ANZCTR search results

This research is being conducted to investigate the impact of a brief meditation on brain function using a functional MRI process. The benefits of this study will include determining the impact of Ecomeditation (a brief 22 minute meditation) on neural brain changes - participants will be asked to have a 10 minute brain scan then engage in listening to a meditation track for 4 weeks (daily) and then have another brain scan to see if there are any changes. Validating brief meditation as a physiological method of meditation that can be rapidly and reliably induced, may make brief meditation accessible to many who have found it difficult in the past. We will compare both experienced meditators and non-meditators (in order to ascertain whether non-meditators are able to achieve sustaining a meditative state over the 4 weeks and to see any changes it has on brain regions indicative of deep meditative states, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the thymus, and the hippocampus. It is hypothesized that changes in activity patterns and maybe connectivity will be observed).

The study is designed to assess cervical tissue penetration of Topical ABI-1968 Gel after multiple weekly dosing in participants with and without cervical cap. Participants who meet all inclusion and none of the exclusion criteria will be evaluated throughout the study. Up to 12 participants may be enrolled into one of the following four groups (3 participants per group). • Group 1: Four weekly dosing of up to 1% of Topical ABI-1968 Gel with cervical cap • Group 2: Four weekly dosing of up to 1% of Topical ABI-1968 Gel without cervical cap • Group 3: Up to 4 weekly dosing up to 1% of Topical ABI-1968 Gel (with or without cervical cap) • Optional Group 4: Repeat the same dosing regimen used in previous groups or test a different regimen (but not to exceed a dose up to 1% Topical ABI-1968 Gel and no more than four weekly dosing). • Group 5: Up to 4 weekly dosing just 1% gel of topical ABI-cream with a cervical cap.

Recommendations to increase intakes of foods rich in flavonoids have the potential to improve population health and reduce cardiovascular disease-related mortality. Flavan-3-ols are the most abundant subclass of flavonoids in the diet and are found in abundance in cocoa, apples, and tea. Currently, flavan-3-ol intake is estimated from food frequency questionaires. There is a crucial need for quality biomarkers of intake as a means of overcoming food questionnaire and food database limitations. Recently, a microbiome-derived flavan-3-ol catabolite, gamma-valerolactone (gVL), has emerged as a promising candidate. The primary aim of the proposed project is to establish the suitability of gVLs as biomarkers of flavan-3-ol intake.

This study is a randomised, crossover, double-blinded, single-dose experimental trial investigating the dose-dependent effects of purified, oral cannabidiol (CBD) on simulated car driving performance in healthy individuals. Participants will complete four experimental sessions involving different CBD treatments: (1) Placebo (0mg); (2) Low dose (15mg); (3) Moderate dose (300mg); and (4) High dose (1500mg). Trials will be conducted at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. We hypothesise that no dose of CBD will affect simulated car driving performance. Findings may assist to inform the development of guidelines and/or laws relating to the use of CBD drug therapies by drivers.

Brief description of the study purpose: This pilot study will examine the feasibility, safety and trends in effectiveness of providing a preoperative hospital and home-based rehabilitation program to individuals with stages I-IIIA Non-small cell lung cancer prior to surgery. The primary aim is to assess the feasibility of the prehabilitation program. Secondary aims are to assess postoperative outcomes (postoperative pulmonary complications and acute hospital Length of stay). Other secondary outcomes include changes in functional exercise capacity, physical activity levels, anxiety and depression and health-related quality of life. Who is it for? You may be eligible to participate in the study if you are over 18 years of age, have suspected stage I-IIIA lung cancer and are presenting for surgery and have no major comorbidities which would make exercise difficult. Study details: Participants will be randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. The intervention consists of preoperative exercise training (aerobic and resistance) for 1-4 weeks prior to lung cancer surgery. The control group will receive standard care (consisting of no preoperative exercise or physiotherapy intervention). It is hoped that this intervention will prove to be feasible and will improve postoperative outcomes, reduced hospital length of stay and improve the preoperative management of people with non-small cell lung cancer.

Paracetamol is one of the most common medications taken in overdose around the world. It is readily available and does not require a prescription to purchase. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the antidote used to treat patients at risk of developing liver toxicity secondary to the metabolites of paracetamol that accumulate following paracetamol overdose. The standard NAC treatment regimen lasts 20 to 21 hours and requires admission to hospital. Patients who present to hospital and receive NAC for paracetamol overdose and have normal liver function and subsequently have a less than therapeutic paracetamol concentration and normal liver function with at least 12 hours of treatment with NAC are unlikely to go on to develop liver toxicity. All study participants will be required to stay in hospital for the usual 20 hours (the time for a standard NAC infusion as per the current treatment guidelines) and will have liver function tests measured at this time. This trial aims to determine that a shorter treatment regimen (12 hrs) for paracetamol overdose is safe.

Paracetamol is one of the most common medications taken in overdose around the world. It is readily available and does not require a prescription to purchase. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the antidote used to treat patients at risk of developing liver toxicity secondary to the metabolites of paracetamol that accumulate following paracetamol overdose. The standard NAC treatment regimen lasts 20 to 21 hours and requires admission to hospital. Patients who present to hospital and receive NAC for paracetamol overdose and have normal liver function and subsequently have a less than therapeutic paracetamol concentration and normal liver function with at least 12 hours of treatment with NAC are unlikely to go on to develop liver toxicity. Conversely, patients who present late (greater than 8 hours post ingestion) to hospital, or with abnormal liver function, high paracetamol concentration and require NAC treatment, are likely to require a prolonged course of treatment and might develop liver failure. We aim to increase the dose of NAC in this high risk group and examine whether this decreases degree of liver injury and hospital length of stay.

Cellulite is as an "orange peel" appearance on the skin surface that is associated with poor microcirculation, weight change, race and heredity, but there is little consensus about its cause. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of a caffeine cream that we have developed on cellulite appearance, thigh circumference and skin fold thickness. We will also assess participants' perception of the sensorial qualities of the caffeine cream. Participants will apply the cream to one thigh and a placebo cream to the other thigh twice daily for 12 weeks. Assessments will be done at week 4, 8 and 12. We anticipate that the developed cream will target caffeine to the skin tissue and reduce cellulite.

Several studies have been completed in countries other than Australia comparing urinary iodine concentration and iodine intake in omnivores, vegetarians and vegans. It has been found that plant based diets are lower in iodine in these studies. Dairy is one of the first or second main sources of iodine in the Australian diet, while it is variable depending on geographic location and supplementary feeding practices. Plant milks are currently low in iodine and are subject to fortification restrictions in Australia. The research may help to update fortification guidelines for plant based products. The hypothesis is that the plant based group will have a lower urinary concentration of iodine.

The AMMEND study is a 3-month randomised control trial testing the effect of a Mediterranean diet (MD) on the symptoms of depression in young men. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the MD group or the control group, which consists of a social support “befriending” protocol, via a computer-generated block randomisation sequence. At the baseline appointment participants will complete a number of questionnaires and baseline measurements which will be recorded in the Case Report Form, including the Becks Depression Inventory depression scale and a short Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ). Participants will have scheduled follow up appointments at 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Participants in the MD group will complete Diet History Forms to check levels of adherence to the diet and will be scored against the MD Adherence Score. The main outcome measure will be any changes to the BDI depression scale results. At the conclusion of the trial, participants in the MD group will complete a short, electronic, self-administered survey assessing their experiences and perceived benefits and challenges of continuing to follow a Mediterranean diet long term.