR detected ventricular arrhythmias.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is a promising setting for interventions targeting children’s nutrition behaviours. Web-based modalities may be a promising way of delivering childcare-based interventions whilst overcoming some of the challenges of previous approaches. As such, the primary aim of this study is to examine the impact of a web-based intervention together with health promotion officer support targeting childcare centre healthy eating practices on improving child dietary intake of fruit and vegetable serves in childcare. The intervention will target staff within childcare centres and support their implementation of healthy eating practices.

The purpose of this study is to see if a handheld imaging device (MEprobe) can accurately detect the microscopic presence of cancer in breast surgery patients. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are female, aged 18 or over and have been diagnosed with an invasive or localized breast cancer. Study details All Participants in this study will have a surgical probe take images of the breast tissue during their breast surgery. Your breast surgeon will also send the breast tissue removed during surgery to pathology for routine laboratory testing to determine the characteristics of the breast cancer (including the size of the cancer as well as diagnostic factors such as tumour margins and hormone receptor status). The images from the device will be assessed by a reading centre following the procedure, to ascertain the accuracy of the probe acquired images. The images from the device will not be used to make any treatment decisions. It is hoped this research will demonstrate that surgical imaging incorporated into the MEprobe is capable of creating high quality images that can be used during breast surgery to identify residual breast cancer and guide future protocols using this device.

The proposed project is a pilot study that aims to implement virtual realtiy assertiveness training within a socially anxious population. The proposed research examines the feasibility of delivering assertiveness training within a VR environment, alongside examining the effectiveness of assertiveness training in reducing social anxiety and increasing assertiveness using this modality. Based on previous literature on VR and assertiveness, it is predicted that individuals in the virtual reality condition will show a clinically significant reduction in anxiety and increased assertiveness compared to individuals in the control condition.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the longer-term tolerability and efficacy (treatment effect) of the drug combination known as AD036 at standard doses over an approximately 30 day period. This study will also include lower doses of AD036 that have not been studied previously. We know from previous studies that single standard doses of the combination of AD036 reduces sleep apnoea severity. Thus, these findings are expected to provide guidance on the ideal dose and a deeper understanding on the safety and tolerability of the use of these medicines in people with sleep apnoea.

The purpose of this study is to see if physical activity in hospitalised patients can be increased using a commercially available ‘smart watch’ device that monitors activity levels. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 18 or over and have been admitted to St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney under the care of an oncology or haematology team, with a cancer diagnosis. Study details Participants in this study will be randomised by chance (like flipping a coin) into two groups. Participants in both groups will wear a commercially available smart watch (Samsung Galaxy S3) for the duration of their inpatient stay. One group will have daily goal-setting session with a physiotherapist, and be encouraged to use the smart watch to monitor their activity levels and achieve the set goals. The other group will have standard physiotherapist visits, and will wear the watch and have activity monitored, but will be unable to use the watch as it will be locked. All participants will also wear a step counter on the thigh for certain periods of the trial, and will complete questionnaires at the end of their inpatient stay. Participants in the active group will also be interviewed to obtain feedback on the intervention. It is hoped this research will provide some preliminary evidence about the feasibility of using smart watches to promote physical activity in hospitals.

This is a cluster randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a tailored feedback intervention as embedded within an online canteen lunch ordering system. The intervention is intended to encourage the purchase of healthier menu items. The trial will recruit 10 NSW government primary schools which already have an online canteen ordering system through which lunch orders for students can be placed. The primary trial outcomes are the average proportion of “Everyday” and “Caution” foods (as classified by the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy). Intervention effectiveness is assessed through analysis of the lunch order purchasing data that is automatically collected by the online ordering system.

The microorganisms that live in and on us are called our microbiome and they are critical to our health and wellbeing. Dietary macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates, fibre) influence the gut microbiome, which has been found to interact with several bodily systems including the digestive, immune, nervous, endocrine and cardiovascular. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the consumption of vegetable soups can lead to improvements in the gut microbiome as well as blood biomarkers for metabolic health.