Digital Commons Network^™

Construct Validity Of Animal-Assisted Therapy And Activities: How Important Is The Animal In Aat?, Lori Marino

Animal-Assisted Therapy Collection

Animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activities involve a nonhuman animal as a key therapeutic agent in some kind of intervention that may range from highly specified, as in AAT, to more casual, as in AAA. In this review I address the question: How important is the animal in animal therapy? In other words, does the recent literature strongly support the notion that a live animal, as opposed to another novel stimulating component, is specifically necessary for therapeutic success. Two meta-analyses and 28 single empirical studies were reviewed in order to address this issue. I conclude that the effects of AAT and …

A Systematic Review Of Body Fat Distribution And Mortality In Older People, Su-Hsin Chang, Tracey S. Beason, Jean M. Hunleth, Graham A. Colditz

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate Student Catalog 2012-2013, Nova Southeastern University

Undergraduate Programs Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Audiology 2012, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Medications In Predicting Activity Restriction Due To A Fear Of Falling, Dawn M. Guthrie, Paula C. Fletcher, Evelyn Williams, Nicole Boumans, John P. Hirdes

Kinesiology and Physical Education Faculty Publications

Objectives: To examine the role of medication use and other factors in predicting activity restriction due to a fear of falling (AR/FF). Methods: Older adults were assessed twice with the interRAI Community Health Assessment and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The main outcome was limiting going outdoors due to an AR/FF. Medications were recorded by trained assessors. Results: Participants (n=441) had a mean age of 80.3 (sd=7.1) years, most were aged 65+ (96.8%) and 29.3% reported activity restriction. Taking nervous system active or cardiovascular medications was associated with AR/FF. In a multivariate model, the main predictors were having 3+ comorbid …

Value Of A Graduate Gerontology Certificate Versus A Masters Degree, Janet S. Hahn

Academic Leadership Academy

The WMU Center for Gerontology was established in 2010 and builds on a strong tradition of gerontology education offered at WMU from the late 1970s to 2004. The undergraduate minor has been revised and is again offered. The previous graduate certificate in gerontology has not yet been reestablished.

This project sought to determine the relative value of a graduate certificate in gerontology vs. a masters degree in gerontology.

Do Indigenous Australians Age Prematurely? The Implications Of Life Expectancy And Health Conditions Of Older Indigenous People For Health And Aged Care Policy, Philippa R. Cotter, John R. Condon, Tony Barnes, Ian P.S. Anderson, Leonard R. Smith, Teresa Cunningham

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective. To assess whether Indigenous Australians age prematurely compared with other Australians, as implied by Australian Government aged care policy, which uses age 50 years and over for population-based planning for Indigenous people compared with 70 years for non-indigenous people.

Methods. Cross-sectional analysis of aged care assessment, hospital and health survey data comparing Indigenous and non-indigenous age-specific prevalence of health conditions. Analysis of life tables for Indigenous and non-indigenous populations comparing life expectancy at different ages.

Results. At age 63 for women and age 65 for men, Indigenous people had the same life expectancy as non-indigenous people at age 70. …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva V. Thompson-Robinson

Nursing Faculty Research

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose. Methods. We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed. Results. Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between …

"Still Here, Trying To Find My Way": Understanding The Experiences Of Hiv Disruption And Reorganization Among Older African Americans In Detroit, Andrea Nevedal

Wayne State University Dissertations

Adults aged fifty and older are the fastest growing age group with HIV/AIDS. Research on older adults with HIV has focused primarily on health status and physiological changes that occur as people age with HIV. However, little is known about the socio-cultural consequences that occur when older adults are diagnosed with HIV and as they age with HIV. Drawing from an anthropological approach to the life course and Becker's (1997) framework of life disruption, this dissertation research explored to what extent people experienced disruption from living with HIV and reorganized their lives after experiencing disruption.

The specific aims included identifying …

Fiber Type And Cross-Sectional Area Characteristics In Hindlimb Muscles Of The Long-Lived Ames Dwarf Mouse, Kristine Dahlheimer

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background: Ageing is associated with sarcopenia and a change of composition in muscle fibers. Ames dwarf mice have been found to have a decreased susceptibility to the deleterious effects of the ageing process, when compared to a normal mouse counterpart. This study looks at the muscle composition of the Ames dwarf mouse compared to the normal mouse by analyzing two muscles, ELD and Sol.

Methods: Researchers harvested hind limb muscles from Ames dwarf mice and normal mice. The fours muscles were EDL, Sol, Gastrocnemius/Plantaris, and TA. EDL and Sol were sliced and stained with fast and slow twitch and H&E …

Eastern Ichigan University Graduate Catalog, 2012-2013, Office Of The Registrar

Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Apolipoprotein E: Essential Catalyst Of The Alzheimer Amyloid Cascade, Huntington Potter, Thomas Wisniewski

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

The amyloid cascade hypothesis remains a robust model of AD neurodegeneration. However, amyloid deposits contain proteins besides Aβ, such as apolipoprotein E (apoE). Inheritance of the apoE4 allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset AD. However, there is no consensus on how different apoE isotypes contribute to AD pathogenesis. It has been hypothesized that apoE and apoE4 in particular is an amyloid catalyst or “pathological chaperone”. Alternatively it has been posited that apoE regulates Aβ clearance, with apoE4 been worse at this function compared to apoE3. These views seem fundamentally opposed. The former would indicate …

Dynamic Associations Of Change In Physical Activity And Change In Cognitive Function: Coordinated Analyses Of Four Longitudinal Studies, Magnus Lindwall, Cynthia R. Cimino, Laura Gibbons, Meghan Mitchell, Andreana Benitez, Cassandra L. Brown, Robert F. Kennison, Steven D. Shirk, Alireza Atri, Annie Robitaille, Stuart W. Macdonald, Elizabeth M. Zelinski, Sherry L. Willis, K. Warner Schaie, Boo Johannson, Marcus Praetorius, Roger A. Dixon, Dan M. Mungas, Scott M. Hofer, Andrea M. Piccinin

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study used a coordinated analyses approach to examine the association of physical activity and cognitive change in four longitudinal studies. A series of multilevel growth models with physical activity included both as a fixed (between-person) and time-varying (within-person) predictor of four domains of cognitive function (reasoning, memory, fluency, and semantic knowledge) was used. Baseline physical activity predicted fluency, reasoning and memory in two studies. However, there was a consistent pattern of positive relationships between time-specific changes in physical activity and time-specific changes in cognition, controlling for expected linear trajectories over time, across all four studies. This pattern was …

Mennonite College Of Nursing Annual Report, 2011-2012, Mennonite College Of Nursing

Annual Reports - Mennonite College of Nursing

Annual report of the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University

Influence Of Perceived Racial Discrimination On Health And Behaviour Of Immigrant Children In British Columbia, Anne George, Cherylynn Bassani, Robert Armstrong

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

This study examines the influence of perceived discrimination on the health and behaviour of ethnic minority immigrant children in British Columbia, Canada. Using data from the New Canadian Children and Youth Study, we examine perceived discrimination experienced by the parent, family, and cultural group in Canada to test the influence of micro-, meso-, and macrolevels of discrimination on children. Families from 6 ethnic backgrounds participated in the study. Parents’ perceptions of the child’s health and six behavioral scales (hyperactivity, prosocial behaviour, emotional problems, aggression, indirect aggression, and a general combined behaviour scale) were examined as outcome variables. After controlling for …

The Role Of Quantitative D-Dimer Levels In The Follow-Up And Differential Diagnosis Of Pulmonary Thromboembolism And Community-Acquired Pneumonia, Ayhan Varol, Nurdan Köktürk, Hati̇ce Kiliç, Müge Aydoğdu, Numan Nadi̇r Eki̇m

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Aim: To identify the quantitative D-dimer levels in pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and hospitalized-community acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients, and to determine the alteration of D-dimer levels with anticoagulant or antibacterial therapy. It is not well known that the quantitative analysis of D-dimer has a role in the differential diagnosis of PTE from other diseases. Materials and methods: Serum D-dimer levels were measured and compared prospectively with a latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric method at admission, before initiating any antibiotic or anticoagulant therapy and then at days 3, 10, and 30 of treatment in PTE and CAP patients. Results: A total of 80 patients (45 …

Treatment Options For Parkinson’S Disease, Sara Russ

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from this article: Parkinson’s disease was first described and named Paralysis Agitans in 1817 by British physician James Parkinson (Lieberman 2004). Later on, it took on its current name after Dr. Parkinson. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder for which the cause is yet to be discovered. Like many other diseases, PD has numerous facets. Throughout all of its different stages, it presents with motor, as well as nonmotor, symptoms (Simuni et al. 2009). Though estimates of people affected by PD are constantly being made, it is difficult to determine a precise and accurate …

Humor-Related Social Exchanges And Mental Health In Assisted Living Residents, Ann Elizabeth Mcqueen

Dissertations and Theses

Social contact is known to be vital for older adults' mental and physical health, but few studies of social interactions have taken place in long-term care settings. The current study investigated whether the psychological well-being of assisted living residents was influenced by factors associated with residents' social interactions involving humor. Specific aims of the present study were to develop and test a measure related to humor-related social exchanges, to examine how humor-related social exchanges affect residents' mental health, and to explore whether humor-related social exchanges mediated the effects of resident and facility characteristics on indices of mental health. One hundred …

Sterol Lipid Metabolism In Down Syndrome Revisited: Down Syndrome Is Associated With A Selective Reduction In Serum Brassicasterol Levels, Gavin Tansley, Daniel T. Holmes, Dieter Lütjohann, Elizabeth Head, Cheryl L. Wellington

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Over the past 15 years, insights into sterol metabolism have improved our understanding of the relationship between lipids and common conditions such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). A better understanding of sterol lipid metabolism in individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) may help elucidate how this population's unique metabolic characteristics influence their risks for atherosclerosis and AD. To revisit the question of whether sterol lipid parameters may be altered in DS subjects, we performed a pilot study to assess traditional serum sterol lipids and lipoproteins, as well as markers of sterol biosynthesis, metabolites, and plant sterols in 20 subjects with …

Aging And Down Syndrome, Elizabeth Head, Wayne Silverman, David Patterson, Ira T. Lott

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Service Learning In Higher Education Exercise Science Programs, Wendy Bjerke

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Introduction: Service learning (SL) describes teaching methods that incorporate student service activities with specific learning objectives. SL has been applied to allied health higher education programs.

Purpose: To determine the applicability of SL to exercise science courses. SL data associated with an undergraduate course in exercise physiology serving a local fire department is examined.

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy N. Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva V. Thompson-Robinson

School of Public Health Faculty Research

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose. Methods.We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed. Results. Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between 2005 and 2008. …

Non-Invasive Fall Risk Assessment In Community Dwelling Elderly With Wireless Inertial Measurement Units, Thurmon E. Lockhart, Han T. Yeoh, Rahul Soangra, Manutchanok Jongprasithporn, Jian Zhang, Xuefang Wu, Arka Ghosh

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Falls are among the most serious accidents among the elderly leading to increased injuries, reduced functioning and mortality. In 2009, about 2.2 million nonfatal fall injuries were reported among the elderly population (CDC, 2010). In this study, eleven community dwelling elderly (aged 65-84 years) participated in fall risk assessment camp at sterling senior center organized by Northern Virginia Fall Prevention Coalition (NVFPC). Three custom made wireless inertial measurement units (IMUs) were attached on trunk and both shanks. All participants performed postural and locomotor tasks such as sit-to-stand (STS) and timed up and go (TUG). Temporal and kinematic parameters were obtained. …

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy N. Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva Thompson-Robinson

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose.

Methods: We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed.

Results: Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between 2005 and …

Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration Compared To A Community-Based Exercise Program For Improving Older Adults' Balance And Mood, Zi Yan, Bradley J. Cardinal, Ruben J. Guzman, Walker A. Maddalozzo, Gianni F. Maddalozzo

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Whole-body vibration (WBV) may be an effective means of improving body composition and physical functioning in older adults, and the benefits may be comparable to traditional exercise modalities. The aim of this study was to test the effects of WBV on older adults’ balance and mood state.

Materials and Methods: Thirty-one participants (5 male, M age= 89.8 ±8.8, and 26 female, M age = 74.5±8.1) were randomly assigned to WBV or a community-based exercise program (CBEP). The intervention lasted 6 months, with participants doing WBV 10-15 min, 5 d/wk or CBEP 50 min, 2 d/wk. The Sensory Organization Test …

Developing Positive Attitudes Toward Geriatric Nursing Among Millennials And Generations Xers, Barbara A. Heise, Vickie Johnsen, Deborah O. Himes, Debra Wing

Faculty Publications

Despite the increase of the older adult population, there exists a shortage of health care professionals trained to help this population remain independent as long as possible. Ageism, common among younger adults, affects the capacity building of health care for older adults. Research has indicated that increased knowledge about older adults, as well as exposure to the elderly, may alter nursing students' attitudes regarding careers in gerontological nursing. However, questions remain as to what are the most effective ways to provide gerontological content in nursing programs and enhance attitudes toward older adults. With the understanding that younger adults see a …

Aging, Neuromuscular Decline, And The Change In Physiological And Behavioral Complexity Of Upper-Limb Movement Dynamics, S. Morrison, K. M. Newell

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Aging is characterized by a general decline in physiological and behavioral function that has been widely interpreted within the context of the loss of complexity hypothesis. In this paper, we examine the relation between aging, neuromuscular function and physiological-behavioral complexity in the arm-hand effector system, specifically with reference to physiological tremor and isometric force production. Experimental findings reveal that the adaptive behavioral consequences of the aging-related functional decline in neurophysiological processes are less pronounced in simple motor tasks which provides support for the proposition that the motor output is influenced by both extrinsic (e.g., task related) and intrinsic (e.g., coordination, …

The Experiences Of An Occupational Therapist Delivering Occupation-Based Practice At A Skilled Nursing Facility, Shannon M. Mattingly

Online Theses and Dissertations

This paper is a qualitative research study which seeks to explore the experiences of an occupational therapist in delivering occupation-based practice at a skilled nursing facility in Kentucky. Over a three month period, the subject participated in one email and two face-to-face semi-structured interviews. During these interviews, the researcher and therapist discussed topics such as the therapist's thoughts on reimbursement and documentation and her strategies for intervention planning and implementation.

During data analysis of interview transcriptions, three themes emerged and were titled with direct quotes from the participant: "The long-term goal is to increase my patient's level of functional ADL …

Rating Scale Analysis And Psychometric Properties Of The Caregiver Self-Efficacy Scale For Transfers, Daniel Cipriani, Francine E. Hansen, Danielle L. Mcpeck, Gina L.D. Kubec, Julie J. Thomas

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Parents and caregivers faced with the challenges of transferring children with disability are at risk of musculoskeletal injuries and/or emotional stress. The Caregiver Self-Efficacy Scale for Transfers (CSEST) is a 14-item questionnaire that measures self-efficacy for transferring under common conditions. The CSEST yields reliable data and valid inferences; however, its rating scale structure has not been evaluated for utility. The aims of this study were to evaluate the category response structure of the CSEST, test the utility of a revised rating scale structure, and confirm its psychometric properties. The Rasch Measurement Model was used for all analyses. Subjects included 175 …

Minimal Invasive Decompression For Lumbar Spinal Stenosis., Victor Popov, David G Anderson

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common condition in elderly patients and may lead to progressive back and leg pain, muscular weakness, sensory disturbance, and/or problems with ambulation. Multiple studies suggest that surgical decompression is an effective therapy for patients with symptomatic lumbar stenosis. Although traditional lumbar decompression is a time-honored procedure, minimally invasive procedures are now available which can achieve the goals of decompression with less bleeding, smaller incisions, and quicker patient recovery. This paper will review the technique of performing ipsilateral and bilateral decompressions using a tubular retractor system and microscope.