Improving Pain And Movement Outcomes In Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
People fear getting painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) more than any other disease – it is seen as progressive and incurable. It often stops people from moving and staying healthy, resulting in an enormous burden on sufferers and the health care system. This program of research aims to understand what brain & nervous system processes might underlie these pain and movement problems and whether new brain-targeting treatment helps. This will allow us to better match treatment to what patients need.
Understanding Persistent Low Back Pain Where It Resides, In The Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$848,972.00
Summary
Low back pain is a leading cause of disability amongst Australians. A critical question is why some people get better after hurting their back while others do not. This project examines whether changes in the brain predict low back pain outcome. This information will rapidly advance our understanding of low back pain and has the potential to facilitate the development of novel therapies.
Refining And Testing A Promising New Treatment For Chronic Pain.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,947.00
Summary
Chronic pain costs Australia about 35 billion dollars a year. Recent scientific discoveries show that treatment aimed at correcting problems in how the brain processes sensory input can reduce pain and disability. This project will clarify some key aspects of these problems and use that information to make final adjustments to an already very promising treatment. We will then test the treatment in a definitive and comprehensive clinical trial.
Motor problems, ranging from clumsiness to cerebral palsy, are one of the most common adverse outcomes in children born early. This study will investigate the motor development of children born <30 weeks’ gestation compared with peers born at term from birth to 5 years. We will determine whether early clinical evaluations or neuroimaging in the newborn period can predict later motor impairment at 5 years to be able to identify those who will benefit most from early intervention.
Innovations in Clinical Education for Physiotherapy Students. Australia has workforce shortages and an ageing population. Physiotherapists are key players in promoting and maintaining good health through their leadership in physical activity and rehabilitation to retain Australians in the workforce and to ensure quality of life for our ageing population. There is a national shortage of physiotherapists. Increasing numbers of physiotherapists are being trained, requiring new models of clinical tr ....Innovations in Clinical Education for Physiotherapy Students. Australia has workforce shortages and an ageing population. Physiotherapists are key players in promoting and maintaining good health through their leadership in physical activity and rehabilitation to retain Australians in the workforce and to ensure quality of life for our ageing population. There is a national shortage of physiotherapists. Increasing numbers of physiotherapists are being trained, requiring new models of clinical training as there is no capacity in conventional training to cope with student numbers. This research will develop and evaluate new models of training incorporating standardised patients (actors) and simulators (mannequins) which increase education capacity. Models are transferable to other health professions.Read moreRead less
Resolve: A New Treatment - Sensorimotor Retaining With Explaining Pain - For Chronic Low Back Pain.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,005,534.00
Summary
Most treatments for low back pain that are provided by a GP, physiotherapist or chiropractor are only moderately effective. A new approach is needed. We have developed a new treatment, sensorimotor retraining, based on principles from neuroscience, education, psychology and physiotherapy that we are testing in a randomized controlled trial. If successful this new treatment will provide relief for the millions of Australians who suffer from this debilitating condition.
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
Children with speech impairment: A population study of prevalence, severity, impact and service provision. Compared to the general community, adults who had a speech impairment as a child typically achieve lower levels of education, have greater literacy problems, experience significant social problems and discrimination, and have decreased occupational opportunities. The social and economic cost of untreated speech impairment for individuals, schools and society is large. This landmark study wi ....Children with speech impairment: A population study of prevalence, severity, impact and service provision. Compared to the general community, adults who had a speech impairment as a child typically achieve lower levels of education, have greater literacy problems, experience significant social problems and discrimination, and have decreased occupational opportunities. The social and economic cost of untreated speech impairment for individuals, schools and society is large. This landmark study will identify strengths and limitations in the health and education sectors regarding appropriate and holistic services for children with speech impairment combining identified prevalence, severity and impact data.Read moreRead less
The flipside of noise: Does it benefit listening and learning? People with low attention capacity can experience improvements in cognitive function (eg memory) in the presence of external white noise. This project aims to determine the brain mechanisms for this improvement and how it affects oral language comprehension and verbal learning. In doing so, the research would change the prevailing view that noise is always detrimental to mental processes, and provide a theoretical framework for predi ....The flipside of noise: Does it benefit listening and learning? People with low attention capacity can experience improvements in cognitive function (eg memory) in the presence of external white noise. This project aims to determine the brain mechanisms for this improvement and how it affects oral language comprehension and verbal learning. In doing so, the research would change the prevailing view that noise is always detrimental to mental processes, and provide a theoretical framework for predicting how an individual’s cognitive capacity is affected by the presence of noise. It may support the development of methods to improve educational participation and outcomes for children, particularly those with lower attention, and for older adults.Read moreRead less
A sound start: innovative technology to promote speech and pre-literacy skills in at-risk preschoolers. One in five Australian preschoolers have speech impairment and without specialist services face an increased risk of reading difficulties and life-long consequences. Given that demand for services exceeds supply, this project will determine if a preschool computer-based service can promote speech development and reduce risk of reading difficulty.