Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Principles Of Practice In Mental Health Assessment With Aboriginal Australians, Yolonda Adams, Neil M. Drew, Roz Walker

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this chapter, concepts and history of assessment and testing in the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing and mental health are discussed. Importantly, recently revised diagnostic guidelines and the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce 20131 and their appropriateness for meeting the distinctive needs of Aboriginal people are reviewed. Various assessment tools and measures that have been validated or proved appropriate for use with particular Aboriginal populations, i.e. youth, women and older people, are described. We conclude that practitioners need to be critically reflective in their role in assessment, and position themselves …

Carer Experiences With Rehabilitation In The Home: Speech Pathology Services For Stroke Survivors, Katy Stewart, Natalie Ciccone, Elizabeth Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Caring for a stroke survivor can be a complex role with carers at an increased risk of mental health difficulties. Early supported discharge from hospital with rehabilitation in the home (RITH) allows stroke survivors to return home at an earlier stage in the recovery process, potentially placing an extra burden on carers. Being involved in intensive therapy,in the home, in the early days post-stroke may be difficult with the role and experiences of carers in RITH being underresearched. This paper identifies the roles, experiences and preferences of ten carers of stroke survivors with dysarthia and dysphagia. Many carers were involved …

Improving Health Professional's Knowledge Of Hepatitis B Using Cartoon Based Learning Tools: A Retrospective Analysis Of Pre And Post Tests, Moira G. Sim, Ashleigh C. Mcevoy, Toni D. Wain Ms, Eric L. Khong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Hepatitis B serology is complex and a lack of knowledge in interpretation contributes to the inadequate levels of screening and referral for highly effective hepatitis antiviral treatments. This knowledge gap needs to be addressed so that current and future healthcare professionals are more confident in the detection and assessment of hepatitis B to improve the uptake of treatment and reduce long-term complications from the disease. Cartoons have been used effectively as a teaching tool in other settings and were considered as a potentially useful teaching aid in explaining hepatitis B serology. This study examines the impact of cartoons in …

The Reliability Of An Adolescent Dietary Pattern Identified Using Reduced-Rank Regression: Comparison Of A Ffq And 3 D Food Record, Geeta Appannah, Gerda K. Pot, Therese A. O'Sullivan, Wendy H. Oddy, Susan A. Jebb, Gina L. Ambrosini

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Despite the increasing use of dietary patterns (DP) to study diet and health outcomes, relatively few studies have examined the reliability of DP using different dietary assessment methods. Reduced-rank regression (RRR) is an emerging statistical method that incorporates a priori information to characterise DP related to specific outcomes of interest. The aim of the present study was to compare DP identified using the RRR method in a FFQ with those in a 3 d food record (FR). Participants were 783 adolescents from the Western Australian Pregnancy (Raine) Cohort Study who completed both a FFQ and FR at 14 years of …

A Combination Of Physical Activity And Computerized Brain Training Improves Verbal Memory And Increases Cerebral Glucose Metabolism In The Elderly, Tejal Shah, Giuseppe Verdile, Hamid R. Sohrabi, A Campbell, E Putland, C Cheetham, S Dhaliwal, M Weinborn, P Maruff, D Darby, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Physical exercise interventions and cognitive training programs have individually been reported to improve cognition in the healthy elderly population; however, the clinical significance of using a combined approach is currently lacking. This study evaluated whether physical activity (PA), computerized cognitive training and/or a combination of both could improve cognition. In this nonrandomized study, 224 healthy community-dwelling older adults (60-85 years) were assigned to 16 weeks home-based PA (n = 64), computerized cognitive stimulation (n = 62), a combination of both (combined, n = 51) or a control group (n = 47). Cognition was assessed using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning …

Low Back Pain Beliefs Are Associated To Age, Location Of Work, Education And Pain-Related Disability In Chinese Healthcare Professionals Working In China: A Cross Sectional Survey, B K. Tan, Anne J. Smith, Peter B. O'Sullivan, Gang Chen, Angus F. Burnett, Andrew M. Briggs

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Evidence pointing towards a more efficacious model of care using a biopsychosocial approach for LBP management highlights the need to understand the pain-related beliefs of patients and those who treat them. The beliefs held by healthcare professionals (HCPs) are known to influence the treatment advice given to patients and consequently management outcomes. Back pain beliefs are known to be influenced by factors such as culture, education, health literacy, place of work, personal experience of LBP and the sequelae of LBP such as disability. There is currently a knowledge …

Effect Of Head And Limb Orientation On Trunk Muscle Activation During Abdominal Hollowing In Chronic Low Back Pain, Kevin Parfrey, Sean G. Gibbons, Eric J. Drinkwater, David G. Behm

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have altered activations patterns of the anterior trunk musculature when performing the abdominal hollowing manœuvre (attempt to pull umbilicus inward and upward towards the spine). There is a subgroup of individuals with CLBP who have high neurocognitive and sensory motor deficits with associated primitive reflexes (PR). The objective of the study was to determine if orienting the head and extremities to positions, which mimic PR patterns would alter anterior trunk musculature activation during the hollowing manoeuvre. Methods. This study compared surface electromyography (EMG) of bilateral rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), and …

Monitoring Changes In Circulating Tumour Cells As A Prognostic Indicator Of Overall Survival And Treatment Response In Patients With Metastatic Melanoma, Dragana Klinac, Elin S. Gray, James B. Freeman, Anna Reid, Samantha Bowyer, Michael Millward, Mel Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: New effective treatments for metastatic melanoma greatly improve survival in a proportion of patients. However biomarkers to identify patients that are more likely to benefit from a particular treatment are needed. We previously reported on a multimarker approach for the detection of heterogenous melanoma circulating tumour cells (CTCs). Here we evaluated the prognostic value of this multimarker quantification of CTCs and investigated whether changes in CTC levels during therapy can be used as a biomarker of treatment response and survival outcomes.Methods: CTCs were captured by targeting the melanoma associated markers MCSP and MCAM as well as the melanoma stem …

Effect Of Bdnf Val66met On Memory Decline And Hippocampal Atrophy In Prodromal Alzheimer's Disease: A Preliminary Study, Yen Y. Lim, Victor L. Villemagne, Simon M. Laws, David Ames, Robert H. Pietrzak, Kathryn A. Ellis, Karra Harrington, Pierrick Bourgeat, Ashley I. Bush, Ralph N. Martins, Colin L. Masters, Christopher C. Rowe, Paul Maruff

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: Cross-sectional genetic association studies have reported equivocal results on the relationship between the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met and risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As AD is a neurodegenerative disease, genetic influences may become clearer from prospective study. We aimed to determine whether BDNF Val66Met polymorphism influences changes in memory performance, hippocampal volume, and Aβ accumulation in adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and high Aβ. Methods: Thirty-four adults with aMCI were recruited from the Australian, Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) Study. Participants underwent PiB-PET and structural MRI neuroimaging, neuropsychological assessments and BDNF genotyping at baseline, 18 month, …

Anxiety Symptoms, Cerebral Amyloid Burden And Memory Decline In Healthy Older Adults Without Dementia: 3-Year Prospective Cohort Study, Robert H. Pietrzak, J C. Scott, Alexander Neumeister, Yen Ying Lim, David Ames, Kathyrn A. Ellis, Kara Harrington, Nicola T. Lautenschlager, Cassandra Szoeke, Ralph Martins, Colin L. Masters, Victor L. Villemagne, Christopher C. Rowe, Paul Maruff

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Although beta-amyloid, anxiety and depression have been linked cross-sectionally to reduced memory function in healthy older adults without dementia, prospective data evaluating these associations are lacking. Using data from an observational cohort study of 178 healthy older adults without dementia followed for 3 years, we found that anxiety symptoms significantly moderated the relationship between beta-amyloid level and decline in verbal (Cohen's d = 0.65) and episodic (Cohen's d = 0.38) memory. Anxiety symptoms were additionally linked to greater decline in executive function, irrespective of beta-amyloid and other risk factors. These findings suggest that interventions to mitigate anxiety symptoms may help …

Motherless Mothers: Maternally Bereaved Women In Their Everyday Roles As Mothers, Bethwyn Rowe, Bronwyn A. Harman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Motherless mothers are women who lose their mothers to death prior to having their children, and therefore raise their children without the maternal support and guidance afforded to many women whose mothers are still alive (Edelman, 2006). A qualitative research design was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the everyday experiences faced by motherless mothers. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 motherless mothers. Four major themes emerged including grief, support, absence of knowledge, and changes to self following loss. Results provide insight into the ongoing influence a mother's death can have on a daughter's life and draw distinction …

Developing Bilateral And Spatial Concepts In Primary School-Aged Children: An Empirical Evaluation Of The Anker Bilateral Spatial System, Janet Richmond Dr, M Taylor Dr, S Evans

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties contribute to school-aged learning problems. Hence, a need exists to address children’s visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties as early as possible in the child’s school career. Thus, this study reports on the evaluation of the Anker Bilateral Spatial System’s (ABSS) effectiveness in remediating primary school children’s perceptual difficulties.

Method: Thirty-one children (17 boys and 14 girls) aged 6 to 12 years who had been identified by their classroom teacher as having observable visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties participated in a 10-week pre/posttest intervention study. The study’s pre/posttest assessments included the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor …

Time Course Of Central And Peripheral Alterations After Isometric Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation-Induced Muscle Damage, Alexandre Fouré, Kazunori Nosaka, Jennifer Wegrzyk, Guillueme Duhamel, Arnaud Le Troter, Helene Boudinet, Jean-Pierre Mattei, Christophe Vilmen, Marc Jubeau, David Bendahan, Julien Gondin

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Isometric contractions induced by neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) have been shown to result in a prolonged force decrease but the time course of the potential central and peripheral factors have never been investigated. This study examined the specific time course of central and peripheral factors after isometric NMES-induced muscle damage. Twenty five young healthy men were subjected to an NMES exercise consisting of 40 contractions for both legs. Changes in maximal voluntary contraction force of the knee extensors (MVC), peak evoked force during double stimulations at 10 Hz (Db10) and 100 Hz (Db100), its ratio (10:100), voluntary activation, muscle soreness and …

Decreased Serum Zinc Is An Effect Of Ageing And Not Alzheimer's Disease, Alan Rembach, Dominic Hare, James Doecke, Samantha Burnham, Irene Volitakis, Christopher Fowler, Robert Cherny, Catriona Mclean, Rudolf Grimm, Ralph N. Martins, David Ames, Colin Masters, Ashley Bush, Blaine Roberts

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

We examined the distribution of zinc in the periphery (erythrocytes and serum) in a large, well-characterised cohort, the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study, in order to determine if there is systemic perturbation in zinc homeostasis in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We observed an age dependent decrease in serum zinc of approximately 0.4% per year. When correcting for the age dependent decline in serum zinc no significant difference between healthy controls (HC), mildly cognitively impaired (MCI) or AD subjects was observed.

High Fibre Diets And Alzheimer's Disease, Ian J. Martins, Warnakulasuriya M. Fernando

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The convergence of diet and AD may be related to the effects of phytosterols since plasma cholesterol is closely linked and regulated by phytosterols. Dietary fibre modifications that are low in fat and glucose reduce the risk for AD by not only effecting cell membranes and nutrient sensing G coupled receptors but also by regulating number of nuclear receptors such as histone deacetylases (HDAC) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR) that control glucose, fatty acids and cholesterol and have significant effects on the brain cholesterol homeostasis and amyloidosis. The peripheral sink Aβ hypothesis indicates that the peripheral clearance of Aβ …

Links Between Insulin Resistance, Lipoprotein Metabolism And Amyloidosis In Alzheimer's Disease, Ian J. Martins, Rhona Creegan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The origins of premature brain aging and chronic disease progression are associated with atherogenic diets and sedentary lifestyles in Western communities. Interests in brain aging that involves non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the global stroke epidemic and neurodegeneration have become the focus of nutritional research. Atherogenic diets have been linked to plasma ceramide dysregulation and insulin resistance actively promoting chronic diseases and neurodegeneration in developed countries. Abnormal lipid signaling as observed in chronic diseases such as hypothyroidism, obesity and diabetes is connected to stroke and neurodegenerative diseases in man. Lipids that are involved in calcium and amyloid betahomeostasis are …

Social Engagement, Setting And Alcohol Use Among A Sample Of Older Australians, Julie Dare, Celia Wilkinson, Steve Allsop, Stacey Waters, Sheila Mchale

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The harms associated with risky alcohol consumption have long been researched and recognised in the health field. However, little available research has focused on older people, or extended analysis of alcohol use by this segment of the population beyond a bio-medical perspective. With the rapid ageing of the global population, research that investigates alcohol use amongst older people from a social perspective is important. This article reports on research with a group of older women and men, to identify and explain factors that influence alcohol consumption. In-depth interviews were conducted in Perth, Western Australia with 20 men and 22 women …

Pax Genes: Regulators Of Lineage Specification And Progenitor Cell Maintenance, Judith A. Blake, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Pax genes encode a family of transcription factors that orchestrate complex processes of lineage determination in the developing embryo. Their key role is to specify and maintain progenitor cells through use of complex molecular mechanisms such as alternate RNA splice forms and gene activation or inhibition in conjunction with protein co-factors. The significance of Pax genes in development is highlighted by abnormalities that arise from the expression of mutant Pax genes. Here, we review the molecular functions of Pax genes during development and detail the regulatory mechanisms by which they specify and maintain progenitor cells across various tissue lineages. We …

Factors Influencing Pacing In Triathlon, Sam Shi Xuan Wu, Jeremiah P. Peiffer, Jeanick Brisswalter, Kazunori Nosaka, Chris Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Triathlon is a multisport event consisting of sequential swim, cycle, and run disciplines performed over a variety of distances. This complex and unique sport requires athletes to appropriately distribute their speed or energy expenditure (ie, pacing) within each discipline as well as over the entire event. As with most physical activity, the regulation of pacing in triathlon may be influenced by a multitude of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The majority of current research focuses mainly on the Olympic distance, whilst much less literature is available on other triathlon distances such as the sprint, half-Ironman, and Ironman distances. Furthermore, little is …

Selection Of An Instrument To Evaluate The Organizational Environment Of Nurses Working In Intensive Care: An Integrative Review, Brett Abbenbroek, Christine M. Duffield, Doug Elliot

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To determine an appropriate survey instrument to evaluate the impact of organizational structures on the work environment of intensive care nurses.

Traditional Chinese Medicine And New Concepts Of Predictive, Preventive And Personalized Medicine In Diagnosis And Treatment Of Suboptimal Health, Wei Wang, Alyce C. Russell, Yuxiang Yan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The premise of disease-related phenotypes is the definition of the counterpart normality in medical sciences. Contrary to clinical practices that can be carefully planned according to clinical needs, heterogeneity and uncontrollability is the essence of humans in carrying out health studies. Full characterization of consistent phenotypes that define the general population is the basis to individual difference normalization in personalized medicine. Self-claimed normal status may not represent health because asymptomatic subjects may carry chronic diseases at their early stage, such as cancer, diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. Currently, treatments for non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD) are implemented after disease onset, which is …

A Process-Oriented Measure Of Habit Strength For Moderate-To-Vigorous Physical Activity, J. Robert Grove, Irja Zillic, Nikola Medic

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Habitual action is an important aspect of health behaviour, but the relevance of various habit strength indicators continues to be debated. This study focused specifically on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and evaluated the construct validity of a framework emphasizing patterned action, stimulus-response bonding, automaticity, and negative consequences for nonperformance as indicators of habit strength for this form of exercise. Methods: Upper-level undergraduates (N = 124) provided demographic information and responded to questionnaire items assessing historical MVPA involvement, current MVPA involvement, and the four proposed habit strength dimensions. Factor analyses were used to examine the latent structure of the habit strength …

Development Of A Patient-Administered Self-Assessment Tool (Satp) For Follow-Up Of Colorectal Cancer Patients In General Practice, Irene M. Ngune, Moyez Jiwa, Alexandra Mcmanus, Jeff Hughes, Richard Parsons, Rupert Hodder, Fiona Entriken

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) may result in physical, social, and psychological needs that affect patients’ quality of life post-treatment. A comprehensive assessment should be conducted to identify these needs in CRC patients post treatment, however, there is a lack of tools and processes available in general practice. Aims: This study aimed to develop a patient-completed needs screening tool that identifies potentially unmet physical, psychological, and social needs in CRC and facilitates consultation with a general practitioner (GP) to address these needs. Methods: The development of the self-assessment tool for patients (SATp) included a review of the literature; face …

Overview Of Australian Indigenous Health Status, 2013, Neil Thomson, Jane Burns, Anomie, Michelle Catto, Stephanie Colbert, Belinda D'Costa, Michelle Ellwell, Caitlin Gray, Joanne Hoareau, Andrea Macrae, Christine Potter, Kathy Ride, Avinna Trzesinski

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The main purpose of the Overview is to provide a comprehensive summary of the most recent indicators of the health and current health status of Australia’s Indigenous people. It has been prepared by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet as a part of our contributions to ‘closing the gap’ in health between Indigenous people and other Australians by making relevant, high quality knowledge and information easily accessible to policy makers, health service providers, program managers, clinicians, researchers, students and the general community.

The initial sections of this Overview provide information about the context of Indigenous health, Indigenous population, and various measures of …

Plain Language Review Of Physical Activity Among Indigenous Australians, Caitlin Gray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This review provides information on physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is a valuable overview for people working in the area and aims to assists in the development/refinement of policies, strategies and programs. This review of physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians has been prepared by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet as a part of our contributions to 'closing the gap' in health between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians by making relevant, high quality knowledge and information easily accessible to policy makers, health service providers, program managers, clinicians, researchers …