Mechanism Of Signal Transduction And Receptor Activation In Ligand Gated Ion Channel Receptors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,560.00
Summary
This project seeks to provide fundamental new information about the means by which neurotransmitter receptors, which mediate fast synaptic neurotransmission, operate. This knowledge is important since the Cys-loop family of ligand gated ion channel receptors are responsible for a wide range of neuronal signalling and the control of both excitatory and inhibitory receptors. The Cys-loop receptors are modulated by both therapeutic drugs (eg. benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antiemetics) and by recre ....This project seeks to provide fundamental new information about the means by which neurotransmitter receptors, which mediate fast synaptic neurotransmission, operate. This knowledge is important since the Cys-loop family of ligand gated ion channel receptors are responsible for a wide range of neuronal signalling and the control of both excitatory and inhibitory receptors. The Cys-loop receptors are modulated by both therapeutic drugs (eg. benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antiemetics) and by recreational drugs (eg. alcohol, nicotine). They are also targets for development of new therapeutic drugs, such as allosteric modulators of nAChR for memory enhancement, or modulating GlyR to relieve spasticity or chronic pain. The project will use a range of molecular advances made by this and other laboratories to clarify how neurotransmitters enable their receptors to activate and signal. This fundamental information is of major medical significance as defective synaptic transmission, caused by mutations in ligand gated ion channel receptors, gives rise to a number of neurological and psychiatric disease states. The ligand gated receptors are also major targets for therapeutic drugs and the information gained in this study may also provide insights into new ways in which drugs could be used to enhance or inhibit synaptic signalling.Read moreRead less
Inter-rater Reliability And Predictive Validity Of A New Functional Capacity Evaluation For Chronic Back Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$105,794.00
Summary
Back pain costs the Australian community tens of billions of dollars. Back pain is one of the main causes of work injury and lost time from work. The longer a person is off work, the harder it is to get them back to work. Workers' compensation systems around Australia aim at getting the injured worker with back pain back to work as soon as possible. One of the difficulties in this process is determining what the person with back pain can physically do in the workplace. An evaluation technique, c ....Back pain costs the Australian community tens of billions of dollars. Back pain is one of the main causes of work injury and lost time from work. The longer a person is off work, the harder it is to get them back to work. Workers' compensation systems around Australia aim at getting the injured worker with back pain back to work as soon as possible. One of the difficulties in this process is determining what the person with back pain can physically do in the workplace. An evaluation technique, called functional capacity evaluation (known as FCE), is one method used to find out what the person with back pain physically can and cannot do. In a FCE, a trained health professional such as an occupational therapist, observes the person performing a range of physical activities like the ones he or she may have to perform in a job. The therapist closely observes the person performing activities such as lifting, carrying, kneeling, crouching, balancing, and walking and notes any limitations in the person's ability to complete the activities. The therapist makes comments about what difficulties the person may have on the job and recommendations about how these could be reduced or eliminated. The information gained from these evaluations can be valuable for the treating doctor in deciding whether the person is ready to go back to work and what duties the person can and cannot do on the job. Because of such value they provide, FCE is commonly used in rehabilitation programs endorsed by workers' compensation systems around Australia. This widespread use and endorsement of FCE occurs despite limited research on the soundness of the ratings made from these evaluations. There is a need to see whether recommendations made from FCEs are consistent between therapists (i.e. reliable) and to see if the FCE accurately predicts the person's physical capacity for work. This research will examine these issues with injured workers with back pain.Read moreRead less
Randomised Controlled Trial Of Multimedia Patient Education Approaches To Preventing In-hospital Falls
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$524,137.00
Summary
In hospital falls are one of the most frequently occurring adverse events in Australian hospitals. They are the cause of considerable patient morbidity, stress to family members and care givers, and health care resource use. However, there are many potential causes of in-hospital falls which has made minimising them a difficult task for hospitals around the country. Recent evidence has indicated that a patient intervention strategy is useful for preventing in-hospital falls as a part of a multi- ....In hospital falls are one of the most frequently occurring adverse events in Australian hospitals. They are the cause of considerable patient morbidity, stress to family members and care givers, and health care resource use. However, there are many potential causes of in-hospital falls which has made minimising them a difficult task for hospitals around the country. Recent evidence has indicated that a patient intervention strategy is useful for preventing in-hospital falls as a part of a multi-factorial falls prevention program. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness and economic benefit of two approaches to providing patient education for the prevention of in-hospital falls. Patients at high risk for falls will be recruited from the Princess Alexandra Hospital and be randomly allocated to either a DVD + 4 sessions of face-to-face education with an occupational therapist program, to a DVD alone education program, or to a usual care with no additional education control condition. Patients will be followed up until their discharge from hospital and the number of in-hospital falls they incur will be compared between groups. It is expected that both the DVD + 4 sessions of face-to-face education with an occupational therapist program, to a DVD alone education program will be effective in reducing falls and that the DVD alone education program will demonstrate the greater cost-effectiveness in reducing falls. Stemming from this research, it is anticipated that a cost-effective resource for preventing in-hospital falls will be developed and evaluated such that it can be used in hospitals Australia wide.Read moreRead less