USQ academics’ key involvement in clinical trial for stroke recovery
Two university academics have been lent their skills to a ground-breaking trial which will change the way stroke survivors recover.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News.
One in six Australians will suffer a stroke in their lifetimes, and those odds are doubled for Indigenous Australians.
Stroke survivors are faced with the prospect of suffering from significant and lifelong disabilities, but two University of Southern Queensland scholars are working to improve the lives and recovery of survivors around the country.
Associate Professor Coralie Graham and Professor Odette Best have joined with Griffith University School of Medicine for a collaboration to improve mobility and pain for stroke victims.
“Hundreds of thousands of Australians live with stroke-caused paralysis, resulting in speech problems and difficulties with swallowing, vision and thinking,” Prof Graham said.
“There is currently no effective treatment for stroke disability creating a huge unmet medical need for victims and their families.”
Professor Graham has spent time researching a perispinal etanercept treatment which has already seen positive results in early testing.
The project is now continuing into a second phase of clinical trials.
“Etanercept is a drug commonly used to treat rheumatoid disorders such as arthritis and was repurposed in the trial for stroke,”
“Perispinal delivery bypasses the blood-brain barrier allowing efficient access for the drugs to get to the brain.
“We’re using the drug and delivery method to neutralise and reawaken the inflamed zone around the stroke area. Straight after injection the patient is tilted, head down, in order to reduce neuroinflammation – possibly even many years post stroke or brain injury.
“For example, there was one participant whose speech was clearer while he was still tilted down.
“He sat up and started to cry because he could now move his arm.”
A randomised controlled double-blind clinical trial with 80 participants is currently under way, with more sessions planned for June/July.
It follows on from successful outcomes from a clinical trial at Griffith University, which were completed and published in early 2020.
More Coverage
From Toowoomba to the world: Recognising UniSQ alumni making a difference
The University of Southern Queensland has produced some incredible alumni who have made their mark across Australia and the world. Now you can help recognise their achievements. Find out how here.
Parents fear ‘collateral damage’ kids
Nova 96.9 co-hosts and devoted dads Fitzy and Wippa are backing the PM’s Spelling Bee as exclusive research reveals majority of parents worry kids’ literacy is suffering.
Small Darling Downs school using futuristic tech for good
Entering into a world of AI, robotics, and advancing technology a group of Toowoomba students are working to use technology for good. Find out how this small regional state school is pushing the boundaries.
Qld schools set for funding overhaul – but you’re not allowed to see
A major overhaul to Queensland schools is on the cards, if only we were allowed to see how it works.
Warning signs: How you can tell if your child is exposed to porn
Queensland has been rocked by a string of porn scandals at elite schools … and it’s unlikely to end there.
Aussie mates mission to reshape masculinity in the schoolyard
Defying the likes of Andrew Tate and the manosphere, these two Aussie mates are determined to prove speaking out against men’s violence doesn’t demonise masculinity – it enhances it.