Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Construct Validity Of The Questionnaire To Identify Knee Symptoms Among Individuals Across Canada With Chronic Knee Pain, James Young

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct validity of the Questionnaire to Identify Knee Symptoms (QuIKS) measurement scale among individuals with chronic knee symptoms consistent with osteoarthritis. Construct validity was assessed using tests of convergent and discriminative validity on 15 pre-specified hypotheses. The secondary objective was to determine the internal consistency reliability of the QuIKS. One hundred and five individuals recruited in select physiotherapy clinics from across Canada were mailed the QuIKS and five other health questionnaires. Fifty-five individuals completed the questionnaire package. While none of the pre-specified construct validity hypotheses were met, nine of the …

Understanding The Process Of Recovery From Critical Illness From The Patient Perspective: A Constructivist Grounded Theory, Tania Larsen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Critical illness creates long-term physical, psychological and cognitive deficits that negatively impact quality of life, persisting well beyond hospital discharge. The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study is to understand and develop theoretical propositions on factors that patient’s perceive influence the process of recovery from critical illness in order to inform more comprehensive patient care management strategies.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 participants admitted to an ICU. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently using the constant comparative method. Data were analysed initially with line-by-line coding, then focused coding. Initial codes were …

Exploring The Relationship Between Locomotor Training And Bowel And Bladder Outcomes In Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: A Scoping Review And Feasibility Study., Anna Rudkovska

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis explored the relationship between locomotor training and bowel and bladder function in individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Study 1 was a scoping review that identified and summarized literature describing the relationship between locomotor training and bowel/ bladder outcomes in individuals with SCI and identified research gaps in the existing literature on bowel/bladder outcomes during locomotor training. Results of the scoping review suggested there is evidence of a positive relationship between locomotor training and bowel/bladder outcomes, however, most of that evidence was not collected using clinical outcome measures. Study 2 evaluated the feasibility of using the Spinal Cord …

Operant Conditioning Of Human Upper-Limb Stretch Reflexes, Ehsan Abolhasani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Operant conditioning of short-latency reflex (SLR) and H-reflex have been investigated in animals and humans. We modified previously established protocols for conditioning lower limb H-reflexes to up-condition the SLR in brachioradialis muscle and to investigate the effect of such conditioning on the long-latency response (LLR) of synergistic muscles. Our study included 12 healthy participants. Each participant took part in 3 baseline and 27 conditioning sessions in 6 weeks, followed by two additional sessions one month and two months after the last conditioning session. We found an increase in SLR magnitude in 50% of participants (by 15%±2.50). However, there was no …

"We Were Meant To Go Down One Road, But Now We Have Rerouted": A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Experience Of Aging Out-Of-Place, Sachindri Wijekoon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In an age of globalization, the experience of aging in a foreign land is part of the late-life experience of many older adults. However, studies of aging and migration have largely failed to conceptualize the unique resettlement experiences of immigrants entering North America as older adults. This dissertation asked, “What is the experience of aging out-of-place?” Specifically, this research question aimed to understand how late-life immigrants relate to, and connect and engage with places through aging processes, and the essentiality of daily occupations within such engagement. An interpretive paradigm and a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology guided this inquiry. The hermeneutic phenomenological …

Electrical Stimulation For Treating Pressure Injuries: Evaluation Of A Knowledge Mobilization Project, Lyndsay Orr

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pressure ulcers (PrU) are a secondary health complication that cause increased morbidity, mortality and decreased quality of life. PrUs have also been shown to have a significant financial burden on the healthcare system. Current best practice guidelines strongly recommend the use of Electrical Stimulation (E-Stim) to increase healing rates of PrUs. Unfortunately, there has been lack of uptake for the use of E-Stim in clinical practice. To address this gap in practice, a knowledge mobilization project called the E-Stim Collaboration Project was developed. The aim of this dissertation was to 1) determine if an education program can change knowledge, attitudes …

Validity And Reliability Of The Clinician Rated Drop Vertical Jump Scale In Patients Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Morgan Jennings

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Clinician Rated Drop Vertical Jump Scale (CR-DVJS) in a population of patients following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Patients completed two drop vertical jump tasks at 6 and/or 12-months post-operative. One task was recorded using a motion capture system. Four individuals of varying clinical experience served as raters for the CR-DVJS. Rater scores of valgus collapse did not correlate strongly with motion capture measures of knee abduction moment or angle. However, CR-DVJS scores of trunk and knee flexion did demonstrate an association with 3D measures of …

How Do Health Care Providers Identify And Address Lifestyle Factors With Community Dwelling Adults Who Have Chronic Wounds?, Linda Norton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Wound prevention and management best practice guidelines and literature contain recommendations that treatment plans need to consider the client’s lifestyle but offer little guidance about the specific lifestyle factors to be considered, nor how to address these. A post positivist constructivist grounded theory study was used to explore this gap Participants were health care providers with at least 5 years of experience working with community dwelling adults with chronic wounds. Data were transcripts of two semi structured individual interviews, a reflective journal, relevant documents identified by participants and transcripts of focus groups.

A common understanding of lifestyle factors was not …

Impact Of Feeding Tube Status On Health Outcomes For Individuals With Oropharyngeal Cancer, Nedeljko Jovanovic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Abstract

This study investigated differences in outcomes related to health, swallowing, and quality of life (QoL) for individuals with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) receiving either radiotherapy (RT) alone, or concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Differences were assessed based on whether patients received a feeding tube (FT group) or not (NFT group). Measures including the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck Cancer (PSS-HN), M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI), and weight were collected for 126 individuals at baseline, and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. Data were analyzed to identify potential prognostic differences between the groups, …

The Effectiveness Of Neurofeedback And Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback For Individuals With Long-Term Post-Concussive Symptoms, Marquise Bonn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Case studies have shown that low resolution electromagnetic tomography (LoRETA) neurofeedback is effective for many psychological disorders, but it’s effectiveness for individuals experiencing persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) is uncertain. Individuals with PPCS (n = 7) received an eight-week LoRETA neurofeedback and heart rate variability biofeedback intervention. Change in symptoms, driving simulation performance, electroencephalographic z-score deviations, and heart rate variability were compared to PPCS (n = 9) and healthy (n = 8) control groups. Statistical analyses revealed that the intervention significantly reduced electroencephalographic z-score deviations (p < 0.005) compared to PPCS controls. Additionally, headache, nausea, and dizziness symptoms were reduced in the intervention group (p = 0.003) and the PPCS controls (p = 0.001) compared to healthy …

The Listening Shift: Evaluating A Communication-Strategies Training Program For Telepractice Nurses Experiencing Hearing Challenges, Raphaelle Koerber

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Workers who wish to remain employed should be supported in doing so, even if they are experiencing age-related disabilities, such as hearing loss. I aimed to better understand the strategies from which workers with hearing loss might benefit, and how they can be supported in adopting these strategies. To collect rich data, I recruited telepractice nurses who rely on listening to make critical decisions about triaging and health care recommendations. My first research question was: What strategies exist for making telephone speech more intelligible for health care providers and patients with hearing challenges? I performed a scoping review following the …

Assessing The Risk Of Falling In Adults One-Year After Total Hip Arthroplasty, William Janes

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to examine falls prevalence, falls risk factors and knowledge of falls in individuals who have undergone a total hip arthroplasty. There were 135 patients examined at their one-year follow-up appointment for total hip arthroplasty. Our primary outcome, falls prevalence and falls circumstances, found a falls prevalence of 21.5% with identical circumstances to that of average community-dwelling older adults. Female sex, number of prescription medications and multiple joint replacements were found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of falls in the previous year. The Falls Risk for Older People in a Community Setting Questionnaire …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Humor Styles And Depression, Marisa L. Kfrerer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study examined the relationship between humor styles and depression using two methods of examination: (1) the mean humor style differences between individuals who reported that they had been diagnosed with depression versus those who did not report being depressed; and (2) a short scale assessing depressed affect. Participants were 878 adult Australians. With respect to mean differences, depressed individuals were found to use self-defeating humor more, and self-enhancing humor less than non-depressed adults. When the depressed affect scale score was analyzed, negative correlations were found between depressed affect and both positive styles of humor, affiliative and self-enhancing. Additionally, …

Efficacy Of Rhythmic Acquisition On Gait Performance Among Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease, Demian L. Kogutek

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to identify the ability of individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to acquire different rhythmic complexity levels through individual home-based Improvised Active Music Therapy (IAMT) sessions. The study aimed to identify whether higher acquisition of rhythmic complexity levels improved gait performance, as well as beat perception and production abilities. In this single subject multiple baseline design, the study measured the ability of four right-handed participants with PD to acquire greater density of syncopation, as a measure of rhythmic complexity levels, while playing uninterrupted improvised music on a simplified electronic drum-set. An accredited music therapist led …

Application Of The Mckenzie System Of Mechanical Diagnosis And Therapy In Patients With Shoulder Disorders, Afshin Heidar Abady

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Shoulder pain is one of the leading causes of referrals to physiotherapy clinics. The annual prevalence of shoulder complaints is about 100 to 160 per 1000 patients in general population. Complexity of shoulder joint, and lack of uniformity of diagnostic labeling commonly used in clinical practice, makes it difficult to make a precise diagnosis. In addition, issues with reliability and validity exist for the shoulder Orthopedic Special Tests (OSTs), making accurate diagnoses challenging.

The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate usefulness of the McKenzie system of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) in classifying and treating patients with shoulder …

Lived Experience And Process Of Engagement In Physical Exercise For Older Adults With Chronic Back Pain, Melissa E. Hay

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

For older adults, physical exercise is especially important in maintaining functional independence, extending quality of life, and optimizing personal health resources. For patients with chronic pain conditions, exercise participation can significantly improve patient-reported symptoms. Older adults are the most sedentary age group with the majority not meeting the recommended duration and intensity of weekly exercise. Although nonadherence with exercise guidelines may result for a variety of reasons, adverse health conditions including chronic pain are likely of particular concern for older adults. The aim of this research, consisting of two studies employing interpretive phenomenology and constructivist grounded theory, was to understand …