A multi-centre longitudinal study analysing multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapy prescribing patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic raised concern amongst clinicians that disease-modifying therapies (DMT), particularly anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and fingolimod, could worsen COVID-19 in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). This study aimed to examine DMT prescribing trends pre- and post-pandemic onset.

Methods: A multi-centre longitudinal study with 8,771 participants from MSBase was conducted.

P2X7 receptor antagonism by AZ10606120 significantly depletes glioblastoma cancer stem cells in vitro.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and lethal primary brain malignancy with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Self-renewing glioblastoma cancer stem cells (GSCs) facilitate tumour progression, resistance to conventional treatment and tumour recurrence. GSCs are resistant to standard treatments.

Myopia progression following 0.01% atropine cessation in Australian children: Findings from the Western Australia - Atropine for the Treatment of Myopia (WA-ATOM) study.

Background: A rebound in myopia progression following cessation of atropine eyedrops has been reported, yet there is limited data on the effects of stopping 0.01% atropine compared to placebo control. This study tested the hypothesis that there is minimal rebound myopia progression after cessation of 0.

Risk of Cervical Abnormalities for Women With Multiple Sclerosis Treated With Moderate-Efficacy and High-Efficacy Disease-Modifying Therapies.

Background And Objectives: The impact of immunomodulatory therapies on the risk of cervical pre-cancer and invasive cancer development is important for the health and safety of women with multiple sclerosis (wwMS). We investigate the risk of cervical abnormalities in wwMS treated with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).

Methods: This is a multicenter cohort study with data collected from 1998 to 2019 in Victoria, Australia.

Predictors of cognitive functioning in presentations to a community-based specialist addiction neuropsychology service.

Introduction: Cognitive impairment is common in individuals presenting to alcohol and other drug (AOD) settings and the presence of biopsychosocial complexity and health inequities can complicate the experience of symptoms and access to treatment services. A challenge for neuropsychologists in these settings is to evaluate the likely individual contribution of these factors to cognition when providing an opinion regarding diagnoses such as acquired brain injury (ABI). This study therefore aimed to identify predictors of cognitive functioning in AOD clients attending for neuropsychological assessment.

P2X7 receptor antagonism by AZ10606120 significantly reduced in vitro tumour growth in human glioblastoma.

Glioblastomas are highly aggressive and deadly brain tumours, with a median survival time of 14-18 months post-diagnosis. Current treatment modalities are limited and only modestly increase survival time. Effective therapeutic alternatives are urgently needed.

Benefits of a Laser Chorioretinal Anastomosis Plus Ranibizumab vs Ranibizumab Alone for Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: 4-Year Results.

Purpose: To evaluate what clinical gains can be achieved over conventional treatment with ranibizumab alone for central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) when causal pathology is additionally addressed successfully with a laser-induced chorio-retinal anastomosis (L-CRA).

Design: Two-year extension of prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial.

Methods: A total of 58 patients with macular edema secondary to CRVO were randomized 1:1 to receive either an L-CRA (n = 29) or sham procedure (n = 29) at baseline and then monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.

Low-concentration atropine eyedrops for myopia control in a multi-racial cohort of Australian children: A randomised clinical trial.

Background: To test the hypothesis that 0.01% atropine eyedrops are a safe and effective myopia-control approach in Australian children.

Methods: Children (6-16 years; 49% Europeans, 18% East Asian, 22% South Asian, and 12% other/mixed ancestry) with documented myopia progression were enrolled into this single-centre randomised, parallel, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial and randomised to receive 0.

The Relationship Between Fetal Growth and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in a Cohort of Young Adults.

Purpose: To explore relationships between patterns of fetal anthropometric growth, as reflective of fetal wellbeing, and global retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measured in young adulthood.

Methods: Participants (n = 481) from within a Western Australian pregnancy cohort study underwent five serial ultrasound scans during gestation, with fetal biometry measured at each scan. Optic disc parameters were measured via spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging at a 20-year follow-up eye examination.

Choroidal Thickening During Young Adulthood and Baseline Choroidal Thickness Predicts Refractive Error Change.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the age-related change in choroidal thickness (ChT) and test the hypothesis that baseline ChT is predictive of refractive error change in healthy young adults.

Methods: Participants underwent spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging and autorefraction at 20 (baseline) and 28 years old. The enhanced depth imaging mode on the SD-OCT was used to obtain images of the choroid.

The effect of transverse ocular magnification adjustment on macular thickness profile in different refractive errors in community-based adults.

Purpose: Changes in retinal thickness are common in various ocular diseases. Transverse magnification due to differing ocular biometrics, in particular axial length, affects measurement of retinal thickness in different regions. This study evaluated the effect of axial length and refractive error on measured macular thickness in two community-based cohorts of healthy young adults.

Incidence and Progression of Myopia in Early Adulthood.

Importance: Myopia incidence and progression has been described extensively in children. However, few data exist regarding myopia incidence and progression in early adulthood.

Objective: To describe the 8-year incidence of myopia and change in ocular biometry in young adults and their association with the known risk factors for childhood myopia.

Startle-elicited Event-Related Potentials to Affective Stimuli are Associated with Recent Illicit Opioid use among Patients Receiving Opioid Agonist Treatment.

Opioid use disorder (OUD) has been linked to exaggerated attentional, affective, and arousal responses to opioid-related stimuli, as well as altered responses to other affective (eg, naturally rewarding or aversive) stimuli, particularly blunted responses to pleasant/rewarding stimuli. Both exaggerated responses to drug-related stimuli and reduced response to pleasant stimuli may influence the course of OUD and its treatment, however interpretation of studies thus far is limited by methodological issues. In the present study, we examined subjective ratings, and attenuation of the P3 component of the acoustic startle-evoked event-related potential (as a measure of attention), while viewing neutral, pleasant, unpleasant, and drug-related images.

Exposure to Smoking and Alcohol, and Passive Smoking during Childhood: Effect on the Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer in Young Adulthood.

Purpose: exposure to cigarette smoke has been suggested to result in thinner retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL). However, the potential cofounding effects of alcohol exposure and passive smoking during childhood had not been considered. We explored RNFL thickness in young adults in relation to these early life factors.

Functional benefits of a chorioretinal anastomosis at 2 years in eyes with a central retinal vein occlusion treated with ranibizumab compared with ranibizumab monotherapy.

Objective: To evaluate the functional benefits (best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield thickness, injection loads, central venous pressure (CVP)) of a laser-induced chorioretinal anastomosis (L-CRA) in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) treated with ranibizumab compared with ranibizumab monotherapy.

Methods And Analysis: This is a post-hoc analysis of the 2-year randomised ranibizumab plus L-CRA for CRVO trial. Twenty-four patients (82.

Neurocognitive functioning among people accessing an addiction neuropsychology clinic with and without a history of offending behaviour.

Effectiveness of interventions for violent behaviour may be undermined by the presence of neurocognitive impairment, which is known to be common among alcohol and other drug (AOD) users and violent offenders. The current study aimed to examine whether the cognitive functioning of individuals with AOD histories presenting to a specialist addiction neuropsychology service differed according to their offending history (i.e.

Time spent outdoors through childhood and adolescence - assessed by 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration - and risk of myopia at 20 years.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between time spent outdoors, at particular ages in childhood and adolescence, and myopia status in young adulthood using serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration as a biomarker of time spent outdoors.

Methods: Participants of the Raine Study Generation 2 cohort had 25(OH)D concentrations measured at the 6-, 14-, 17- and 20-year follow-ups. Participants underwent cycloplegic autorefraction at age 20 years, and myopia was defined as a mean spherical equivalent -0.

Protocol for the methamphetamine approach-avoidance training (MAAT) trial, a randomised controlled trial of personalised approach bias modification for methamphetamine use disorder.

Background: Globally, methamphetamine use has increased in prevalence in recent years. In Australia, there has been a dramatic increase in numbers of people seeking treatment, including residential rehabilitation, for methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). While residential rehabilitation is more effective for MUD than withdrawal treatment (i.

Characteristics of oxycodone-related ambulance attendances: analysis of temporal trends and the effect of reformulation in Victoria, Australia from 2013 to 2018.

Background And Aims: In Australia, oxycodone has been associated with increasing rates of harm over time, despite reduced use, reformulation to a tamper-resistant form and in contrast to most prescription opioids. We explored characteristics of oxycodone-related ambulance attendances to understand whether presentation characteristics could explain increasing oxycodone harm.

Design: Retrospective study of coded ambulance patient care records related to extramedical oxycodone use, January 2013 to September 2018.

Improving parents' knowledge of early signs of paediatric eye disease: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Importance: Educating parents to recognize signs of eye disease and consult a healthcare professional is critical to timely diagnosis, intervention and outcomes.

Background: We evaluate the effectiveness of an eye-health information pamphlet on parents' level of concern and help-seeking intention should they hypothetically observe leukocoria or strabismus in their child.

Design: Double-blind, randomized controlled trial conducted at a metropolitan antenatal outpatient clinic.

Prevalence of Keratoconus Based on Scheimpflug Imaging: The Raine Study.

Purpose: To describe the prevalence and systemic associations of keratoconus in young adults in Perth, Western Australia.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Participants: One thousand two hundred fifty-nine participants 20 years of age.