Establishment Of A Latrobe Valley Power Industry Cohort And Biospecimen Bank For The Study Of Asbestos Related Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$614,466.00
Summary
The Latrobe Valley has been the site of Victoria�s electricity generation since the 1920�s. Very large amounts of asbestos were used in the construction of power stations and housing for the workers employed to build and operate them. Asbestos is known to cause a tumour of the lining of the lung cavity called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a highly debilitating tumour, with a median survival as low as seven months following diagnosis. Mesothelioma can occur in asbestos exposed individuals up to f ....The Latrobe Valley has been the site of Victoria�s electricity generation since the 1920�s. Very large amounts of asbestos were used in the construction of power stations and housing for the workers employed to build and operate them. Asbestos is known to cause a tumour of the lining of the lung cavity called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a highly debilitating tumour, with a median survival as low as seven months following diagnosis. Mesothelioma can occur in asbestos exposed individuals up to forty years following exposure, and as such, the peak number of cases of mesothelioma is not expected in Australia for another 10-20 years. The incidence of mesothelioma in the Latrobe Valley is several fold the state average. We will recruit a cohort of 5000 asbestos exposed former power industry workers, and provide information, support and smoking cessation campaigns. For 1000 of the most highly exposed we will offer annual testing for mesothelin, a protein in the blood which may indicate the presence of mesothelioma prior to a clinical diagnosis.Read moreRead less
Generating Evidence Of Reduced Rates Of Overweight/obesity In Children: Value Adding To Four Established Australasian Early Intervention Trials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$193,758.00
Summary
Childhood obesity is a major health problem. Trials are now being done to see whether helping families when their baby is young will reduce the rate of overweight children. We will combine data from these trials (1800+ children) to see if the programs work. To get maximum information we need to combine the line-by-line raw data from each patient in each trial. This is called an individual patient data meta-analysis. It is the best method for finding reliable answers to important health issues.
Cognitive Outcome And Therapeutic Interventions For Coronary Artery Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,104.00
Summary
Dementia is recognized as an increasingly important factor affecting quality of life as people age. Deaths from heart disease are declining, in part due to improved surgical techniques and to the use of less invasive methods to keep arteries open such as coronary stenting. It is now well known that 20 to 60% of patients experience some degree of impairment in thinking ability (cognitive impairment) after cardiac surgery, that this will persist in some of these individuals for years and may incre ....Dementia is recognized as an increasingly important factor affecting quality of life as people age. Deaths from heart disease are declining, in part due to improved surgical techniques and to the use of less invasive methods to keep arteries open such as coronary stenting. It is now well known that 20 to 60% of patients experience some degree of impairment in thinking ability (cognitive impairment) after cardiac surgery, that this will persist in some of these individuals for years and may increase the risk of long-term problems. Cognitive impairment affects people in many ways. While it is not yet known whether the occurrence of cognitive impairment predisposes to dementia, it is thought that Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) may do so. We propose to explore the link between MCI and Post Procedural Cognitive Deficit (PPCD) in patients with coronary disease from before the first point of objective diagnosis, i.e. prior to the coronary angiogram, and over a 12-month period, through and subsequent to further treatment interventions such as stenting or cardiac surgery. Our Pilot data suggest that PPCD does indeed occur after angiography, and we propose to identify how long this lasts, whether MCI predisposes to it and whether it is better to wait until it resolves before further interventions are undertaken. In this way we hope to identify the safest treatment strategy for patients with coronary disease that will minimize the occurrence of Cognitive Deficit and possibly longer-term cognitive changes after investigation and treatment for their symptoms.Read moreRead less
Markers Of Androgen Action, Genetic Variation And Prostate Cancer Risk
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$798,907.00
Summary
This proposal aim to follow up evidence from a number of studies that genetic and non-genetic markers of hormonal action in different periods of a man's life are associated with prostate cancer risk using a collection of three large, independent epidemiologic studies on prostate cancer named the Prostate Cancer Program. A principal objective is to collect exposure data on acne and digit ratio, and genotype cases and controls across the studies of the Prostate Cancer Program for common genetic va ....This proposal aim to follow up evidence from a number of studies that genetic and non-genetic markers of hormonal action in different periods of a man's life are associated with prostate cancer risk using a collection of three large, independent epidemiologic studies on prostate cancer named the Prostate Cancer Program. A principal objective is to collect exposure data on acne and digit ratio, and genotype cases and controls across the studies of the Prostate Cancer Program for common genetic variants in 4 candidate genes in the hormonal pathway. The established risk factors for prostate cancer are only age, race and family history. We anticipate that this project will cast light on the role of hormones in prostate cancer and that we will identify new markers of risk of prostate cancer and markers of disease aggressiveness. These outcomes will help us identifying men who are at risk for prostate cancer to target screening and surveillance, and plan prevention strategies. Furthermore, they will also form the basis for research on treatment targets.Read moreRead less
Spatial Learning And Memory In Huntington's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$475,969.00
Summary
This project will develop a spatial learning and memory test battery sensitive to dementia in Huntington’s disease, relate the task to atrophy in key brain regions, and then apply the test in a clinical trial aimed at developing a regeneration of damaged brain regions in Huntington’s disease. The overarching goal is to develop a cognitive test that is closely aligned to brain pathology in dementia as a tool for more precise, mechanism-based investigations in the dementia clinical trial setting.
Using Diffusion MRI For Understanding The Relationship Between Memory Decline And Corticothalamic Tracts
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$57,578.00
Summary
Stroke populations are at a risk of dementia. Structural changes have been demonstrated to precede cognitive changes, providing a potential for early diagnosis and intervention. Magnetic resonance imaging markers of structural connectivity are powerful predictors of dementia. As a longitudinal study, this proposal has the unique advantage that I will be able to detect changes in post-stroke brain networks in the 3 years after stroke. This raises the potential for future clinical application.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100106
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Measuring interference from prior memories using experience sampling. The project aims to better understand the causes of forgetting in recognition memory. This project will measure participants' experiences using smartphone technology for four weeks before a recognition memory experiment. Similarities between the images in the experiment and images in prior experience can be used to fully specify all interference components within a computational model of recognition memory, leading to a comple ....Measuring interference from prior memories using experience sampling. The project aims to better understand the causes of forgetting in recognition memory. This project will measure participants' experiences using smartphone technology for four weeks before a recognition memory experiment. Similarities between the images in the experiment and images in prior experience can be used to fully specify all interference components within a computational model of recognition memory, leading to a complete model of recognition memory. Better understanding the causes of forgetting in recognition memory could show how interference contributes to memory impairments in ageing, and ultimately Alzheimer’s and other clinical disorders.Read moreRead less
Understanding Universal Immunity To Influenza Viruses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,975.00
Summary
A/Prof Kedzierska’s work combines cutting-edge basic research with unique clinical studies to define how to generate protective immunity against the pandemic and newly emerged influenza viruses. This research will identify key factors that drive the severe and fatal influenza disease in high-risk groups, including the young, elderly, pregnant women and Indigenous Austraians. Findings on the optimal human immunity to influenza viruses will be applicable to other infectious diseases and cancers.
What Can Tau Deposition Tell Us About The Appearance Of Subjective And Objective Cognitive Decline In Older Adults?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$674,077.00
Summary
Subjective memory concerns are common in older adults, but it is uncertain how they relate to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers. Novel neuroimaging techniques have been developed for measuring tau deposition, a hallmark feature of AD. Using this technique, I aim to determine whether tau is sensitive to certain types of subjective concerns. My findings will reveal which concerns are indicative of AD risk, and which arise from unrelated factors, such as inattention or stress.
Early Intervention For Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment : A Randomised Trial Of Memory Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$577,556.00
Summary
It is increasingly recognised that Alzheimer’s disease can emerge slowly over years and persons presenting with memory impairment, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Following diagnosis of MCI, active management through symptomatic drug treatment remains equivocal, therefore, memory impairment continues to be troublesome and patients and families are seeking interventions that offer improvement in quality of life. Cognitive interventions ....It is increasingly recognised that Alzheimer’s disease can emerge slowly over years and persons presenting with memory impairment, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Following diagnosis of MCI, active management through symptomatic drug treatment remains equivocal, therefore, memory impairment continues to be troublesome and patients and families are seeking interventions that offer improvement in quality of life. Cognitive interventions are low cost and, where effective, can provide a stand-alone intervention or add value to the pharmacological approach. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate whether an early intervention program of memory training is effective in improving use of memory strategies in everyday life, and whether this has psychological and emotional benefits for individuals with MCI and their families. We will evaluate through a randomised controlled trial the efficacy of a memory-group program which will involve the family and patient, rather than just the person with MCI, in developing increased awareness of memory issues and specific strategies to prevent memory failures. Over successive cohorts recruited from memory clinics, families will be randomly assigned to either an immediate intervention or a delayed intervention (waiting-list control) group. We will also recruit a sample of healthy older adults who will be similarly randomised into early and late intervention groups. Healthy older adults will provide a means of establishing whether any improvements in the MCI groups are (i) to the same extent as healthy older adults and (ii) to normative levels. Evaluation will be at pre- and post-intervention and at six months follow-up on tests of memory, questionnaires of knowledge and use of memory strategies in everyday life, and appraisal of level of wellbeing. Information about memory and systematic training in compensatory memory skills are expected to significantly improve the capacity of patients and families to cope with everyday memory difficulties. Through active participation in the management of memory impairment, it is expected that the level of wellbeing will increase, for both patient and families.Read moreRead less