Hayley Leake

RESEARCHER PROFILE

Doctoral Candidate Research Assistant

Pain Chronic pain Back pain

Hayley Leake is a physiotherapist and a doctoral candidate at the University of South Australia (UniSA) under the supervision of Professor Lorimer Moseley. She is a member of the pain research group headed by Dr James McAuley, and the Centre for Pain IMPACT at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA). Her doctoral research centres around optimising pain education interventions for adolescents with chronic pain. Hayley’s research includes a systematic review exploring mechanisms of treatments for paediatric pain; a Delphi-survey for consensus on learning objectives of adolescent pain science education; and a mixture of qualitative studies exploring how youth and their parents understand pain. Hayley’s research has been presented at national (Australian Pain Society) and international conferences (International Symposium on Pediatric Pain).

Follow Hayley’s research below and here: Google Scholar and ORCID.

Projects Hayley Leake is currently involved with

CURRENT PROJECTS

Medicines for Back Pain


DR MARKUS HüBSCHER, PROFESSOR JAMES MCAULEY, DR MATTHEW K BAGG, MICHAEL WEWEGE, MICHAEL FERRARO, RODRIGO RIZZO, HAYLEY LEAKE, PAULINE ZAHARA, EDEL O’HAGAN, DR AIDAN CASHIN, THIAGO FOLLY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SYLVIA GUSTIN, DR MATTHEW JONES, DR MARKUS HUEBSCHER

Medicines are the most common treatment for back pain. The aim of this program of research is to improve our understanding of the clinical effects of medicines.

Studies currently in progress:

  1. Scoping review of paracetamol, NSAIDs and opioid analgesics for chronic low back pain (led by Matthew K Bagg). The objective of this study is to identify and describe the characteristics of available clinical trials of commonly used analgesic medicines for chronic low back pain. This information will inform the design and conduct of other studies in the research program.
  2. Paracetamol, NSAIDs and opioid analgesics for chronic low back pain: a network meta-analysis (led by Matthew K Bagg). The objective of this study is to produce information about the clinical effects of available analgesic medicines for chronic low back pain. This information will be available in a Cochrane review to assist clinical prescription of medicines. The protocol is published and available here.
  3. Prescribing practices of medicines for adults with low back pain: a systematic review (led by Michael Wewege). The objective of this study is to determine how different medicines are prescribed to adults with low back pain and how this differs across countries. The protocol for this study is being developed.
  4. Analgesic medicines for adults with low back pain: a network meta-analysis (led by Michael Wewege). The objective of this study is to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of a range of analgesic medicines for adults across different classifications of low back pain. The protocol for this study has been submitted for publication.
  5. Muscle relaxant medicines for low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis (led by Aidan Cashin and Thiago Folly). The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness and tolerability of muscle relaxant medicines for adults with low back pain. The protocol is available here.
  6. Novel biologic medicines for low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis (led by Rodrigo Rizzo). The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness and tolerability of novel biologic medicines for adults with low back pain. The protocol is available here.

Completed studies:

  1. Evaluation of the impact of unpublished data from clinical trial registries on the effects of medicines for low back pain (led by Matthew Bagg). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether there is a difference between clinical trial data that are published and those that are not published. The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.
  2. Antidepressant medicines for low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis (led by Michael Ferraro). The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness and tolerability of antidepressant medicines for adults with low back pain. The findings have been submitted for publication. The protocol is available here.

Medicines for Back Pain – Publications:

  • Bagg MK, McLachlan AJ, Maher CG, Kamper SJ, Williams CM, Henschke N, Wand BM, Moseley GL, Hübscher M, O’Connell NE, van Tulder MW, Nikolakopoulou A, McAuley JH. (2018). Paracetamol, NSAIDS and opioid analgesics for chronic low back pain: a network meta-analysis [Protocol]. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 6. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013045. PMCID: PMC6513465
  • Bagg MK, O’Hagan E, Zahara P, Wand BM, Hübscher M, Moseley GL, McAuley JH. (2020). Reviews may overestimate the effectiveness of medicines for back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. doi: 10.1016/ j.jclinepi.2019.12.006. PMID: 31816418

Medicines for Back Pain – Registrations of Study Protocols:

  • Folly T, Bagg MK, Wewege M, Ferraro MC, Schabrun S, Gustin SM, Day R, McAuley JH. (2019) UMbRELLA: Understanding efficacy and safety of Muscle RELaxant medicines for Low back pain – systematic Literature review and meta-Analysis (protocol).Open Science Framework, available at: https://osf.io/xuw5h
  • Rizzo RN, Bagg MK, Ferraro MC, Wewege M, Cashin A, Leake HB, O’Hagan E, Jones M, McAuley JH. (2020). Efficacy and safety of medicines targeting neurotrophic factors in the management of low back pain: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Science Framework, available at: https://osf.io/zax6d
  • Ferraro MC, Bagg MK, McAuley JH. (2019). RADICAL: Systematic Review of Anti-Depressant Medicines if Considered Analgesics for Low Back Pain (protocol). Open Science Framework, available at: https://osf.io/cedm3

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Medicines for Back Pain

RESOLVE Trial for Chronic Low Back Pain


PROFESSOR JAMES MCAULEY, DR MATTHEW K BAGG, DR AIDAN CASHIN, DR MARKUS HüBSCHER, DR HOPIN LEE, RODRIGO RIZZO, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SYLVIA GUSTIN, PROFESSOR LORIMER MOSELEY, DR MARKUS HUEBSCHER, EDEL O’HAGAN, HAYLEY LEAKE, ANIKA HAIGH
For people with long term back pain that is not getting better. We are testing two pain treatment programs that target the brain, for people with chronic low back pain.

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RESOLVE Trial for Chronic Low Back Pain

RESEARCH TEAM

DR SAURAB SHARMA Postdoctoral Research Fellow : saurab.sharma@neura.edu.au

YANNICK GILANYI Honours Student : y.gilanyi@neura.edu.au

BRISHNA SHAH Honours Student : b.shah@neura.edu.au

JACK DEVONSHIRE Research Assistant : j.devonshire@neura.edu.au

HARRISON HANSFORD Doctoral Candidate : h.hansford@neura.edu.au

DR MARKUS HÜBSCHER Postdoctoral Research Fellow : m.huebscher@neura.edu.au

DR ADRIAN TRAEGER Postdoctoral Research Fellow : a.traeger@neura.edu.au

MICHAEL FERRARO Doctoral Candidate : 02 9399 1049
: m.ferraro@neura.edu.au

RODRIGO RIZZO PhD Candidate : r.rizzo@neura.edu.au

DR MATTHEW JONES Postdoctoral Research Fellow : matthew.jones@unsw.edu.au

MICHAEL WEWEGE Doctoral Candidate : m.wewege@neura.edu.au

THIAGO FOLLY Research Assistant

ANIKA HAIGH Research Assistant : a.haigh@neura.edu.au

PAULINE ZAHARA Clinical Trial Manager

DR IAN SKINNER Postdoctoral Research Fellow

DR HOPIN LEE Postdoctoral Research Fellow

DR MATTHEW K BAGG Postdoctoral Research Fellow : m.bagg@neura.edu.au

DR AIDAN CASHIN Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow : a.cashin@neura.edu.au

EDEL O’HAGAN PhD Candidate : e.ohagan@neura.edu.au

ISOBEL WILLIAMS Research Assistant : i.williams@neura.edu.au

SAM WILLIAMS Research Assistant : s.williams@neura.edu.au

SUPERVISORS

PROFESSOR JAMES MCAULEY Senior Research Scientist and Group Leader, NeuRA Director, Centre for Pain IMPACT Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney

Further information about Hayley Leake

RELATED INFORMATION

Qualifications 

Bachelor of Physiotherapy (First Class Hons.) University of South Australia

Awards/Prizes

  • 2020: Australian Pain Society’s Pain in Childhood SIG travel grant
  • 2019: Best Poster Presentation, University of South Australia, School of Health Sciences Research Week     
  • 2019: International Association for the Study of Pain trainee financial aid award, Pain in Childhood SIG
  • 2019: School of Health Science Conference Scholarship, University of South Australia

Grants

  • 2021-2022: Australian Pain Society/ Cops for Kids #4 Clinical Research Grant
  • 2018-2021: Research Training Program Domestic Scholarship
  • 2019: BUPA Health Research Grant, University of South Australia
  • 2018: Global Voices Scholarship, World Health Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland

Other Publications

  • Pate JW, Heathcote LC, Simons LE, Leake HB, Moseley GL. (2020). Creating online animated videos to reach and engage youth: lessons learned from pain science education and a call to action. Paediatric and Neonatal Pain. doi: 10.1002/pne2.12015
  • Leake HB, Heathcote LC, Simons LE, Stinson J, Kamper SJ, Williams CM, Burgoyne LL, Craigie M, Kammers M, Moen D, Pate JW, Szeto K, Moseley GL. (2019). Talking to teens about pain: a modified Delphi study of adolescent pain science. Canadian Journal of Pain, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 200-208. doi: 10.1080/24740527.2019.1682934

PUBLICATIONS

Efficacy and Safety of Medicines Targeting Neurotrophic Factors in the Management of Low Back Pain: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Rizzo RRN, Ferraro MC, Wewege MA, Cashin AG, Leake HB, O'Hagan ET, Jones MD, Gustin SM, McAuley JH
JMIR Res Protoc. 2021 Jan;10(1):e22905. doi: 33480861. Epub 2020 Jan.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of medicines targeting neurotrophins in patients with LBP and sciatica. This systematic review and meta-analysis will assess the evidence for the efficacy and safety of NGF inhibitors for pain in patients with nonspecific LBP and sciatica. The inclusion of new studies and unpublished data may improve the precision of the effect estimates and guide regulatory actions of the medications for LBP and sciatica.

Commentary: The Efficacy of Nerve Growth Factor Antibody for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis Pain and Chronic Low-Back Pain: A Meta-analysis.

Rizzo RRN, Wewege MA, Leake HB, McAuley JH
Front Pharmacol. 2021 ;12():619344. doi: 33981217. Epub 2020 May.

Interrogating cortical representations in elite athletes with persistent posterior thigh pain - New targets for intervention?

Summers SJ, Chalmers KJ, Wallwork SB, Leake HB, Moseley GL
J Sci Med Sport. 2021 Feb;24(2):135-140. doi: 32798128. Epub 2019 Aug.

Hamstring injuries in athletes can lead to significant time away from competition as a result of persistent posterior thigh pain. These cases are often difficult to treat as the state of the tissues alone cannot explain symptoms. In non-athletic populations with persistent pain, disruptions to tactile, proprioceptive, and spatial cortical representations exist, which has led to promising brain-based treatments. Here, we explored whether athletes with persistent posterior thigh pain also display impairments in these cortical representations. Leg-specific tactile, proprioceptive, and spatial processing deficits exist in athletes with persistent posterior thigh pain. That these processing deficits exist despite rehabilitation and normal tissue healing time suggests they may play a role in the persistence of posterior thigh pain.

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