A Prospective Study Of Traumatic Stress In Children Involved In Motor Vehicle Accidents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$185,889.00
Summary
Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are relatively frequent major life trauma that represent significant life threatening experiences. Not surprisingly evidence suggests that MVAs represent a frequent trigger for the development of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although studies have typically focussed upon adult survivors. Local statistics indicate a significant proportion of children will experience a MVA of sufficient severity to warrant attendance at hospital. This project is of significa ....Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are relatively frequent major life trauma that represent significant life threatening experiences. Not surprisingly evidence suggests that MVAs represent a frequent trigger for the development of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although studies have typically focussed upon adult survivors. Local statistics indicate a significant proportion of children will experience a MVA of sufficient severity to warrant attendance at hospital. This project is of significance because it will provide badly needed information about the prevalence and course of emotional and behavioural problems in children following exposure to a serious MVA. More broadly the study should provide valuable information on post-traumatic stress responses in children. Furthermore, it will enable us to identify the factors that place children at particular risk of developing psychological problems following a MVA. This will provide information to help design of interventions to prevent the development of PTSD and other forms of psychopathology following MVAs. Such data will also permit identification of those children who are at particular risk of psychological morbidity after MVA trauma and for whom preventive interventions are most likely to be beneficial.Read moreRead less
A Prospective Study Of The Effects Of Early Life Growth On Adult Mammographic Density
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$460,517.00
Summary
It is now well-known that a woman's breast density, as measured by a breast scan, is a predictor of her future risk of breast cancer. It is also known that women who are heavier as babies and grow rapidly before age 7 are more likely to develop breast cancer in adult life. The effects were strongest in women who had early puberty. It has been suggested that there are critical points in early life growth that contribute to higher breast density in middle-age. Population-based surveys with early l ....It is now well-known that a woman's breast density, as measured by a breast scan, is a predictor of her future risk of breast cancer. It is also known that women who are heavier as babies and grow rapidly before age 7 are more likely to develop breast cancer in adult life. The effects were strongest in women who had early puberty. It has been suggested that there are critical points in early life growth that contribute to higher breast density in middle-age. Population-based surveys with early life growth data on large numbers of women that span birth to adulthood are necessary to estimate accurately the association between early life growth and breast density in middle age. Few such studies exist; Tasmanian Asthma Study is one of them. In 1968, all 4,194 female Tasmanian school children born in 1961 were surveyed and height and weight measured. Subsequently, weight and height measurements were carried out on samples of this cohort. We are currently conducting the 37-year follow-up of the TAS and to date have traced 87% and achieved a response rate of 77% (2,850) for a postal survey. This included self-reported weight and height measurements and detailed information reproductive history and the use of hormones. Weight, height and waist to hip ratio are currently measured on 600 of these respondents. We have access to school medical records of the full cohort, which have weight and height data measured at school medical inspections throughout school years, and maternal records so far for half of the total cohort, which have information on birth weight and length, and period of gestation. Hence, TAS now provides an ideal opportunity, unique within Australia, to investigate prospectively the association between early life growth and mammographic density in middle-age women. We will measure breast density in these women now they are in their late 40s, using the Australian Mammographic Density Research Facility at The University of Melbourne.Read moreRead less
A link between periodontal disease, inflammation of the gums, and cardiovascular disease has been suggested in recent studies, however the evidence remains uncertain. Supporting the link are data that inflammation predisposes to atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Patients in the PERICAR study will have blood tests before and after periodontal treatment so that researchers can study whether treatment reduces factors in the blood that have previously been shown to indicate the risk of cardiovascul ....A link between periodontal disease, inflammation of the gums, and cardiovascular disease has been suggested in recent studies, however the evidence remains uncertain. Supporting the link are data that inflammation predisposes to atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Patients in the PERICAR study will have blood tests before and after periodontal treatment so that researchers can study whether treatment reduces factors in the blood that have previously been shown to indicate the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study will provide further clues to this potentially very important and treatable relationship.Read moreRead less
Epidemiology Of Middle-age BHR: A Prospective Study From Childhood To Middle Age
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$593,840.00
Summary
Increased airway reactivity (BHR) in middle-age increases the risk of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) in old age, which are recognised as a major public health problem. Knowledge on the causes of these conditions is currently limited. This project will improve our understanding of the childhood and adult causes of increased reactivity of the airways in middle-age. Such knowledge will help in identifying preventive strategies for middle age BHR and thereby CRDs in old age.
The Australian Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes And Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$489,749.00
Summary
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a form of home dialysis that is both substantially cheaper and associated with better early survival than standard hospital-based haemodialysis. Its use in Australia has been severely limited by poor outcomes compared to the rest of the world. This international study aims to identify “real world” PD centre practices that will lead to better outcomes for Australian patients, greater uptake of home dialysis and health savings of tens of millions of dollars annually.
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
Translation Of Glaucoma Blindness Genes To Improve Clinical Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$856,795.00
Summary
Glaucoma is a common cause of irreversible blindness. It is currently difficult to predict which patients with the earliest signs of glaucoma will develop blinding stages of the disease. This study will investigate how genes and eye measurements can be used to predict the risk of developing severe glaucoma in people with early signs of disease. This will ensure that high risk individuals can access treatment early, while those at low risk can be spared unnecessary treatment and seen less often.