Post-stroke Hyperglycaemia – Treatment With Exenatide In Acute Ischaemic Stroke (TEXAIS) Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,266,149.00
Summary
Raised blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia) after a stroke is common. It reduces the efficacy of stroke treatments and results in worse outcomes. Insulin is not useful as a treatment for this as it causes frequent hypoglycaemia and does not improve clinical outcomes. Exenatide is a common diabetes drug that is simple to use and lowers blood glucose without hypoglycaemia. It will be tested in the Treatment with Exenatide in Acute Ischaemic Stroke (TEXAIS) trial.
Circuit Class Therapy For Rehabilitation Clients. A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial Of Therapy Intensity (CIRCIT).
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$526,361.00
Summary
Loss of independence is common after stroke, and may lead to reduced quality of life and admission to nursing home care. We will investigate if an increased amount of rehabilitation following stroke leads to improved mobility. Two ways of delivering more intense rehabilitation will be compared with usual care to find out which leads to improved physical mobility, and how they compare economically. This will allow health service providers to optimise services and will benefit people with stroke.
Can Real-time Biofeedback Of Foot Clearance Data Be Used To Assist With Gait Rehabilitation Following Stroke?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$587,143.00
Summary
A new intervention for falls-risk minimization is proposed by providing additional visual sensory information to increase foot-ground clearance in order to walk more safely.A randomised controlled trial will be employed to assess the effects of biofeedback on foot-ground clearance during gait training. The outcome will be innovative biofeedback-based gait training that could significantly enhance existing stroke rehabilitation programs.
Using Stem Cells And Bioengineered Scaffolds To Promote Regeneration Following Necrotic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$710,857.00
Summary
A number of injuries, including stroke, result in tissue loss. Consequently promoting repair will require restoration of tissue structure, replacement cells and a supportive environment to promote integration of these new cells. This study will engineer and develop novel scaffolds that can replace tissue whilst additionally providing physical and chemical support for newly implanted stem cells. This work will be conducted in an animal model of stroke.
Determining The Cost-effectiveness Of A Novel Australian Stroke Telemedicine Program: CAST Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,015.00
Summary
Urgent treatment of acute stroke in rural Australia is problematic. Telemedicine could improve delivery of acute stroke treatments in rural communities. Currently this is being investigated through the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) program by providing an acute telestroke service in 16 hospitals located in rural and regional Victoria. This project, known as CAST, forms an important sub-study for the VST program since it provides a full economic evaluation of the program.
Effectiveness Of Occupational Therapy Homevisits To Improve Participation After Stroke
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,774,083.00
Summary
This randomized controlled trial will determine the effectiveness of occupational therapy pre-discharge homevisits for people after stroke, with health economic evaluation conducted alongside to determine the cost-benefits. Recruiting adults from Australian rehabilitation hospitals, this study is designed to provide guidance for hospitals, policy-makers and clinical practice guideline developers on whether occupational therapy homevisits improve the level of community participation after stroke.
Targeting Necroptosis Signalling To Counter Stroke-induced Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$605,809.00
Summary
The origins of the brain injury that arises from stroke remain a matter of enormous interest. Our work suggests that a poorly understood form of cell death, termed necroptosis, contributes to injury to the brain following stroke. In addition to developing an advanced understanding of this process, we will use drugs developed at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute to test whether blocking this process might be a plausible therapeutic strategy in stroke patients.
REDucing Delays In Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage: The REDDISH Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$436,022.00
Summary
Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a rare form of stroke that kills at least 30% of sufferers within 1 month. Outcome can be improved through quickly receiving medical care but many people do not and this likely contributes to the poor outcomes. The REDucing Delays In Subarachnoid Haemorrhage (REDDISH) study will look at cases of aSAH across Tasmanian and Victoria so that we can understand the factors that contribute to delays in treatment and ultimately improve outcomes.
Targeting Oxidant-dependent Pathways To Improve Stroke Outcomes In COPD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,069,574.00
Summary
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major incurable global health burden and is the 4th largest cause of death worldwide. Patients with COPD are at increased risk for stroke and this is even higher in the weeks following a lung viral infection. The reason for this is unknown so the aim of this study is to determine why people with COPD are at increased risk for stroke and then develop novel treatments to prevent or reduce stroke in COPD patients.
Stroke is a medical emergency. Admission to a stroke unit; administration of clot busting therapy to eligible patients; and treatment of fever, raised blood sugar and swallowing difficulties are therapies with demonstrated evidence to reduce death and disability. Our study will rigorously evaluate an organisational intervention to deliver these initiatives in Emergency Departments. We hypothesise this will deliver further significant improvements in 90-day health outcomes and patient recovery.