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A Randomised Control Trial Of Non-specific Clinical Management Versus CBT In Chronic Anorexia Nervosa
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,843.00
Summary
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental illness that usually starts in adolescence and often runs a chronic course. With an estimated prevalence rate between 0.5% and 3.7% of women, and up to 50% remaining chronically ill, the illness poses a disproportionate burden on health and social services. AN has inpatient costs alone that exceed that for schizophrenia. Chronic AN has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Chronic AN patients are known for their ambivalence about engaging in ....Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental illness that usually starts in adolescence and often runs a chronic course. With an estimated prevalence rate between 0.5% and 3.7% of women, and up to 50% remaining chronically ill, the illness poses a disproportionate burden on health and social services. AN has inpatient costs alone that exceed that for schizophrenia. Chronic AN has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Chronic AN patients are known for their ambivalence about engaging in treatment and poor motivation to change their eating disorder behaviours. They often fail to respond to traditional treatments and develop a history of negative treatment experiences and repeated treatment failures. A new approach is needed to reduce both the personal suffering and the burden of the illness on social and medical services. To date, there has been little scientific investigation into the development of specific treatment for those patients with chronic AN. This study will trial a recently manualised therapy - non-specific supportive clinical management - which initial evidence suggests may hold promise for chronic AN because it offers a more indirect, motivationally-matched approach. This treatment will be compared to the establishment therapy Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Patients will be randomly allocated to one of the two treatment conditions and will receive 40 sessions over 12 months. They will be thoroughly assessed prior to during and after they have completed treatment and followed up for 6 months. This is the worlds first trial of a psychological treatment for chronic AN; it is hoped the study will establish an effective treatment for this debilitating and expensive illness. Further, as the project aims to explore the core, but often over-looked, feature of AN - poor motivation for recovery - it will also be in a position to shed light on the deep psychological processes that maintain this illness.Read moreRead less
Centre For Clinical Research Excellence In Respiratory And Sleep Medicine
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,200,000.00
Summary
The CCRE will enhance Australia's international research reputation in clinical respiratory and sleep medicine by enhancing links between hospital-based investigators. This will foster development of new clinical researchers in these fields. Major research projects will include reducing side effects of asthma therapy in the elderly, better and cheaper ways of diagnosing disorders such as sleep apnoea and blood clots in the lung, keeping patients with chronic lung diseases out of hospital and avo ....The CCRE will enhance Australia's international research reputation in clinical respiratory and sleep medicine by enhancing links between hospital-based investigators. This will foster development of new clinical researchers in these fields. Major research projects will include reducing side effects of asthma therapy in the elderly, better and cheaper ways of diagnosing disorders such as sleep apnoea and blood clots in the lung, keeping patients with chronic lung diseases out of hospital and avoiding accidents due to lack of sleep.Read moreRead less
Improving Health Outcomes In The Tropical North: A Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,997,916.00
Summary
Improving Health Outcomes in the Tropical North will strengthen partnerships with research institutions in the NT, Qld, WA, NSW, Vic and SA, by undertaking a research agenda that will help close the gap in Indigenous health disadvantage, protect the north from emerging infectious threats and engage regional neighbours. We will establish a northern Australian network that incorporates Indigenous engagement, mentoring and knowledge translation, and facilitates collaboration with southern partners.
CKD-FIX: A Randomised, Controlled Trial Of Allopurinol In The Slowing Of Kidney Disease Progression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,917,147.00
Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem affecting over 1.5 million Australians and is associated with increased risk of death, heart disease and progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Current treatments to slow progression to ESKD are limited. The CKD-FIX trial aims to find out whether treatment with allopurinol, a commonly used drug for gout prevention, safely and effectively slows CKD progression. This could lead to significant health and economic benefits.
A Randomised Phase III Study Of Radiation Doses And Fractionation Schedules In Non-low Risk DCIS Of The Breast
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,751,209.00
Summary
Treatment of ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), a preinvasive form of breast cancer, is aimed at preventing invasive cancer recurrence. Women with higher-risk DCIS have an increased risk of recurrence. This study aims to individualise treatment for women with DCIS to achieve long-term tumour control with minimal treatment toxicity. After local excision of DCIS, radiotherapy (RT) to the whole breast reduces the recurrence rate. However, it is unclear if escalating radiation dose to the tumour bed i ....Treatment of ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), a preinvasive form of breast cancer, is aimed at preventing invasive cancer recurrence. Women with higher-risk DCIS have an increased risk of recurrence. This study aims to individualise treatment for women with DCIS to achieve long-term tumour control with minimal treatment toxicity. After local excision of DCIS, radiotherapy (RT) to the whole breast reduces the recurrence rate. However, it is unclear if escalating radiation dose to the tumour bed in higher-risk women increases tumour control. It is also uncertain if giving fewer but larger radiation doses over 3-4 weeks would achieve the same tumour control as the standard 5-7 week course of RT to improve patient convenience and access to RT. Thus, this multicentre study of 610 women with higher-risk DCIS will investigate if adding a tumour bed radiation boost after whole breast RT improves tumour control, and the shorter RT course achieves the same tumour control as the standard longer course. Currently, the ability to predict the malignant potential of DCIS and RT toxicity is limited. This study will investigate if there are biological and genetic markers predictive of invasive recurrence and normal tissue toxicity in women with DCIS using state of the art technology. Women need to weigh up the likelihood of cancer control against adverse treatment effects to make an informed treatment decision. However, very little is known about the quality of life (QoL) consequences of the diagnosis and treatment of DCIS. In this study, the QoL, psychological distress, perceived risk of invasive cancer recurrence and perceived cosmetic outcomes of women with DCIS, will be assessed using a questionnaire of validated measures. This study will refine treatment for women with DCIS according to their risks of recurrence. It will significantly advance the understanding of the biology of DCIS and its psychological and QoL outcomes after treatment.Read moreRead less
Studies On The Effects Of Endogenous And Exogenous Opioids In Modulating Exercise-induced Dyspnoea In People With Moderate / Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Two Double-blind Randomised, Placebo Controlled Trials.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$197,086.00
Summary
There is evidence that morphine-like chemicals made by the body itself help reduce breathlessness. It is not clear whether this response is because of the effects of these morphine-like chemicals on the brain, in the lung or both. This study will help understand where these chemicals act to reduce breathlessness in people with emphysema during exercise. Subsequently, it will also help to understand whether small, regular doses of morphine safely further reduce breathlessness during exercise.
How Do Thick Airway Walls Affect Airway Hyperresponsiveness In Asthma?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$382,538.00
Summary
Asthmatic airways narrow too easily, a characteristic called airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). To understand the cause of asthma we need to understand the cause of AHR. Thickened airway walls could amplify airway narrowing and increase AHR. However, thick airway walls are also stiff, and stiff walls could reduce narrowing and AHR. This project will examine the relationships between AHR and airway wall thickness and stiffness during and after treatment that reduces airway wall thickness.
Wellbeing Intervention For Chronic Kidney Disease (WICKD): A Trial Of The Aboriginal And Islander Mental Health Initiative (AIMhi) Stay Strong App.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,031,562.00
Summary
Kidney disease is 10 times higher for Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Treatment involves many losses (time, functioning, role and disconnection from family and country). This study is the first to explore effectiveness of a culturally adapted electronic mental health intervention – The AIMhi Stay Strong App for improving wellbeing, quality of life and treatment adherence for Indigenous patients on haemodialysis. Cost effectiveness of the intervention is also assessed.
Circulating Tumour DNA To Monitor Treatment Response And Resistance In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$876,950.00
Summary
Many cancers shed small amounts of DNA (ctDNA) into the patient’s bloodstream and recent advances in genomic technologies now allow levels of ctDNA to be accurately measured in the blood. Changes in ctDNA levels have potential to be used as specific markers of disease progression and/or response to cancer therapy. This project will evaluate if ctDNA can be used to monitor treatment responses and individualise treatment decisions in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
An Integrated Health-sector Strategy To Combat COPD And Asthma In Vietnam: A Pragmatic Stepped Intervention Cluster Randomized Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,894,349.00
Summary
Chronic lung diseases are a major challenge for resource limited settings. In Vietnam, where smoking rates in males are around 50%, there is an urgent need for better strategies to prevent and treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. We will perform a study of a low-cost integrated intervention including a health-system based smoking cessation program and the targeted use of proven therapy for COPD and asthma - inhaled corticosteroids - to reduce the burden of lung disease.