Deficits of the Vestibular system (located in the inner ear) are common and a common cause of falls. Falls can have catastrophic consequences, particularly for the elderly. Commonly, people with vestibular deficits present with symptoms of dizziness, imbalance and vertigo.  However, some people can have vestibular disorders and not exhibit these obvious symptoms, despite still being at risk of falling. The number of elderly people with vestibular disorders who do not present with obvious symptoms, is anticipated to be significant, but not currently quantified.

If vestibular system deficits are identified early, treatment with specialised rehabilitation exercises prescribed by physiotherapists can restore function in many cases.  Early detection and timely rehabilitation is a major contributor to reducing falls risk in those over 60 years and help maintain independence and quality of life.

This study will use new Australian-driven technology (Video Head Impulse System or vHIT) to perform a complete bedside vestibular assessment on people admitted to hospital. This initial research will immediately provide evidence to influence vestibular system screening recommendations in all those over 60 years of age admitted to a hospital and provide essential information to plan further research to evaluate the best way to manage people with deficits of the vestibular system.

Mater Health Services

Planning

Cromwell Property Foundation / Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a common presentation in Neurological practice as well as in many clinics providing healthcare.  Despite its prevalence (20-30% of Neurological referrals) previous research in the UK and Europe has identified that diagnosis and management are either poorly understood or managed.

This study seeks to explore if people with FND have difficulty determining left from right (laterality) and if there is an association with symptom severity. This may help physiotherapists better understand management of this population to provide improved care.

Mater Health Services & QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Data analysis

Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy / Mater Health Services

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a common presentation in Neurological practice as well as in many clinics providing healthcare.  Despite its prevalence (20-30% of Neurological referrals) previous research in the UK and Europe has identified that diagnosis and management are either poorly understood or managed.

This Australian survey study seeks to identify the perceptions of healthcare professionals likely to come into contact with people with FND, with an aim to better understand education needs within the professions and a goal to develop appropriate resources for professional dissemination for improved care of this patient group.

Mater Health Services (Lead researcher)

Publication

Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy / Mater Health Services

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most-common neurological disease in Australia. There is currently no known cause or cure for the disease.

New insights are emerging of the protective and regenerative effects of Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMt) – a type of light therapy – on nerve cells in a range of neurological conditions, including PD. Recent clinical study results demonstrate the value of PBMt (commonly known as laser) – in complex neurological conditions including stroke and traumatic brain injury in humans.  There have also been some very promising early results for the treatment of PD in animal models.

A team of Australian physiologists at the University of Sydney have demonstrated evidence of significant cell regeneration and protection of the nerve cells commonly destroyed by PD through using PBMt.  Their research suggests that PBMt can also reverse nerve cell damage.

This research study is one of the first human research projects in the use of PBMt for patients with PD.  Our team is undertaking essential, early stage research. We propose that the neuroprotective and regenerative qualities of PBMt, will improve function, mobility and quality of life for older Australians with Parkinson’s Disease.

Griffith University / Mater Health Services

Data analysis

Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy / Cromwell Foundation

Persistent headache is a relatively prevalent and debilitating condition, often evaluated and treated by a Neurologist if ongoing and severe.  While there are many forms of headache that may require review by a Neurologist, there is a sub-group of these that may respond to physiotherapy.  These headaches are often those that have related changes in a person’s ability to move the upper neck region.  Such a headache is termed ‘cervicogenic’, implying that the cause of the headache arises from the neck.  It is possible to have just a single headache form (e.g. cervicogenic) or a combined headache form (migraine with a cervicogenic component). Physiotherapy in the form of manual therapy (hands-on treatment of the neck joints), exercise and postural correction has been shown to significantly reduce cervicogenic headache symptoms in a large proportion of patients, however, a small percentage of people only find limited relief.  Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMt) (a form of medical light) is also used by Physiotherapists and has been used successfully to treat chronic neck pain, but to date has not been evaluated on its value in treating headaches with a cervicogenic component.

This study will analyse if PBMt is able to minimize the pain symptoms associated with cervicogenic headache (with or without migraine). We will also evaluate indicators of quality of life, headache frequency, intensity and duration, response to medication and sleep quality, as well as objective measures of neck range of movement and muscle strength.

Griffith University (Lead)

Data collection

Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy / Griffith University

The aim of this project is to establish the modifiable and non-modifiable factors present in the 40-55 year old patient population with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis that can be optimised to give patients the best surgical or non-surgical treatment outcome. This project will also establish links to risk factors that may potentially be avoided in a primary care setting to avoid the development of symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee within the 40-55 year old patient population.

This project is intended to highlight the common causative factors present within this age group of symptomatic patients. By highlighting these risk factors we hope to better understand them and, as such, be better to tailor our therapies as well as our advice to primary care doctors about managing a patient population with an imperfect surgical solution.

Private orthopaedic surgeon (Lead Researcher)

Data collection

External / Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy

A research project studying the mechanisms that underlie how men maintain urinary continence.  Eligible participants have normal continence function and no history of any neurological disorder or major disease or are about to undergo a prostatectomy or have undergone a prostatectomy and do or do not have symptoms of urinary incontinence.

University of Queensland (Lead Researcher)

Data collection

University of Queensland / Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy