Improving Quality Of Life In High-risk Cancer Populations: A Randomised Trial Of A Structured Intervention For Head And Neck Cancer Survivors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$493,220.00
Summary
Patients treated for head and neck cancer commonly experience pain, disfigurement, eating difficulties, depression and fatigue, undermining confidence and quality of life. This study aims to help patients self-manage their ongoing health problems following completion of treatment. This will be achieved through a randomised trial in which patients will be assisted by a trained oncology nurse to develop a tailored survivorship care plan focusing on the patient’s specific medical and emotional conc ....Patients treated for head and neck cancer commonly experience pain, disfigurement, eating difficulties, depression and fatigue, undermining confidence and quality of life. This study aims to help patients self-manage their ongoing health problems following completion of treatment. This will be achieved through a randomised trial in which patients will be assisted by a trained oncology nurse to develop a tailored survivorship care plan focusing on the patient’s specific medical and emotional concerns.Read moreRead less
Motor Passivity Symptoms In Schizophrenia And Mental Representations Of The Body
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$220,180.00
Summary
Individuals with schizophrenia who report passivity symptoms feel that they are no longer in control of their movements and believe that their actions may be willed by some other power. This research aims to examine a set of mental processes which determine how the body is 'represented' in the brain and which, if disrupted, can lead to disorders of body experiences. The outcome of the study will lead to a greater understanding of passivity symptoms and can be used to plan interventions.
A Novel Intervention Targeting Insomnia To Prevent Major Depressive Disorder In The Community
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,258,316.00
Summary
In this project we want to see if we can prevent depression by improving insomnia. We will invite people with elevated depression symptoms to undertake a novel self help program to reduce insomnia, and then see if their risk for developing clinical depression is reduced 9 and 18 months later. As far as we know, this approach has not previously been tried. The merit of the project is that we have tangible symptoms (sleep problems) with which to engage individuals in a prevention strategy.
Footwear For Self-managing Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms: The Footstep Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,532.00
Summary
Self-management of symptoms is an important part of treatment for people with knee osteoarthritis. Footwear influences forces across the knee joint and it is unclear which types of shoes are best to minimise arthritis symptoms. This study will compare the effects of flat flexible shoes to stable supportive shoe styles on pain and physical function over 6 months in people with painful knee osteoarthritis.
Improving Cardiovascular Health And Quality Of Life In People With Severe Mental Illness: A Randomised Trial Of A ‘partners In Health’ Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$960,320.00
Summary
People with severe mental illness die 13-30 years earlier than other people, mostly from physical illnesses especially cardiovascular disease. Physical health care services are poor for these patients and need urgent improvement. Our team has developed a process to deliver good physical health care using the Flinders Program and recovery framework. This project evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the process, and shows how health services can deliver physical health care.
Finding My Way: A Randomised Controlled Trial Evaluating An Internet Self-help Program For Cancer-related Distress
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,608.00
Summary
The internet is increasingly utilised by people affected by cancer to obtain information and support. However, to date no randomised controlled study has evaluated the effectiveness of a structured online self-help therapeutic program. Therefore, the present study aims to examine how helpful 'iCanCope' is, an interactive online 6-week self-help coping program, compared to online information only, in improving distress, coping and quality of life after cancer diagnosis.
Release The Sterile Males: A New Direction For Mosquito Population Control Technologies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,110,112.00
Summary
With over 40% of humans at risk from mosquito-borne disease, new environmentally friendly mosquito control tools are required. We’ve developed a novel sterile male population suppression technology – using neither radiation nor genetic modification – to produce sterile adult male mosquitoes from both male and female larvae. We will show that exposing mosquito larvae to specific RNA molecules can produce fit sterile males adult mosquitoes that can crash mosquito populations in large cage trials
Our goal is to discover new mechanisms involved in our cells’ delicate balancing act with respect to cholesterol levels. Understanding how production of cholesterol is controlled in our cells is key to developing new drugs aimed at preventing its excessive accumulation. This will have long-term benefits for health considering that a cellular imbalance in cholesterol is involved in two of the most common conditions threatening the health of Australians, namely heart disease and Alzheimer’s diseas ....Our goal is to discover new mechanisms involved in our cells’ delicate balancing act with respect to cholesterol levels. Understanding how production of cholesterol is controlled in our cells is key to developing new drugs aimed at preventing its excessive accumulation. This will have long-term benefits for health considering that a cellular imbalance in cholesterol is involved in two of the most common conditions threatening the health of Australians, namely heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.Read moreRead less
A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Effectiveness Of 4RIF And 9INH For Treatment Of Latent TB Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,875.00
Summary
Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is one intervention that is known to prevent the occurrence of active TB. Current treatment is based on a six to nine month course of isoniazid. The treatment has side effects in some people and many people do not complete the treatment. The present study is to test an alternative treatment regimen (4 months of rifampicin) which has fewer side-effects and is more likely to be completed.
How Neural Impairment Affects Respiratory Motor Function In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease And Healthy Ageing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$762,797.00
Summary
With chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and ageing, respiratory muscles are weak and the mechanics of the chest and lungs are altered. Our proposal will examine the contribution of impaired neural control to muscle weakness with the aim to identify new targets for therapy to reduce respiratory morbidity in ageing and patients with COPD.