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
Functional Electrical Stimulation Assisted Cycling (eStimCycle):A Novel Intervention To Improve Outcomes In The Critically Ill
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$868,811.00
Summary
The legacy of critical illness leaves millions of survivors worldwide with long lasting deficits in physical and brain function as well as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Early rehabilitation may prevent or minimise these effects. This study evaluates the effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation of muscles with assisted in-bed cycling (eStimCycle) on muscle bulk, strength, physical and brain function at hospital discharge, 6 and 12 months.
Cross-comparison, Validation And Performance Of Computerised Neuropsychological Assessment Devices In The Evaluation Of Mild Cognitive Impairment And Dementia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$700,482.00
Summary
With an ageing population and associated increase in dementia there will be increased demand for neuropsychological assessment, with insufficient trained personnel and resources to meet this demand. Computerised tests offer excellent opportunities for large scale implementation of cognitive screening and monitoring of older adults. This is the first study to systematically evaluate and compare several popular computerised neuropsychological assessment devices in elders with and without dementia.
Moving Behavioural Neuroscience & Neuroeconomics Into Dementia Prevention: Spatial Tracking And Economic Decision-making As New Sensitive Measures Of Daily Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$595,588.00
Summary
This project will aim to develop new measures for clinical trials by learning the relationship between older people's movements around the house, ability to make decisions about their health and finance and their cognitive performance. These instruments may aid future trials of drugs and other interventions for preventing dementia by indicating how basic behavioural patterns respond to interventions.
Using diagnostic tests in science as formative assessment to enhance teaching and learning. The success and continuation of science programs in upper secondary school and university is dependent on foundational improvements in science education in lower secondary schools. This proposal is designed to address this national concern by fostering talent in science and encouraging more students to study and enjoy science in a meaningful way. Through planned formative assessment, teachers will enable ....Using diagnostic tests in science as formative assessment to enhance teaching and learning. The success and continuation of science programs in upper secondary school and university is dependent on foundational improvements in science education in lower secondary schools. This proposal is designed to address this national concern by fostering talent in science and encouraging more students to study and enjoy science in a meaningful way. Through planned formative assessment, teachers will enable students in Years 8-10 to think about the science concepts and consider alternative explanations rather than memorise basic facts for a test or examination which are then forgotten. Practical benefits are a large range of valid and reliable tests and a range of teaching approaches for diagnosing student learning difficulties.Read moreRead less
Improving Quality Of Care For People With Dementia In The Acute Care Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,859,855.00
Summary
People with dementia are often undetected in hospital. This can result in problems which impact their long-term health and wellbeing. An electronic nursing assessment system for people admitted to hospital which reduces nursing admission documentation time, increases identification of patients with cognitive impairment and risk of delirium on admission, supports care planning and increases time for direct clinical care will improve the quality of care for patients with dementia in hospital.
Estimating And Alleviating The Impacts Of Age-Related Sensory Decline
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$323,767.00
Summary
Sensory loss and dementia disproportionately affect older adults, often co-occur, and are the two leading contributors to disability burden among older Australians. This research will investigate the consequences that hearing and vision loss have for older adult health and wellbeing, informing strategies to reduce the disability burden of age-related sensory loss. These impacts include cognitive decline and dementia, mental health, quality of life, disability and independent living.
A Scalable Intervention For Increasing Vigorous Physical Activity Among Older Adolescents: The ‘ Burn To Learn ’ Cluster RCT
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$636,912.00
Summary
Physical inactivity has been described as a global pandemic and only 15% of Australian adolescents are sufficiently active. The pressure to perform in major school assessments drives many older adolescents to sacrifice physical activity to maximise academic performance. Our team has designed a time-efficient solution to increase physical activity in senior high school students using high intensity interval training which will be evaluated using a cluster randomised controlled trial.
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.
Cognitive Impairments And Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms In Children With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Longitudinal Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$482,250.00
Summary
Traumatic brain injury in children is common with more than 2000 new cases a year in Queensland and Victoria alone. Many children who experience a brain injury go on to have long-term difficulties such as significant educational and social problems. Post-traumatic stress occurs in children following traumatic physical injury. However it is not clear to what extent this is so for children who have received a traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, when there is a traumatic brain injury and traumatic ....Traumatic brain injury in children is common with more than 2000 new cases a year in Queensland and Victoria alone. Many children who experience a brain injury go on to have long-term difficulties such as significant educational and social problems. Post-traumatic stress occurs in children following traumatic physical injury. However it is not clear to what extent this is so for children who have received a traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, when there is a traumatic brain injury and traumatic stress, it is not clear how these interact, how they influence long-term outcomes, and what factors such as pre-injury functioning and family support and distress mediate outcomes. These issues are very important since effective rehabilitation of children following traumatic brain injury is essential to maximise long-term functioning and minimise disability. To be effective, rehabilitation must be guided by the knowledge about key factors that determine the recovery process. This study aims to provide answers to these questions by following two cohorts of children (aged 6-14) over 18 months after receiving a traumatic brain injury. In total 240 children will be recruited from Brisbane and Melbourne hospitals. They will be assessed at three, six, twelve and eighteen months post-injury using measures of cognitive, psychological and social functioning. Information on parent distress and behaviours will also be obtained. The information obtained will provide the basis for the development of a specific rehabilitation strategy for children with traumatic brain injury, including information on strategies to help prevent any confounding impact of post-traumatic stress on recovery.Read moreRead less