Supported Treadmill Training To Establish Walking In Non-ambulatory Patients Early After Stroke
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$341,349.00
Summary
This project will improve the health and well being of people affected by stroke. Stroke is the most common disabling neurological condition in adults and consumes up to 5% of health care expenditure in developed countries, estimated by the National Stroke Foundation at $1-2 billion per year in Australia. Some 48,000 people suffer a stroke each year in Australia, with approximately one third of these people requiring inpatient rehabilitation and 70% of them are unable to walk on admission to reh ....This project will improve the health and well being of people affected by stroke. Stroke is the most common disabling neurological condition in adults and consumes up to 5% of health care expenditure in developed countries, estimated by the National Stroke Foundation at $1-2 billion per year in Australia. Some 48,000 people suffer a stroke each year in Australia, with approximately one third of these people requiring inpatient rehabilitation and 70% of them are unable to walk on admission to rehabilitation. This randomised controlled trial will investigate whether treadmill walking with partial weight support via an overhead harness is effective at establishing independent walking (i) more often, (ii) earlier and (iii) with a better quality of walking, than current treatment for stroke patients who cannot walk. We will measure (i) whether patients achieve independent walking and (ii) the time taken to achieve independent walking. We will also measure parameters of walking such as speed, step length and step width to evaluate the effect of treadmill training on the quality of walking. Furthermore, by measuring participation in the community at 6 months, we will evaluate the long-term effect of this innovative treatment. Given that independence in walking is a major factor in the decision to discharge patients from inpatient care, earlier independent walking should result in a reduction in length of hospital stay which will save about $800 per patient per day in a teaching hospital setting. Identifying rehabilitation strategies which enhance walking outcome will not only improve quality of life of both stroke patients and their carers by reducing disability and handicap but also reduce the cost of rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Understanding How Language And Reading Problems Develop: A Population-based Longitudinal Study From Infancy To Age 7
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$667,507.00
Summary
Early language and reading problems are common and therefore significant public health problems. They are disabling and have life-long implications for oral and written communication skills, social and emotional well-being, cognition, behaviour, academic achievement and employment. This study will address the following three problems: 1. To date no study has documented how language and reading problems develop from infancy (8 months) through to school age (7 years). 2. Little is known about risk ....Early language and reading problems are common and therefore significant public health problems. They are disabling and have life-long implications for oral and written communication skills, social and emotional well-being, cognition, behaviour, academic achievement and employment. This study will address the following three problems: 1. To date no study has documented how language and reading problems develop from infancy (8 months) through to school age (7 years). 2. Little is known about risk factors, identified early in infancy and childhood, that can be reliably used to predict language and reading problems later in childhood. 3. The relationships between language difficulties and reading problems are poorly understood. Therefore, we currently have no satisfactory methods for reliably detecting which children at much younger ages are at risk of later language disorders or reading problems. Without this information it is impossible to develop effective prevention and early intervention programs. These programs are critical if we are to: a) Prevent language and reading problems from occurring, thereby reducing the prevalence of the problem b) Intervene early in childhood, thereby reducing in the longer term the burden and cost associated with language and reading problems. The proposed study builds on an existing substantial investment by the NHMRC in the Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS). It will provide a world-first description of the evolution of language difficulties and reading problems from infancy through to school age within a single population cohort.Read moreRead less
Improving Outcome after Stroke through Earlier Rehabilitation: The Very Early Rehabilitation Research Program. Stroke presents a major, growing global public health challenge accounting for 25% of all chronic disability. Treatments that reduce the burden of stroke are urgently needed, and early rehabilitation may significantly reduce chronic disability. A large, high quality, National Health and Medical Research Council funded clinical trial is at the heart of the A Very Early Rehabilitation Tri ....Improving Outcome after Stroke through Earlier Rehabilitation: The Very Early Rehabilitation Research Program. Stroke presents a major, growing global public health challenge accounting for 25% of all chronic disability. Treatments that reduce the burden of stroke are urgently needed, and early rehabilitation may significantly reduce chronic disability. A large, high quality, National Health and Medical Research Council funded clinical trial is at the heart of the A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial (AVERT) program. The trial tests whether a simple, rehabilitation intervention (early and intensive out of bed activity) results in fewer deaths and less disability for stroke sufferers and is cost effective. If effective the intervention could be adopted across different health services both here and overseas, reducing the global burden of stroke.Read moreRead less
Mindfulness and coping in chronic illness: insights from a study of joint replacement surgery. This study investigates whether participation in a mental health enhancement program (mindfulness) will improve the recovery of patients undergoing total joint replacement. This will benefit patients by promoting psychological well-being which has direct effects on pain and physical function after surgery.
Participation following traumatic brain injury in rural, regional and remote areas. The results of this project will lead to improved rehabilitation programs and better outcomes for people with brain injury, especially in regional, rural and remote areas, by targeting the ultimate goal more directly: participation - getting people back into their home, work and community roles. Participation is associated with improved social networks, wellbeing, independence and quality of life, so health care ....Participation following traumatic brain injury in rural, regional and remote areas. The results of this project will lead to improved rehabilitation programs and better outcomes for people with brain injury, especially in regional, rural and remote areas, by targeting the ultimate goal more directly: participation - getting people back into their home, work and community roles. Participation is associated with improved social networks, wellbeing, independence and quality of life, so health care burdens and costs are reduced, and people can lead more productive lives. The project's emphasis on country areas will benefit rural health care, and also help specialist metropolitan brain injury services to understand the specific rehabilitation issues facing people from the bush.Read moreRead less
Tonal language development in Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking children with cochlear implants. Cochlear implantation in children is expanding in countries where tonal languages are spoken, despite limited evidence of the effectiveness of implant use in these settings. This project will examine the impact of implant use on children's perception of tone, their production of speech and assesses how this affects functional communication.
Communication outcomes of preterm children: prevalence, description and intervention. Premature birth places children at risk of major disability, yet the majority of children are considered neurologically normal and disability free. However in follow-up studies at school age, preterm children are found to have lower verbal and nonverbal abilities that affects their academic and social development. Preterm children are six times more likely to require special educational support. This investigat ....Communication outcomes of preterm children: prevalence, description and intervention. Premature birth places children at risk of major disability, yet the majority of children are considered neurologically normal and disability free. However in follow-up studies at school age, preterm children are found to have lower verbal and nonverbal abilities that affects their academic and social development. Preterm children are six times more likely to require special educational support. This investigation will examine the communication skills, cognitive processes and academic progress of children born preterm. The findings will provide an evidence base for decisions about monitoring and intervention of preterm infants at greater risk for poorer speech-language and academic outcomes.Read moreRead less