Therapeutics Commons^™

Physical Therapy After Triangular Fibrocartilage Injuries And Ulnar Wrist Pain, Mohamed A. Abdelmegeed

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: The ulnar side of the wrist has been referred to as the “black box” of the wrist because of its complex structures and sophisticated anatomy, disorders at this anatomical site have been compared to those of low back pain

Purposes: The purpose of this study was to apply the Brief International Classification of Functioning (ICF) Core Set for Hand Conditions to the physical therapy outcome measures, and to evaluate the contribution of these measures to overall health in subjects with ulnar wrist pain. A secondary purpose was to investigate the effect of wrist orthotics and strengthening exercise on …

The Effectiveness Of Implementing Standard Of Care Best Practices Including Use Of Daily Incentive Spirometry To Improve Dyspnea And Quality Of Life In Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd), Christine Gallagher

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common preventable and treatable disease characterized by symptoms of dyspnea, cough, and wheezing. Many patients with COPD are on daily medications for their symptoms yet these symptoms continue to persist, impairing their quality of life. Patients with COPD experience respiratory muscle weakness that contributes to dyspnea and an inability to participate in daily activities. GOLD (2014) guidelines state that the goal of therapy in these patients is to reduce symptoms, increase participation in activities, and restore the highest level of independent functioning. The guidelines recommend the use of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in …

Kinematic And Kinetic Effects Of Alterations In Lumbar Lordosis In People With Tight Hamstrings, Dema Assaf

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The etiology of nonspecific low back pain is sparsely understood. To better understand the contributing factors to nonspecific low back pain, there are often common concurrent pathologies that are investigated to determine their functional relationship to low back pain. One such pathology, investigated further in this thesis, is tight hamstrings. Specifically, the effect of hamstring length on pelvic position during gait and activities of daily living under normal and altered spinal position were investigated as part of this study in a motion analysis lab.

First, a marker validation study was conducted to ensure the accuracy of sagittal spinal measures of …

Adverse Effects Of Asparaginase In Pediatric Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Chengcheng Liu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of childhood cancer. Asparaginase is a critical treatment component for ALL. However, its use is complicated by adverse effects, such as hypersensitivity, osteonecrosis and pancreatitis.

Hypersensitivity to asparaginase typically requires discontinuation of current formulation and substitution with other formulations, but the differential diagnosis can be challenging, and the diagnostic utility of antibody tests is unclear. We comprehensively analyzed anti-Elspar (native E.coli asparaginase) IgG antibodies in 410 pediatric patients treated on an asparaginaseintensive front-line clinical trial. Of 169 patients (41.2%) who exhibited clinical allergy, 147 (87.0%) were positive for anti-Elspar antibody. Of …

A Novel Caspase 8 Selective Small Molecule Potentiates Trail-Induced Cell Death, Octavian Bucur, Gabriel Gaidos, Achani Yatawara, Bodvael Pennarun, Chamila Rupasinghe, Jérémie Roux, Stefan Andrei, Bingqian Guo, Alexandra Panaitiu, Maria Pellegrini, Dale Mierke, Roya Khosravi-Far

Dartmouth Scholarship

Recombinant soluble TRAIL and agonistic antibodies against TRAIL receptors (DR4 and DR5) are currently being created for clinical cancer therapy, due to their selective killing of cancer cells and high safety characteristics. However, resistance to TRAIL and other targeted therapies is an important issue facing current cancer research field. An attractive strategy to sensitize resistant malignancies to TRAIL-induced cell death is the design of small molecules that target and promote caspase 8 activation. For the first time, we describe the discovery and characterization of a small molecule that directly binds caspase 8 and enhances its activation when combined with TRAIL, …

Diabetes Type 2 Self-Management Education Program: Short Messaging From Patient Portal To Web-Enabled Device, Lynn S. Holcomb

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Only one in eight adults with diabetes reaches target goals for disease management, which can lead to clinical complications, costly both economically and in quality and duration of human life. The standard of care is a quarterly 15-minute face-to-face visit-- arguably inadequate to impart self-care knowledge. The purpose of this EBP project was to deliver a 30-day diabetes self-management education program (DSMEP) utilizing widely accessible web-based technology to facilitate adults with diabetes to reach targeted goals. Using the Chronic Care Model as a framework, the DSMEP design was based on an extensive literature review of the delivery of DSMEP in …

The Effect Of An Educational Intervention On Oral Anticoagulation Therapy Knowledge In Primary Care, Elizabeth D. Deck

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

It is estimated that three million people in the United States are on oral anticoagulation therapy (warfarin). Populations studied have been found in therapeutic range 64% of the time (Pernod, Labarere, & Bosson, 2008). The low percentage of therapeutic range is attributable to (a) adherence, (b) monitoring infrequency, (c) Vitamin K antagonists, and (d) the effects of aging and comorbidities. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to examine whether an educational intervention would improve the knowledge of patients receiving warfarin therapy. Roy’s model for patient adaptation and the Stetler Model for EBP were used as frameworks for …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Polysialic Acid-Polycaprolactone Based Micelles For Drug Delivery, Weston Ryan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The growing use and investigation of pharmaceuticals to treat disease has offered the field of drug delivery an opportunity to further improve upon the effects provided, as well as address therapeutic complications. An effective long-term treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has yet be developed, while many current treatments pose disadvantageous side effects due to undesirable reactions outside of the diseased tissue. Therefore, there is a need for an improved strategy for RA treatment. A previously developed drug carrier system based on polysialic acid (PSA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) micelles was shown to be effective for in vitro therapeutic use. The evaluated …

Development Of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Nanoparticles For Cancer Therapy, Philip Choiniere

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of biopolyesters produced and stored by bacteria, have garnered attention for a number of industrial and biomedical applications. The goal of the current study was to extend the use of PHAs to drug delivery for the treatment of cancer. As a first step, the cytotoxicity of poly(3- hydroxy-octanoate-co-10-undecanoate) (PHOU) towards the A549 lung carcinoma cell line was determined and nanoparticles were prepared via a single emulsion technique. Elution tests, whereby cells were grown in fluid extracts obtained from media incubated for 24 hours at 37°C with PHOU films, did not result in any significant changes in …

A Comparison Of The Upper Limb Lift Test Between Women With Breast Cancer And Healthy Control Subjects, Mary Insana Fisher, Lucinda Pfalzer, Ellen W. Levy, Shana Harrington, Lynn H. Gerber, Nicole L. Stout

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Presentation at the World Confederation for Physical Therapy Congress, held May 1-4, 2015, in Singapore.

Background: Objective measures of upper limb (UL) function specific to breast cancer survivors (BC) are limited. Motion, strength, and muscular endurance are measurable components of UL function. A clinical test that quantifies these components is needed.

Purpose: This study compares the Upper Limb Lift Test (ULLT) between women with BC and healthy control subjects (HC) at baseline, 1-3 months, and 12+ months post-operatively enrolled in a prospective surveillance trial with early intervention. A secondary purpose was to validate the ULLT by comparing findings to self-reported …

Design And Development Of Two Component Hydrogel Ejector For Three-Dimensional Cell Growth, Thomas Dunkle, Jessica Deschamps, Connie Dam

Honors Scholar Theses

Hydrogels are useful in wound healing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering applications, but the available methods of injecting them quickly and noninvasively are limited. The medical industry does not yet have access to an all-purpose device that can quickly synthesize hydrogels of different shapes and sizes. Many synthesis procedures that have been developed result in the formation of amorphous hydrogels. While generally useful, amorphous hydrogels exhibit limited capability in tissue engineering applications, especially due to their viscous properties. This endeavor aims to modulate the appropriate gelation parameters, optimize the injection process, and create a prototype that allows for the extrusion …

Correlation Matrix Analysis Identifies Gene Signatures Of Immune Cell Subsets And Their Interactions In Follicular Lymphoma, Jason R. Westin

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

There are important but ill-defined interactions between benign immune cell subsets and neoplastic B cells within follicular lymphoma (FL). Using the novel technique of correlation matrix analysis (CMA) of publicly available FL whole-tumor gene expression profiling (GEP) data, we have identified signatures of immune cell subsets. Overall survival correlated most highly with a model using signatures of macrophages, T cells, and stroma, which was able to add significantly to existing clinical prognostic tools. From our own data of a cohort of 43 FL tumors sorted into B-cell and non-B cell (NB) fractions for GEP, CMA of the tumor infiltrating NB …

Site-Specific Immunomodulator: A Novel Treatment For Crohn's Disease, Brian Bressler, Kevin P. Bethel, Ralf Kleef, Sophie L. Reynolds, Simon Sutcliffe, David W. Mullins, Hal Gunn

Dartmouth Scholarship

We investigated the mechanism of action, safety, and efficacy of the Site-Specific Immunomodulator (SSI) QBECO, a novel immunotherapy for Crohn’s disease (CD). Using human monocytic THP-1 cells, we demonstrate that SSI QBECO (derived from the common colon bacteria E. coli) activates macrophages to an M1 phenotype (associated with enhanced capacity to eliminate bacteria and activate innate immune responses). We assessed SSI QBECO in a compassionate use protocol of ten adult patients with active CD. Patients with moderate to severe clinical symptoms receiving conventional CD treatments and/or complementary therapies were included, except patients receiving anti-TNF medications. SSI QBECO was self-administered subcutaneously …

A Qualitative Examination Of Optimal Professional Traits Of Physical Therapists. – An Exploratory Investigation, Nicholas G. Wood

Honors College Theses

Physical therapists are constantly searching for aspects of their professional practice to improve, in order to enhance interactions with patients, eventually leading to a more successful practice (Resnek & Jensen, 2003). Although this is the case, limited research has been found which has examined optimal qualities of physical therapists from neither a qualitative perspective, nor based upon their location. Thus, the purpose of this study is to use a qualitative approach to describe optimal qualities necessary for a successful physical therapy practice. In addition, this study aims to determine if therapists practicing in a rural community describe different qualities than …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Prevention Of Infant Torticollis & Plagiocephaly, Anne H. Zachry

Faculty Presentations

AOTA includes health promotion as an Intervention approach in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. As health care professionals, occupational therapy practitioners are responsible for promoting public health and wellness. Occupational therapists need to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of varying infant positions, providing tummy time, and limiting infant time spent in baby gear.

The Effects Of Horseback Riding On The Gait Of Adolescents, Sarah L. Hayes

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to investigate the changes that occur in the gait of a set of subjects after they ride a horse. Eleven riders with a developmental disability were selected and included in an experimental group and nineteen “typical” subjects or those without a developmental disability were included as a second comparison group. The length of time the subjects were able to remain standing in a tandem stance and in a one-legged stance without becoming unbalanced was measured and recorded. The stride length of the subject’s second and third step from heel to heel was also …

The Preparatory Set: A Novel Approach To Understanding Stress, Trauma, And The Bodymind Therapies, Peter Payne, Mardi A. Crane-Godreau

Dartmouth Scholarship

Basic to all motile life is a differential approach/avoid response to perceived features of environment. The stages of response are initial reflexive noticing and orienting to the stimulus, preparation, and execution of response. Preparation involves a coordination of many aspects of the organism: muscle tone, posture, breathing, autonomic functions, motivational/emotional state, attentional orientation, and expectations. The organism organizes itself in relation to the challenge. We propose to call this the "preparatory set" (PS). We suggest that the concept of the PS can offer a more nuanced and flexible perspective on the stress response than do current theories. We also hypothesize …

Piecing The Puzzle Together With The Use Of Physical Therapy, Mikayla Pruitt

Honors Projects

For my Honors Project I decided to create a set of exercise cards for children with autism. The front of each card had a picture symbolizing the exercise/activity, and on the back included directions, supplies and tips to complete the activity. The following is a selection of a few exercise cards from each of the four exercise sections, as well as the title card, table of contents cards, information cards, and source cards.

Experimental Investigation On The Relationship Between Lead Exposure And Thyroids In Diabetes, Salah Sumar Ali Al-Zadjali

Dissertations

Lead exposure can cause multiple systemic toxicities, particularly affecting the hematopoietic, nervous and renal systems. However, its effects on the thyroid functions are not well elucidated and the published studies are controversial. In addition, although there are several experimental thyroid models, each one of them has its own limitations. Accordingly, in this dissertation, we investigated the possible relationship between lead exposure, thyroid functions and short-term systemic toxicity in two animal models, namely normal (non-diabetic) and diabetic animals. We also investigated the possibility of developing a hormonal thyroid model. In the non-diabetic model, Wistar rats were divided into five groups and …

The Association Between Critical Thinking And Scholastic Aptitude On First-Time Pass Rate Of The National Physical Therapy Examination, Daniel W. Suckow, C. Jayne Brahler, Betsy Donahoe-Fillmore, Mary Insana Fisher, Philip A. Anloague

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Objectives: 1) To investigate the relationships among critical thinking (CT) abilities, overall academic performance in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) program as measured by cumulative grade point average (GPA), and National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) licensure scores, and 2) To determine if NPTE scores were significantly different between groups of students who were classified as having low, moderate or high CT abilities.

Background: It is well-established that physical therapy practice requires good clinical reasoning skills. Passage of the NPTE is required for licensure. Research to date has been mixed as to whether CT abilities or GPA can predict success …

Assessment Of Three Acute Responses To Traumatic Brain Injury, Shoshana Fireworker

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Traumatic brain injury has a devastating effect on millions worldwide each year. As yet, there are no methods which have been proven to improve recovery from the trauma. Current treatment protocols revolve around reducing secondary insult, such as hypoxia, hypotension, and cerebral edema, which raises intracranial pressure. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of three responses to traumatic brain injury. Two of them, the administration of hypertonic saline and the administration of progesterone, are pharmacologic, while the third, the performance of a decompressive craniectomy, is surgically invasive. A number of original studies have been analyzed to …

Active Immunotherapy And Adoptive Cell Transfer As An Effective Cancer Treatment, Philip Jay Cynamon

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

There are many ways to fight cancer using the body’s own immune system. Some methods include the administration of vaccines while others involve stimulatory factors injected near tumors. One promising method is enlisting the help of T cells. To fight cancer effectively, T cells must be able to recognize cancerous antigens and the environment in which these T cells reside must be conducive to their function, survival, and proliferation. This paper discusses a method of providing such an environment called adoptive cell transfer, as well as the elements that effect this protocol and the ways in which the environment can …

Oncology Section Edge Task Force On Prostate Cancer Outcomes: A Systematic Review Of Clinical Measures Of Strength And Muscular Endurance, Mary Insana Fisher, Claire Davies, Genevieve Colon, Hannah Geyer, Lucinda Pfalzer

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Strength deficits are a common morbidity following treatment for prostate cancer. Accurate assessment of strength and muscular endurance following prostate cancer treatments is essential to identify deficits and plan rehabilitation.

Purpose: To identify strength and muscular endurance outcome measures that possess strong psychometric properties and are clinically useful for examination of men treated for prostate cancer.

Methods: Multiple electronic databases were searched for articles published after 1995. Studies of tools used to assess strength and muscular endurance were included if they reported psychometric properties, were clinically feasible methods, performed on adults, and published in the English language. Each outcome …

Research Roundup From The Research Committee, Mary Insana Fisher, Shana Harrington

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

With the expectations of accountability by consumers and third party payors for the efficacy of physical therapy practice, there has been a significant increase in the push to develop outcome measures in rehabilitation. One type of these measures, patient-reported outcome measures (PROs), are becoming increasingly more common in clinical practice. The American Physical Therapy Association’s Guide to Physical Therapist Practice 3rd edition includes outcomes assessment as an integral part of the Patient and Client Management model, and delineates that appropriate tests and measures depend upon established psychometric properties of the measurement.1 The Section on Research formed the Evidence Database to …

Which Methods Of Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Are Most Effective And Most Closely Match Patient Lifestyle?, Yehudit Erlbaum

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

ADHD, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, is a disorder characterized by hyperactivity, inattentiveness, inability to remain on task, fidgetiness, and impulsivity. An over absorption of dopamine by the dopamine transporters leads to a lack of dopamine, the inhibiting neurotransmitter in the brain, resulting in the inability for the individual to inhibit their impulses. The disease is most likely seen in children but may continue into adulthood. The length of the disease across the individual’s life span, results in expensive treatment, whether it be medication or Cognitive Behavior Therapy, CBT. Therefore, these medical costs have caused researchers to find the most efficient …

A-803467, A Tetrodotoxin-Resistant Sodium Channel Blocker, Modulates Abcg2-Mediated Mdr In Vitro And In Vivo, Nagaraju Anreddy, Atish Patel, Yun-Kai Zhang, Yi-Jun Wang, Suneet Shukla, Rishil J. Kathawala, Priyank Kumar

Touro College of Pharmacy (New York) Publications and Research

ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) is a member of the ABC transporter superfamily proteins, which has been implicated in the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer, apart from its physiological role to remove toxic substances out of the cells. The diverse range of substrates of ABCG2 includes many antineoplastic agents such as topotecan, doxorubicin and mitoxantrone. ABCG2 expression has been reported to be significantly increased in some solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, correlated to poor clinical outcomes. In addition, ABCG2 expression is a distinguishing feature of cancer stem cells, whereby this membrane transporter facilitates resistance to the …

Research Round-Up: Manual Muscle Testing, Mary Insana Fisher, Shana Harrington

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Manual muscle testing was developed in response to the need to assess muscle strength losses during the polio outbreak in early part of the 20th century. The development of this original method is credited to Wilhelmine Wright and Robert W. Lovett, MD. Wright presented this method in 1912 in the Boston Medical Surgical Journal, and Lovett expanded the description of the testing method in 1916 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The development of quantifying muscle strength by rating force generated against external resistance was an important development in objectifying assessment methods of the time.

Today, manual muscle …

Evaluation Of A Vancomycin Dosing Protocol And Pharmacokinetic Parameters In Burn Patients, T. A. Walroth, K. A. Lavery, S. Erdman, N. R. Buening, D. R. Foster, Kendra M. Damer, R. Sood

Scholarship and Professional Work – COPHS

Published abstract from the 47th American Burn Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL April 2015.

Tuberculosis As A Metaphor For Isolation: An Interdisciplinary Examination Of Tuberculosis, Stefanie Pavlick 15

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

Joint Attention Intervention With Assisting Parent­ Mediated Techniques To Increase A Toddler With Autism Spectrum Disorders' Use Of Joint Attention: A Single Case Study, Rebecca Schulz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Attention Intervention (JAI) conducted by graduate researcher, parent, and caregiver, would change the use of joint attention (JA) by a three-year-old suspected of having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The participant was a three-­year-­old child suspected of having ASD. Intervention was conducted twice per week for 30-45 minute duration by the student graduate researcher at a university clinic under the supervisor of Dr. Bonnie Berg, CCC­SLP. The parent and child's caregiver were trained in JAI and implemented the intervention daily in the home environment. The author's research question was, "Will the use of a JAI parent­mediated intervention model increase the JA …