Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Identification And Intervention For Action Planning Deficits In Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy, Swati M. Surkar

Theses & Dissertations

The primary purpose of this investigation was to describe and quantify action-planning deficits during goal-directed movements in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP). Three specific topics were addressed: brain activation, kinematics, and the use of visual input. First, we assessed prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during complex goal-directed actions in children with HCP. The outcome suggested that children with HCP have higher PFC activation than age matched typically developing (TD) children during action planning, potentially due to the difficulty in allocating attentional resources for simultaneously processing the cognitive (i.e., attention, memory, information processing) and motor demands of the goal-directed task. Reduced …

Adaptations Of Lumbar Biomechanics After Four Weeks Of Running Training With Minimalist Footwear And Technique Guidance: Implications For Running-Related Lower Back Pain, Szu-Ping Lee, Joshua P. Bailey, Jo Armour Smith, Stephanie Barton, David Brown, Talia Joyce

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives

To investigate the changes in lumbar kinematic and paraspinal muscle activation before, during, and after a 4-week minimalist running training.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

University research laboratory.

Participants

Seventeen habitually shod recreational runners who run 10–50 km per week.

Main outcome measures

During stance phases of running, sagittal lumbar kinematics was recorded using an electrogoniometer, and activities of the lumbar paraspinal muscles were assessed by electromyography. Runners were asked to run at a prescribed speed (3.1 m/s) and a self-selected speed.

Results

For the 3.1 m/s running speed, significant differences were found in the calculated mean lumbar posture …

Perceptual Variations In Thermoregulation During Exercise In A Hot Environment, William C. Alger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Professionals are seeking to find ways to prevent exertional heat illness (EHI) in populations working in hot environments as well as populations that are physically active. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate individuals’ ability to accurately perceive core temperature ranges associated with homeothermic and EHI temperatures during exercise. Ten physically active males exercised on a treadmill at a self-selected rate until core temperature reached 39°C. Participants rated perceived core and skin temperature on 100 mm scales each time core temperature increased 0.25˚ C (37.5-39.0˚ C), along with thermal comfort and sweating sensation. During exercise core temperature …

A Comparison Of Multipath And Conventional Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, Cody Brian Bremner

Dissertations

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is the use of an electrical current for the purpose of eliciting a muscular response, and these treatments are most often used clinically for the specific purpose of increasing quadriceps strength. It is commonly accepted that the effectiveness of NMES for this purpose is primarily determined by the NMES training intensity. However, spatially limited motor unit recruitment, fatigue and discomfort negatively impact NMES-induced torque, which subsequently reduces NMES training intensities. Due to the importance of NMES training intensity, a substantial amount of research has focused on strategies designed to increase NMES-induced torque production, as well as …

Influence Of Posture-Cuing Shirt On Tennis Serve Kinematics In Division Iii Tennis Players, Joseph Zappala, Caroline Orrego, Emily Boe, Heather Fechner, Derek Salminen, Daniel Cipriani

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Injuries to the shoulder complex are common in overhead athletes, often related to kinematics of the shoulder complex. This study evaluated the influence of a posture-cuing shirt on internal rotation velocity of the shoulder during a tennis swing and to determine this influence on shoulder external rotation position. Methods: Nine healthy competitive college tennis players from a Division III college participated in this study. High speed motion capture allowed for 3-D analysis of shoulder kinematics during a tennis serve. Two conditions were evaluated while the athletes performed a high velocity tennis serve: standard tennis shirt and a …

Exercise As A Form Of Medicine, Steven J. Elmer

TechTalks

My research goals are to find better ways to restore musculoskeletal function, maintain health, and improve mobility in healthy and clinical populations. Students in my laboratory (engineering, kinesiology, physical therapy) investigate how humans move and implement new exercise interventions to improve physical conditioning and performance. We work with populations ranging from individuals living with a spinal cord injury to adults recovering from ACL surgery to elite athletes. Applications for our research range from basic aspects of muscle contraction to applied human performance in a variety of settings including rehabilitation, ergonomics, and sport.

Multi-Classifier Fusion Strategy For Activity And Intent Recognition Of Torso Movements, Abhijit Kadrolkar

Doctoral Dissertations

As assistive, wearable robotic devices are being developed to physically assist their users, it has become crucial to develop safe, reliable methods to coordinate the device with the intentions and motions of the wearer. This dissertation investigates the recognition of user intent during flexion and extension of the human torso in the sagittal plane to be used for control of an assistive exoskeleton for the human torso. A multi-sensor intent recognition approach is developed that combines information from surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals from the user’s muscles and inertial sensors mounted on the user’s body. Intent recognition is implemented by following …

Muscle-Specific Effective Mechanical Advantage And Joint Impulse In Weightlifting, Kristof Kipp, Chad Harris

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Lifting greater loads during weightlifting exercises may theoretically be achieved through increasing the magnitudes of net joint impulses or manipulating the joints’ effective mechanical advantage (EMA). The purpose of this study was to investigate muscle-specific EMA and joint impulse as well as impulse-momentum characteristics of the lifter-barbell system across a range of external loads during the execution of the clean. Collegiate-level weightlifters performed submaximal cleans at 65, 75, and 85% of their 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) while data from a motion analysis system and a force plate were used to calculate lifter-barbell system impulse and velocity, as well as net extensor …

Mechanical Demands Of The Hang Power Clean And Jump Shrug: A Joint-Level Perspective, Kristof Kipp, Philip Malloy, Jordan Smith, Matthew D. Giordanelli, Michael T. Kiely, Christopher Geiser, Timothy J. Suchomel

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate the joint- and load-dependent changes in the mechanical demands of the lower extremity joints during the hang power clean (HPC) and the jump shrug (JS). Fifteen male lacrosse players were recruited from an NCAA DI team, and completed three sets of the HPC and JS at 30%, 50%, and 70% of their HPC 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM HPC) in a counterbalanced and randomized order. Motion analysis and force plate technology were used to calculate the positive work, propulsive phase duration, and peak concentric power at the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Separate three-way …

1st Place Research Paper: The Effectiveness Of Yoga Therapy On An Adult, Post-Stroke Population: A Systematic Review, Baylor E. Hogan

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

Objectives: The objectives of this paper are to (1) give a brief overview of stroke pathophysiology (2) outline yoga as a therapeutic strategy (3) present the current research on yoga rehabilitation for stroke (4) discuss the efficacy of yoga for chronic stroke.

Methods: Relevant terms were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Academic OneFile, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar electronic databases. Studies were excluded if they contained pediatric stroke, non-stroke neurological diseases, or subjects with comorbidities. Statistically significant data was extracted for the primary measures of nine trials.

Results: Four studies measured statistically significant outcomes (p<0.05). These included improvements in balance, independence, endurance, trait anxiety, fear of falling, self-efficacy, pain, strength, range of motion (ROM), activity, participation, and quality of life (QoL). Discussion: Lack of statistical significance in post-stroke depression (PSD) measures may be due to inadequate intervention length or a psychosocial cause of depression. Improvements in balance, flexibility, and strength from yoga participation permitted progress in disability and functionality. Finally, overall health-related quality of life (HRQL) is affected by the severity of mental disorders and physical disability. Yoga can have a positive effect in both domains and therefore, may improve HRQL.

Conclusion: …

Walking To Recovery - The Effects Of Postsurgical Ambulation On Patient Recovery Times, Trent William Stethen

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Do Running Kinematics Change On The Alter-G Treadmill? [2016], Brittany Lavaute

Master's Theses

The Alter-G lower body positive pressure treadmill, also known as the antigravity treadmill, provides a unique means of exercising for rehabilitation patients and low-impact training in athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction effect of four different treadmill weighted conditions and three different running velocities (2.68 m.s-1, 3.13 m.s-1, and 3.58 m.s-1) on the kinematic variables of step length, step rate, contact time, and flight time on the Alter-G treadmill (AG) and on the regular treadmill (TM). Fifteen participants completed two separate days of testing. All individuals ran at four different conditions (100%, 80%, 60%, and …

The Comparison Of Dual-Tasking And Functional Fitness In Older Females, Anna Engler

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Context: America’s aging population is growing faster than ever, resulting in increasing challenges for healthcare providers and caregivers. Over 33% of adults aged 65 and older fall annually, and falls are the number one cause of injury-related death in this age group. Assessing fall risk is difficult due to its multifactorial nature, but functional fitness serves as a proxy measure. Women are at a particularly high risk for fall-related injury due to lower bone mineral density and higher fall frequency when compared to males. Fear of falling is also a serious contributor to fall risk, and it affects up …

Dynamic Stability On Land And In Waist-Deep Water: Comparison Between Young And Middle Aged Adults, Christie Bunnell

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare dynamic stability on land and in water, between young and middle-aged adults performing plyometric exercises. Twenty adults were asked to volunteer: Young = 24.40 ± 2.63 years, n = 10 and middle-aged = 46.80 ± 3.05 years, n = 10. Participants performed three plyometric exercises (countermovement jump, squat jump, and drop landing) on land and in waist-deep water. Dynamic stability was assessed during landing for each exercise using a time to stabilization (TTS) paradigm. Data were collected via a waterproof force plate positioned on an adjustable-depth pool floor and analyzed with a …

1st Place Contest Entry: The Effectiveness Of Yoga Therapy On An Adult, Post-Stroke Population: A Systematic Review, Baylor E. Hogan

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Baylor Hogan's submission for the 2016 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. She wrote about the effects of yoga therapy on the physical and mental wellbeing of stroke patients. You can read the final essay that came out of her research here.

Baylor is a senior at Chapman University, majoring in Kinesiology. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Elizabeth DeBaets.

Recurring Ankle Injuries In Dancers, Alexis Jawny

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research, obtained from various Journals of Dance Medicine and Science, is to identify the cause of recurring ankle injuries in the dance community. Ankle injuries are the most common type of injury making up 50% of injuries in dancers. The main cause of recurring ankle injuries is improper diagnosing and then leading to the wrong treatment plan. The research focusses on how to prevent these improper diagnoses and what the dancer and specialty care professional (orthopedics, physical therapists, and rehabilitative medicine) can do to decrease the number of ankle injuries occurring and reoccurring in the dance …

The Effects Of Resistance Training Frequency On Muscle Hypertrophy And Strength In Healthy Trained Individuals: Literature Review, Alexander C. Boivin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of increased resistance training frequency on strength and hypertrophy in trained individuals. Six Studies were deemed eligible based on the inclusion exclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria for this review were healthy trained individuals. “Trained” refers to over one year of resistance training experience. Exclusion Criteria were study’s that examined either untrained or obese individuals as participants. The evidence indicates a dose-response trend in frequency. Resistance training each muscle group twice a week may be superior compared to once per week. Further more, resistance training each muscle group three times a …

Body Composition Measurement In Children With Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida And Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Michele L. Polfuss, Paula E. Papanek, Fallon Meyer-Wentland, Andrea Moosreiner, Lenore R. Wilkas, Kathleen J. Sawin

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Pediatric obesity is a major health concern that has an increased prevalence in children with special needs. In order to categorize a child’s weight, an assessment of body composition is needed. Obtaining an accurate body composition measurement in children with special needs has many challenges associated with it. This perplexing scenario limits the provider’s ability to screen, prevent and treat an abnormal weight status in this vulnerable population. This systematic review summarizes common methods of body composition measurements, their strengths and limitations and reviews the literature when measurements were used in children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and spinal cord …

Prospective Assessment Of Return To Pre-Injured Levels Of Activity, Aaron D. Sciascia

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Determining return to pre-injured levels of play following athletic injury can be challenging. The current practice of making decisions following rehabilitation as to whether or not a patient has returned to pre-injured levels of activity is potentially inaccurate because initial assessments of perceived physical capability are performed at a time of relative dysfunction or are based on patient recall. Since there is no true baseline of perceived and physical function prior to injury it is difficult to determine if an athlete has return to baseline or is simply better than they were at the time of injury. Therefore, it is …

The Effects Of External Focus Of Attention Exercise Rehabilitation On Dual Task Walking In Parkinson's Disease, Eric N. Beck

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parkinson’s disease impairs control of well-learned movements, and therefore, individuals with Parkinson’s disease are forced to walk with greater conscious control. This causes difficulties while walking and completing a secondary task simultaneously (dual tasking), in that distractions from conscious control of walking increase the risk of falls and injury. Although, attention-based exercise may be a potential avenue to decrease the demands associated with walking in Parkinson’s disease. For example, an external focus of attention (on manipulated objects) has been found to recruit the networks that are important for walking with little conscious control (automatic control networks). In contrast, an internal …