A Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Promising New Treatment For Chronic Whiplash
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$620,556.00
Summary
Following a whiplash injury about one third of people develop persisting pain and disability i.e. chronic whiplash. In a series of pilot trials we have developed a new physiotherapy treatment for chronic whiplash. Initial results are very promising. We now propose to definitively establish the effectiveness of this new treatment in a large clinical trial. At the same time we will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the treatment.
Spinal complaints present the greatest social and economic burden of musculoskeletal conditions in Australia. This reflects current realities: the cause remains unknown; 80% of the population is affected; and isolated professions perform a staggering array of interventions. The CCRE aims to target these realities and improve Australia's capacity to prevent and manage spinal disorders by supporting innovative interdisciplinary research and training. This community- and university-based centre wil ....Spinal complaints present the greatest social and economic burden of musculoskeletal conditions in Australia. This reflects current realities: the cause remains unknown; 80% of the population is affected; and isolated professions perform a staggering array of interventions. The CCRE aims to target these realities and improve Australia's capacity to prevent and manage spinal disorders by supporting innovative interdisciplinary research and training. This community- and university-based centre will align highly successful clinical and basic researchers in collaboration with a national network of spine scientists to foster interdisciplinary clinical researcher training, develop new diagnostics and therapeutics, and translate findings to the community. Through clinical research the centre aims to: (i) Advance understanding of physiology and pathophysiology of spinal pain (ii) Translate findings from basic research to clinical practice (iii) Establish coordinated multidisciplinary research to reduce the burden of spinal pain (iv) Predict and prevent the transition from acute to chronic states (v) Train a new generation of transdisciplinary clinical scientists (vi) Rapidly assess new treatment possibilities in pre-clinical studies (vii) Develop innovative technologies for diagnostics and therapeutics (viii) Encourage Australian commercialisation opportunities for new discoveries (ix) Encourage community-user participation in direction of research programs (x) Disseminate new findings and information of evidence-based practice to patients, clinicians, insurers, government and the scientific and wider communityRead moreRead less
Whiplash Injury: Classification, Prediction And Directives For Improved Management Strategies.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$331,674.00
Summary
Whiplash is a costly condition with many people developing chronic symptoms. This research aims to improve the diagnosis and classification of the condition from the time of injury until either recovery or the development of persistent pain. This will facilitate the early identification of those at risk of poor recovery and will lay the foundations for the development of improved early management, particularly in primary care.
Combined Dry-needling, Advice And Graded Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial In Chronic Whiplash
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$309,339.00
Summary
Central hyperexcitability is a feature of chronic whiplash and may be one reason for the poor response of this condition to standard treatment approaches such as exercise. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatment of dry-needling has shown potential to decrease this hypersensitivity in other musculoskeletal conditions. This study will investigate the effects of dry-needling combined with an orthodox treatment of advice and graded exercise on pain and disability in chronic whiplash.
Effective Management Of Acute Whiplash Injuries Requires A Pragmatic Approach: An RCT With Stratified Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$382,550.00
Summary
Whiplash injuries from a motor vehicle crash continue to incur substantial personal and financial costs to the community and the insurance industry. The current approaches to an acute whiplash injury in Australia and internationally have failed to lessen the rate of how many people develop chronic neck pain. Between 40 and 60% still have pain 6 months after injury. Motor Accident Insurance Commission (Qld) figures indicate that 20% of patients with chronic whiplash account for 60% of the costs. ....Whiplash injuries from a motor vehicle crash continue to incur substantial personal and financial costs to the community and the insurance industry. The current approaches to an acute whiplash injury in Australia and internationally have failed to lessen the rate of how many people develop chronic neck pain. Between 40 and 60% still have pain 6 months after injury. Motor Accident Insurance Commission (Qld) figures indicate that 20% of patients with chronic whiplash account for 60% of the costs. Transition from an acute to a chronic condition must be prevented. A new direction in management in the acute stage is urgently required as once the pain has become chronic, it is difficult to help. This research will conduct a novel randomised controlled trial for acute whiplash. It will test individually prescribed multi-professional management against usual care with the aim to lessen the numbers who go on to develop chronic pain. It will be the first clinical trial that acknowledges from the outset that the whiplash injuries and affects people in different ways. Our previous research with acute whiplash patients has documented the variations in presentation from physical, physiological and psychological perspectives. In this trial, management will be prescribed as directed by measurable pain, muscle and psychological impairments in the individual, rather than regard all patients as the same as in other trials. This trial will offer individualised treatments; medical, physiotherapy and-or psychological using an empirically derived treatment algorithm. Cost-effectiveness of the program will be evaluated against that incurred during usual care. It is predicted that early multi-professional management will be less expensive in the long term than existing approaches. This RCT stands to extend knowledge in the management of whiplash associated disorders (WAD).Read moreRead less
Non-invasive Gene Delivery For Expression Of Therapeutic Genes In Oligodendrocytes: A New Strategy To Treat Myelin Diseases.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$594,393.00
Summary
White matter diseases are debilitating childhood disorders caused by defects in the insulating myelin sheath normally covering and protecting the nerve fibres from damage. There is currently no effective treatment but the delivery of a genetic medicine to the diseased myelin forming cells in the brain could be curative. This project aims at establishing the safe, efficient and non-invasive delivery of therapeutic genes to myelin forming cells as a gene therapy for white matter disorders.
Whiplash Injury: Mechanisms, Prediction And Directives For Improved Management Strategies.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$772,359.00
Summary
Whiplash is a costly condition with many people developing chronic symptoms. This research aims to improve the understating of involved mechanisms, diagnosis and classification of the condition from the time of injury until either recovery or the development of persistent pain. This will facilitate the early identification of those at risk of poor recovery and will lay the foundations for the development of improved early management, particularly in primary care.
Genetic Analysis Of The Relationship Between Parental Age And Risk Of Psychiatric Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$301,012.00
Summary
Age-related de novo mutations are widely assumed to explain the association between advanced paternal age and risk of psychiatric illness, but this mechanism cannot explain the known risk to offspring of teenaged parents. We will investigate an alternative hypothesis for risk to children due to parental age, which is that elevated liability to mental illness, arising from shared genetic factors between parents and offspring, leads to delayed, or conversely teenage, parenthood.
Understanding The Etiology Of Psychiatric Disorders Through Whole Genome Analyses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,144.00
Summary
Psychiatric disorders exert a huge social and economic burden on society. In recent years, large genetic studies have led to important new insights into these disorders. Major new human genomics resources will soon become available. My research will take advantage of these datasets to investigate the genetic basis of key epidemiological features of psychiatric disorders, including risk due to parental age and sex-biased prevalence, and to identify novel risk genes for schizophrenia and autism.
Physiotherapist Led Stress Inoculation Intervention Integrated With Exercise For Acute Whiplash Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$518,960.00
Summary
Physical and mental health outcomes following whiplash injury due to a road traffic crash are poor. Early stress system responses are associated with poor recovery. This study will investigate the effectiveness of a physiotherapist led stress inoculation intervention integrated with currently recommended exercise rehabilitation to improve health outcomes after whiplash injury.