Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Can The Upper Limb Tension Test 1 (Ultt1) Stand Alone In Diagnosing Median Nerve Compression In Adult Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Cts)?, Brianna Palmer

Critically Appraised Topics (CAT)

An appraisal was made on a validity study by Vanti et al, regarding the upper limb neurodynamic test 1 (ULTT1) for diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The selected paper included current patients at an occupational medicine clinic with suspected CTS and referral for nerve conduction study (NCS).

Using Wainner’s Criteria to indicate a positive ULTT1, calculated sensitivity was 0.9167 and specificity was 0.150. In limiting criteria for a positive test by requiring provocation of 1^st-3^rd digits only, the sensitivity decreased to 0.5417, however specificity increased to 0.70.

This study was effective in defining the inclusion criteria for …

Parkinson's Disease And Forced Exercise In A Community Setting: A Feasibility Study, Alati Gagne, Sarabeth Makins, James Walrath

Research Posters

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that increases an individual’s fall risk. In recent studies, an 8-week tandem bike forced exercise program was effective in reducing overall Parkinsonian symptoms. The feasibility of a tandem bike forced exercise program in a community setting has not been studied previously, and no published study has evaluated balance and health outcomes after participation in a forced exercise program. This six week tandem bike forced exercise protocol, conducted in a community setting for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, aimed to assess the feasibility of such a protocol, and to assess resultant balance and health outcomes.

The Physiological Effects Of Exercising Alone Versus With A Partner, Tyler Chamberlin, Kristen Green, Patrick Robichaud

Research Posters

The general population is in constant pursuit for sources of motivation to maintain a consistent workout routine. Research demonstrates increased motivation when exercising with a partner but does not investigate any physiological effects. The objective of this study was to investigate changes in heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and time in target HR zone when exercising alone compared to exercising with a same-sex partner. The study was conducted in the Physical Therapy lab at the University of New England in Portland, Maine, utilizing an experimental 2x9 repeated measures research design. Forty-one graduate students were …

Telecommuting As The Director Of Clinical Education (Dce) In A Doctoral Physical Therapy Program, Sally Mccormack Tutt

Physical Therapy Faculty Posters

Poster describing a case study created to help determine the feasibility of allowing the Director of Clinical Education to telecommute from Florida to Maine as a unique way to retain a valued core faculty member of the DPT department. Concludes there are benefits to departments considering this method of job performance, including: decreasing the turnover of quality faculty at an institution, reducing stress of a vacancy on the department and other faculty, decreasing the cost associated with searching for and hiring a new faculty member, and providing students with consistency with regards to the teaching and advising they receive from …

Wicked Good Sports Medicine Symposium 2012 Program, Lara Carlson, Daniel E. Lieberman, Samuel Headley, Stella L. Volpe, J. Timothy Lightfoot, Samuel N. Cheuvront, David Epstein

Wicked Good Sports Medicine Symposium

2012 sports medicine symposium at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine.

Presenters and topics included:

Daniel E. Lieberman: Why Exercise Really is Medicine (An Evolutionary Explanation); Samuel Headley: Exercise and Chronic Kidney Disease; Stella L. Volpe: Prevention of Weight Gain in a Large Portion Society; J. Timothy Lightfoot: Can You Be Born a Couch Potato? The Genetics that Control Your Physical Activity; Samuel N. Cheuvront: Answers to 10 Common Questions about Hydration; David Epstein: Missing the Phenotypes for the Genotypes.

Dementia And The Role Of Occupational Therapy: American Occupational Therapy Association Fact Sheet, Regula H. Robnett

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Dementia results from impaired cognition, due to damage to the brain. The majority of dementia cases (60% to 80%) are classified as Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, n.d.). The signs of dementia generally include, but are not limited to, decreased short term memory, decreased problem solving skills, decreased perceptual skills, and personality changes. The onset of dementia is gradual, and the course of the disease spans several years or more. In Alzheimer’s disease, the person progresses through several stages that roughly coincide with reverse developmental levels, with those in the final stages being completely dependent on others. Occupational therapy practitioners, through …

Creating Collaborative Lifelong Solutions: Person, Family, Professionals, And Community, Laurie Raymond, Kathryn M. Loukas

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Across the United States, two million families are struggling to create supports for their loved ones with an intellectual disability and mental illness (Easter Seals, 2008). This same trend is being seen in the State of Maine where there are an increasing number of youth diagnosed on the Autism spectrum with a co-morbid mental health disorder. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services reports that Maine Care recipients with Autism and related disorders in 2009, numbered 4156 (Richardson, 2011), with those entering adulthood in the fastest growing group. As we look to the future, there are over 2500 individuals …

Turf, Team, And Town: A Geriatric Interprofessional Education Program, Nancy Macrae

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Describes the Interprofessional Geriatric Education Program (IGEP) at the University of New England (U.S.). This course involves collaboration among health care students and faculty, including dental, occupational therapy, physician assistant, and physical therapy programs, and is focused on treatment for and feedback from elderly patients, who serve as “teachers” for students in the program.

Changes In Evidence-Based Practice Skills Of First-Year Dpt Students, Michael Fillyaw, Elizabeth Dyer, Sally Mccormack Tutt

Physical Therapy Faculty Posters

Poster presentation describing the outcomes for 30 first-year DPT students instructed in the elements of Evidence-Based Practice in a 2 credit course - Scientific Inquiry 1 (SI1). Faculty evaluated changes in: (1) DPT students’ knowledge and skills of EBP, as measured by the Adapted Fresno Test of Competence in Evidence-Based Practice (AFT) and (2) students’ self-confidence in EBP skills. This is the first study to use the AFT to evaluate changes in DPT students’ knowledge and skills related to EBP after formal instruction. The observed 24 point increase in the mean total score is educationally important and comparable to the …

Faculty-Librarian Collaboration Teaching Evidence-Based Practice, Michael Fillyaw, Elizabeth Dyer

Physical Therapy Faculty Posters

Poster presentation describing the collaboration of physical therapy faculty and university librarian in teaching elements of evidence-based practice in Scientific Inquiry 1 in the DPT curriculum. These elements included: Writing a patient-centered clinical question P: Patient/Problem/Population I: Intervention C: Comparison O: Outcome; Developing an effective search strategy; Searching electronic databases for articles. Although the literature contains examples of faculty-librarian collaboration in other disciplines, reports about the collaboration in physical therapy programs are scarce and this collaborative teaching model is unique.

The Evolution Of Language And Perception Of Disability In Occupational Therapy, Kathryn M. Loukas

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

How do occupational therapy practitioners refer to the persons they serve, and how do these terms reflect our perception of disability as a profession? In the hospital or medical model, we call these persons patients; in the community we referred to them as clients; in the marketplace, they may be called consumers. Children serviced through the schools often are called students, and persons in long-term care may be called residents. However, most of the individuals we serve carry a diagnostic label that makes them eligible for services and defines the work of therapy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], …

A Comparison Of Outcomes After 8 And 12 Weeks Of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Michael Fillyaw, Kim Hasegawa, Mary Anne Riley, Burton D. Tepfer

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Purpose: To compare changes in functional exercise capacity, dyspnea, functional status, and depression in patients after 8 weeks (24 sessions) and 12 weeks (36 sessions) of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Methods: A prospective sample of 31 participants in our PR program completed outcome measures prior to and during the eighth and twelfth weeks of the program. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and a stairs climbing test (ST) measured functional exercise capacity. Perceived dyspnea (PD) was measured with a 6-20 scale. The Pulmonary Function Status Scale (PFSS) measured functional status, and the Cardiac Depression Scale (CDS) measured depression. Results : Statistically significant …

Quality Of Life And Aging: Exploring The "Paradox Of Well-Being", Regula H. Robnett

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

During the past 50 years, quality of life is a construct that many researchers have studied. Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants often claim to improve the quality of their clients' lives. Making note of references to quality of life in the occupational therapy literature, one could gather a list of hundreds of articles. However, in the occupational therapy context, the term quality of life rarely is defined. The words quality and life are easy enough to discern, but the meanings behind the words seem to vary with author. Sometimes, quality of life has been described in vague terms, such …

The Recovery Of Matthew, A Success Story, Kathryn M. Loukas

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

In the fall of 1994, 11-year-old Matthew experienced a traumatic brain injury. Two years later, he is a consistent honor roll student. This is the story of how occupational therapy helped Matt heal and move on to life as a regular kid.

Hypothesis For Prediction Of Stimulant Drug Effectiveness Utilizing Sensory Integrative Diagnostic Methods, Judith Giencke Kimball

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Despite extensive research, there has been no way to predict before drug administration which children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will respond to medication intended to calm them. A drug trial is the current method used. This paper discusses the action of stimulant medications and presents a hypothesis as to why they work on some children and not others. Sensory integration theory, particularly on vestibular system measures, that involves differential diagnosis of certain types of ADHD children, is used to explain why some children respond to stimulant medications.

Prediction Of Methylphenidate (Ritalin) Responsiveness Through Sensory Integrative Testing, Judith Giencke Kimball

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Seventeen children previously judged to be good or poor responders to methylphenidate (Ritalin) were tested on sensory integrative measures while in the off-drug state. The tester was unaware of the children's drug response category. Results showed that children who were poor responders to Ritalin showed prolonged scores on and an adverse reaction to the Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test and had poorer equilibrium reactions and lower double tactile stimuli scores than the children judged good responders to Ritalin. These findings suggest that it might be possible to identify good and poor responders to Ritalin before the medication is given, something …