World first Australian and New Zealand trial of cannabidiol transdermal gel for the most common hard-to-treat epilepsy type in adults

Professor Terry O'Brien has led a trial using transdermal CBD gel
in adults with focal epilepsy. After 6 months of treatment, over half
the patients experienced a 50%+ reduction in seizures. JAMA study

Medicinal cannabis-based treatments are emerging as promising complementary approaches to improving seizure control in patients with difficult to treat epilepsy. In 2018 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a prescription cannabidiol medicine for the treatment of two rare epilepsy diseases that cause treatment resistant seizures, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and Dravet syndrome, that predominantly affect children. 

More accurately measuring the difficulty of an operation in advance with NASA technology

The NASA TLX is a multi-item questionnaire which is used in a
variety of fields. TLX stands for Task Load Index, and is a measure
of perceived workload. Image: MeasuringU

Surgery is not an exact science. No surgeon truly knows the complexity of an individual operation until after it is over, and this is difficult to accurately measure.

A group of Melbourne surgeons, led by Dr Stephen Bell, in Monash University’s Department of Surgery and also a surgeon at The Alfred, has adapted an index used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a way to measure an operation’s difficulty. 

The research found that the NASA TLX Index accurately measured the technical difficulty of an operation, and therefore may be useful to gauge a trainee’s proficiency over time, which currently relies on self reporting. It can also be used to assess changes in surgical techniques and new technologies.

AFL players with concussion returning to play too soon: study

Footballers are returning to play too soon after a concussion injury.

Image: Getty

A Monash University study of amateur Australian rules footballers has found the brains of players are still recovering two weeks after receiving a concussion, calling into question the length of existing recovery guidelines.

See 

• Monash story 
• The Age story

World's first major study shows delayed MS onset due to pregnancy

Prof Helmut Butzkueven (left) & Dr Vilija Jokubaitis (right),

lead authors on the MS and pregnancy study. Vilija is presenting

on the research Monday 22 Sept 12:30 PM. See more & Zoom link

• First major study to look at delayed MS onset due to pregnancy
• The comprehensive study confirms that pregnancy can slow MS onset
• Study uses an Australian led global data base of more than 70,000 people with MS
• Findings suggest that delayed and reduced rates of pregnancy globally likely associate with increased incidence of MS amongst women of childbearing age

A comprehensive international study, led by Monash researchers, has definitively found that pregnancy can delay the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) by more than 3 years.

Monash program offering at-home care for patients with lung and respiratory conditions

Professor Anne Holland with a lung patient

by Tania Ewing

One of the questions raised by the COVID-19 pandemic is how best to manage both non-COVID and COVID patients with lung conditions while they remain in home isolation.

A home-based program developed by Monash researcher, Professor Anne Holland, is gaining global attention because it is designed to assist clinicians with developing at-home rehabilitation programs for people with respiratory illness.

New genetic changes are not implicated in antiepileptic medication-induced birth defects

Associate Professor Piero Perucca

is lead author on the study.

New research led by Associate Professor Piero Perucca from Monash University's Department of Neuroscience has found that there is no added risk of a child developing “de novo” variants — a genetic change seen for the first time in a family member — as a result of their mother taking common anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs).

This study is the first to investigate whether AEDs taken during pregnancy can increase de novo variants in a baby’s genes, which was previously thought to be related to birth defects associated with the drugs. 

A test for COVID-19 risk, infectivity and immunity

The Immunology/Allergy research team. L-R: Mrs Simone Reinwald, Ms Gemma Hartley, Dr Craig McKenzie, Professor Robyn O'Hehir AO, Associate Professor Menno van Zelm, Ms Pei Mun Aui, Dr Emily Edwards, Mrs Neeru Varese

by Tania Ewing

Monash scientists are repurposing technology they developed recently to make a rapid test to determine who:

• has immunity to coronavirus
• remains infectious
• is at risk of developing a severe form of the disease.