The Incidence And Predictors Of Foot Disease Hospitalisation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Foot disease seems to be a much larger cause of hospitalisation than first thought. This research program aims to study for the first ever time the annual incidence of foot disease hospitalisation and develop models to predict which patients with foot disease are likely to be hospitalised or die. We believe this research will help clinicians, researchers and governments from around the world to measure, predict and prevent foot disease hospitalisation in their nations for the first time.
Developing Improved Management For Peripheral Artery Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$569,219.00
Summary
~1 million Australians have peripheral artery disease. The current application is for a Practitioner Fellowship to support my research aimed at improving care of artery disease. The aim of the work is to develop improved management approaches for patients with blocked and weakened arteries. This work is particularly important given the recognised management deficiencies for patients with artery disease and the relative little research being undertaken in this area.
How Amyloid Causes Neurodegeneration: The Role Of Transthyretin In Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$618,950.00
Summary
This project seeks to understand the biochemical basis of nerve degeneration in a disease known as familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy. This disease is caused by a protein known as transthyretin, which is abnormally deposited around nerves and causes nerve damage. The project is highly likely to provide clues which help us understand some related dementia causing diseases like Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases such as scrapie and mad cow disease.
Does The Complement System Contribute To Neuropathic Pain?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$262,958.00
Summary
Nerve injury often results in increased sensitivity to painful stimuli and the perception of innocuous stimuli as painful; it may also result in spontaneous pain. These disorders of pain sensation due to nerve injury are common, debilitating and difficult to treat. They are symptoms of neuropathic pain. Pain is normally signalled to the brain by sensory nerve cells called nociceptors. Following nerve injury, nociceptors are sensitised by chemicals released by inflammatory cells. This contributes ....Nerve injury often results in increased sensitivity to painful stimuli and the perception of innocuous stimuli as painful; it may also result in spontaneous pain. These disorders of pain sensation due to nerve injury are common, debilitating and difficult to treat. They are symptoms of neuropathic pain. Pain is normally signalled to the brain by sensory nerve cells called nociceptors. Following nerve injury, nociceptors are sensitised by chemicals released by inflammatory cells. This contributes to neuropathic pain. We have evidence that inflammatory responses play a key role in initiating neuropathic pain. Other evidence suggests that the immune system contributes to neurological diseases and accompanying pain (e.g. Guillain-Barr syndrome and multiple sclerosis). We plan to test the idea that a component of the immune system known as the complement pathway contributes to the development of neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury. The outcome of this work will be a better understanding of the way in which nerve injury leads to chronic disorders of pain, including increased sensitivity to painful stimuli. This will lead in turn to the development of more effective treatments for neuropathic pain.Read moreRead less
Pathophysiology Of Focal Human Entrapment Neuropathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$33,626.00
Summary
Neuropathy patients suffer from tingling, pain, numbness, spontaneous muscle contraction and cramp. The symptoms reflect abnormal activation of the nerve involved. It is known that an external agitation can worsen them, like in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This study aims to investigate if changes in function of axonal membrane ion channel play any part in the symptoms. This will be done by comparing axonal membrane ion channel functions of healthy and CTS patients under external stimuli.
A Novel Sensory Nerve Stimulator To Improve Neuropathy In Patients With Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$407,924.00
Summary
We have developed a painless, self-applied, cheap, battery powered electrical stimulation treatment that improves sensory nerve function in some people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. We have tested this technique in laboratory animals and in people with diabetes and have shown it is effective in some. We now propose to test this technique in a large sample of people similar to the participants in the successful group of our pilot study - 55-65 year old people with diabetes of shorter durat ....We have developed a painless, self-applied, cheap, battery powered electrical stimulation treatment that improves sensory nerve function in some people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. We have tested this technique in laboratory animals and in people with diabetes and have shown it is effective in some. We now propose to test this technique in a large sample of people similar to the participants in the successful group of our pilot study - 55-65 year old people with diabetes of shorter duration. In addition, older people up to 75 years of age, with up to 10 years duration of diabetes will be included separately. If successful, the electrical stimulation could improve sensation leading to fewer ulcerations and amputations. Much suffering and expense would be avoided. - The magnitude of reduction in suffering and expense can be judged from the fact that people with diabetes have 15 times the risk of amputation as do people without diabetes. In Australia half of non-traumatic amputations are done to people with diabetes. Foot ulcers precede amputations in most cases, and in themselves cause much suffering and expense. Australia needs to act on this now because, if current trends continue, the number of people with diabetes will increase as the population ages. -The number of people aged over 65 will increase from around 2.3 million at present to over 6 million in the next half century. The increase in those over 85 will be even more marked with numbers increasing four fold to over one million people. Diabetes affects approximately 23% of people aged 75 or older.Read moreRead less