Individual Nutrition Therapy And Exercise Regime: A Controlled Trial Of Injured, Vulnerable Elderly (INTERACTIVE Trial).
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$572,542.00
Summary
Hip fractures are a common and growing problem for older Australians. Unfortunately recovery is incomplete in most people. In this study two factors believed to be important for recovery will be investigated - exercise and nutrition. After a hip fracture the ability to walk is severely compromised, as are appetite and dietary intake. These factors are likely to contribute to the loss of muscle mass and strength frequently observed amongst this patient group. There is considerable evidence to sug ....Hip fractures are a common and growing problem for older Australians. Unfortunately recovery is incomplete in most people. In this study two factors believed to be important for recovery will be investigated - exercise and nutrition. After a hip fracture the ability to walk is severely compromised, as are appetite and dietary intake. These factors are likely to contribute to the loss of muscle mass and strength frequently observed amongst this patient group. There is considerable evidence to suggest that this loss has serious consequences in terms of ability to return to pre-injury levels of function, restriction in independence and ultimately transfer into a hostel or nursing home. Given these facts it makes sense that an exercise program incorporating strength and functional activities, and a nutrition program aimed at achieving nutritional requirements, will improve ability to walk, but there is no conclusive evidence that this is so. Only a small number of studies have tested whether an exercise program improves recovery after a hip fracture and these have mostly commenced weeks or months after the injury when it is likely that there has been irreversible decline in muscle mass and strength. In contrast, most of the nutrition studies commence soon after the injury but provide protein and calories insufficient to meet requirements, provide supplements that patients find difficult to drink or provide the supplements for only a short duration. This study will use the best quality research methods to test whether providing a 6-month individualised exercise and nutrition program to hip fracture patients soon after injury improves walking and other important health outcomes. Patients will be followed for 12 months to determine what difference the exercise and nutrition programs make. If they help then health services will have the evidence they need to recommend this type of program to the growing number of older Australians that suffer a hip fracture.Read moreRead less
Client Centred Palliative Rehabilitation: An Evaluation Of Its Efficacy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$90,570.00
Summary
�I don�t want to sit here waiting to die�. Many people towards end of life want their palliative care to continue to be rehabilitative as well as supportive, yet no study to formally evaluate the effectiveness of a patient-centred palliative rehabilitation program has been conducted in Australia. This study aims to identify patient and carer-centred rehabilitation goals such as independence in self care, and develop, trial and evaluate a rehabilitation program to address these goals. The program ....�I don�t want to sit here waiting to die�. Many people towards end of life want their palliative care to continue to be rehabilitative as well as supportive, yet no study to formally evaluate the effectiveness of a patient-centred palliative rehabilitation program has been conducted in Australia. This study aims to identify patient and carer-centred rehabilitation goals such as independence in self care, and develop, trial and evaluate a rehabilitation program to address these goals. The program would be transfer stage conditions such as cancer, cardiac or renal failure.Read moreRead less
Participation following traumatic brain injury in rural, regional and remote areas. The results of this project will lead to improved rehabilitation programs and better outcomes for people with brain injury, especially in regional, rural and remote areas, by targeting the ultimate goal more directly: participation - getting people back into their home, work and community roles. Participation is associated with improved social networks, wellbeing, independence and quality of life, so health care ....Participation following traumatic brain injury in rural, regional and remote areas. The results of this project will lead to improved rehabilitation programs and better outcomes for people with brain injury, especially in regional, rural and remote areas, by targeting the ultimate goal more directly: participation - getting people back into their home, work and community roles. Participation is associated with improved social networks, wellbeing, independence and quality of life, so health care burdens and costs are reduced, and people can lead more productive lives. The project's emphasis on country areas will benefit rural health care, and also help specialist metropolitan brain injury services to understand the specific rehabilitation issues facing people from the bush.Read moreRead less
Gene therapy to enhance auditory prosthesis performance for cochlear implants. The cochlear implant is the most effective neural prosthesis, restoring hearing to the deaf. The research aims to develop a new type of implant compatible with delivery of therapeutic genes to the cells lining the cochlea. Gene therapy DNA constructs will be developed that will enhance neural survival and growth, improving cochlear implant performance. The research will provide advances in understanding how to tran ....Gene therapy to enhance auditory prosthesis performance for cochlear implants. The cochlear implant is the most effective neural prosthesis, restoring hearing to the deaf. The research aims to develop a new type of implant compatible with delivery of therapeutic genes to the cells lining the cochlea. Gene therapy DNA constructs will be developed that will enhance neural survival and growth, improving cochlear implant performance. The research will provide advances in understanding how to transfer genes into cochlear tissue, as well as development of gene cassettes for effective neural repair. The work will advance the field of bionics, an area where Australia is establishing international preeminence.Read moreRead less
Physiological, bahavioural and functional motor abilities in children with undifferentiated tongue movements during speech. A subgroup of children with speech disorders who have difficulty moving parts of their tongue independently during speech has been identified. This study aims to investigate if this is a unique phenomenon of the tongue during speech, or indicative of more generalized patterns of motor movement. This will enable us to explore the similarities between patterns of movement in ....Physiological, bahavioural and functional motor abilities in children with undifferentiated tongue movements during speech. A subgroup of children with speech disorders who have difficulty moving parts of their tongue independently during speech has been identified. This study aims to investigate if this is a unique phenomenon of the tongue during speech, or indicative of more generalized patterns of motor movement. This will enable us to explore the similarities between patterns of movement in the articulators during speech and non-speech tasks and the upper limb. In turn, this will inform the debate about motor control mechanisms for speech and other body movements, which would lead to more effective treatment regimes.Read moreRead less
Determinants of successful community transition for individuals with acquired brain injury and their families. Transition home following acquired brain injury (ABI) is a critical phase in which individuals and families are vulnerable. Unsuccessful transitions are characterised by events such as financial crisis, family breakdown, loss of work, social isolation, and institutionalisation. ABI does not discriminate, but there is a higher rate in Indigenous, rural and remote communities and amongst ....Determinants of successful community transition for individuals with acquired brain injury and their families. Transition home following acquired brain injury (ABI) is a critical phase in which individuals and families are vulnerable. Unsuccessful transitions are characterised by events such as financial crisis, family breakdown, loss of work, social isolation, and institutionalisation. ABI does not discriminate, but there is a higher rate in Indigenous, rural and remote communities and amongst younger people. The societal impact of ABI includes loss of income and livelihood, health and welfare dependence, and long-term accommodation support. Research into the determinants of successful transition will alleviate the personal, social and economic burden of ABI and inform policy and program priorities for appropriate Australian Government bodies.Read moreRead less
Bilateral Cochlear Implants for Children: Does a Second Implant Improve Language, Psychosocial and Other Outcomes? Severe-profound congenital hearing loss engenders significant costs to society. In 2005, specialised education cost -- on average $25,000 per child, loss of productivity cost -- $6.7 billion, and social security benefits were paid to approximately 129,000 individuals who were unemployed due to hearing loss. If bilateral cochlear implantation results in improved language, social dev ....Bilateral Cochlear Implants for Children: Does a Second Implant Improve Language, Psychosocial and Other Outcomes? Severe-profound congenital hearing loss engenders significant costs to society. In 2005, specialised education cost -- on average $25,000 per child, loss of productivity cost -- $6.7 billion, and social security benefits were paid to approximately 129,000 individuals who were unemployed due to hearing loss. If bilateral cochlear implantation results in improved language, social development, and academic outcomes, the community benefits arising will be greatly improved quality of life for these individuals and significant savings to society. In partnership with Cochlear Ltd, this study will provide some of the first data worldwide comparing the effects of an additional implant on language, social and educational outcomes.Read moreRead less