Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Heart Rate Variability Is Reduced In Covid-19 Survivors And Associated With Physical Activity And Fatigue, Michael H. Haischer, Lauren E. Opielinski, Lindsey M. Mirkes, Toni D. Uhrich, Rachel E. Bollaert, Michael E. Danduran, Marie K. Hoeger Bement, Linda B. Piacentine, Paula E. Papanek, Sandra K. Hunter

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Reduced heart rate variability (HRV) and fatigue are common after COVID-19 infection and both are potentially influenced by physical activity (PA). We compared resting HRV, PA from accelerometers and questionnaires, and self-reported fatigue in 41 COVID-19 survivors (~8 months postinfection, 38 ± 17 years) with 41 matched controls. Differences in HRV were observed on acceleration capacity (p = 0.041), deceleration capacity (p = 0.032), high-frequency peak frequency (p = 0.019), absolute low-frequency power (p = 0.042), relative very low-frequency power (p = 0.012), SD2 (from Poincare plot; p = 0.047), and DFA2 (slope of long-term …

Middle-Range Scores From The Patient Determined Disease Steps Scale Reflect Varying Levels Of Walking Dysfunction In Multiple Sclerosis, Robert W. Motl, Whitney Neal, Deborah Backus, Jeffrey Hebert, Kevin K. Mccully, Francois Bethoux, Prudence Plummer, Alexander V. Ng, John Lowman, Hollie Schmidt, Robert Mcburney, Gary R. Cutter

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a leading cause of neurological disability among young and middle-aged adults worldwide, and disability is measured using a variety of approaches, including patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) such as the Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) scale. There is limited evidence for the validity of inferences from the middle-range of scores on the PDDS (i.e., 3 “gait disability” – 6 “bilateral support”), but that range of scores seemingly represents moderate disability characterized by varying levels of walking dysfunction.

Purpose

The current study examined whether the middle-range of scores from the PDDS reflect varying levels of walking …

Changes In Patterns Of Referral For Inpatient Rehabilitation Cancer Patients Due To Covid-19: A Retrospective Study, Ekta Gupta, Amy H Ng, Aline Rozman De Moraes, Jack B Fu, Jegy M Tennison, Maaheen Ahmed, Bryan M Fellman, Eduardo Bruera

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There is a paucity of literature on the effect of COVID-19 on hospital processes. We hypothesized that COVID-19 was associated with decreased cancer physiatry referrals in 2020. This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients from April to July 2019 and 2020 admitted at an academic quaternary cancer center. The main outcomes were number of hospital admissions, rate, and characteristics of inpatient rehabilitation admissions and change in percentage of physiatry referrals as the primary endpoint. Results showed that in 2019, there were 387 referrals from 10,274 inpatient admissions (3.8%; 95% confidence interval, 2.4-4.2), compared with 337 referrals from 7051 …

Associations Of Chronic Pain With Psychosocial Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Nidilrr And Va Tbi Model Systems Collaborative Project, Robin Hanks, Jessica M Ketchum, Mackenzie Peckham, Mitch Sevigny, Angelle M Sander, Aaron M Martin, Stephanie Agtarap, Cynthia L Beaulieu, Librada Callender, Flora M Hammond, Jean Lengenfelder, Amanda R Rabinowitz, William C Walker, Jeanne M Hoffman, Cynthia Harrison-Felix, Risa Nakase-Richardson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: To examine the differences in participation, life satisfaction, and psychosocial outcomes among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) endorsing current, past, or no chronic pain.

SETTING: Community.

PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand eight hundred four TBI Model Systems participants 1 to 30 years of age postinjury classified into 1 of 3 groups based on their pain experience: current pain, past pain, no pain completed a Pain Survey at their usual follow-up appointment which on average was approximately 8 years postinjury.

DESIGN: Multisite, cross-sectional observational cohort study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sociodemographic and injury characteristics and psychosocial outcomes (ie, satisfaction with life, depression, …

Advancing Opportunities For The Autistic Community At West Virginia University, Drew D. Altizer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder often have difficulties with social integration and sensory challenges on collegiate campuses. These difficulties are sometimes tied together as social integration spaces are not always sensory-friendly and can be overwhelming for the individual. Creating a sensory-friendly space within the potentially overstimulating environment can provide the student with a place to recharge and recover and still access the desired social events. This capstone project focused on the design and development of a sensory room in the West Virginia University Mountain Lair Student Union, working directly with the students in the West Virginia University Autism Support Program …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Low Vision Throughout The Lifespan, Ka Ki Tse

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Low vision and blindness significantly affect individuals' engagement in occupational performance. While West Virginia (WV) offers low vision rehabilitation programs to enhance occupational performance, several challenges remain unresolved. This doctoral capstone project aimed to collaborate with low vision professionals to deliver comprehensive low vision services and advocate for the integration of occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) in the low vision field. A needs assessment and literature review were conducted to identify gaps and develop strategies for addressing the gaps. A qualitative study design was chosen to explore the perspectives of current low vision providers regarding the role of OTPs. The study …

The Impact Of Occupational Therapy In Lactation Services, Sarah Adrienne Mcaninch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Many benefits to breastfeeding exist for both mothers and infants, yet exclusive breastfeeding rates remain low across the nation. These benefits include decreased chance of infections for infants, low infant mortality, and decreased chances of breast and ovarian cancers for mothers (Binns et al., 2016; CDC, 2023). Education strategies have recently become imperative for health organizations to help mothers sustain their ability to breastfeed within the recommended six-month timeframe. Current literature on education supports that women who receive education at some point in their lactation journey are more likely to reach the six-month period and have more confidence in their …

Visit North Carolina: Trail Accessibility, Hannah Caitlyn Guschel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper focuses on the perceived barriers to travel from marketing material for individuals with disabilities compared to those without disabilities and the direct impact on leisurely travel participation, particularly in outdoor spaces. Employing a cross-sectional study design encompassing both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, this research investigates the experiences and transparency of trail accessibility in the state of North Carolina. Quantitative data were gathered through trail assessment accessibility checklists, while qualitative insights were obtained via in-depth interviews. The findings reveal an improved understanding of accessibility and the application of an accessibility checklist. Moreover, the study underscores the importance …

Contracture Management For Acute Burn Injury Patients, Brianna Paige Pestrosky

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: The Occupational Therapists working within the burn unit at West Penn Hospital assess and treat patients utilizing the biomechanical approach FOR, as well as the support from MOHO and PEOP. The patients seen within the burn unit encompass a variety of injuries and occupational deficits that require an individualized and holistic approach to care.

Purpose: The purpose of the contracture management project is to provide an interdisciplinary approach to improve carryover and patient care within and out of the hospital.

Theoretical framework: The contracture management project is guided using the biomechanical frame of reference as well as supporting constructs …

Teaching Cultural Humility Practices In Appalachia: The Value Of Conducting Conversations Based In Education, Bailey A. Riggs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent literature highlights the paradigm shift from utilizing cultural competence practices to cultural humility practices within the field of occupational therapy, and health sciences (Fisher- Borne, et al., 2015). The idea of cultural competency suggests that culture is unchanging, and individuals can master cultural knowledge. The perception of knowing culture can be perceived as an unwillingness to learn about culture. In contrast, cultural humility promotes the value of lifelong learning and introspection, encouraging greater self-awareness, reflection of personal biases, and recognition of power imbalances. This approach aims to better integrate educational approaches to serve diverse populations in a culturally affirming …

Developmentally Appropriate Care In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu), Ashten Cenkus

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As specialized healthcare professionals educated in developmental care, occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) have a role in educating, coaching, and assessing the needs of infants, their families, and the staff in the NICU. These high-risk and medically fragile infants require specialized care that considers the incorporation of neurodevelopment, neurobehavioral regulation, sensory stimulation, and motor development through supportive and appropriate interventions. A project addressing these needs across 14 weeks was implemented as part of an Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) capstone experience at WVU Medicine Children’s in Morgantown, West Virginia. This project examined the results of the NICU staff's confidence, knowledge, and awareness …

Development And Implementation Of Occupational Therapy Group Protocols For Individuals In Recovery For Substance Use Disorder: Considering Social Determinants Of Health And Occupational Areas Of Need, Samantha Jane Windisch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are becoming a more widespread issue globally. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 19.7 million adults in the U.S. suffered from an SUD in 2017. (SAMSHA, 2018). Recurrent alcohol and/or drug use that results in significant disability, including health issues, and/or a failure to prioritize obligations like employment, school, or family life are characteristics of SUD (SAMHSA, 2022). Research suggests that healthcare providers must integrate cutting-edge and successful treatments for this population to lower the risk of overdose and relapse rates, given the swift global spread of addictive disorders. In the past, …

Usage Of Peer Mentoring Workbooks: Enhancing The Transition Of College Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Taylor Nicole Grout

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This doctoral capstone project assesses the impact and effectiveness of using peer mentoring workbooks as a tool to enhance the transition of college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A peer mentoring workbook was developed using theoretical frameworks to guide its design and identification of primary occupations, roles, and routines of college students. From here, four domains of college student life (dorm living, college social life, classroom management and participation, and community engagement and transportation) were developed to act as a framework for the workbook. Through the usage of Participatory Action Research, key stakeholders provided essential feedback that allowed for …

Limb Speed Perception Accuracy In Neurodegenerative Disease, Brandmeir Lynn Cheryl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Movement is a fundamental human activity, enabling us to engage with our surroundings. Consequently, a well-operating neuromuscular system is essential for maintaining quality of life. Motion is not only integral for the basic function of daily living, but also plays a significant role in enhancing our physical, mental, and emotional health. The importance of this system becomes abundantly clear when it is compromised, such as with neurodegenerative disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), followed by Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the two most common neurodegenerative diseases that profoundly affect millions of individuals worldwide (Lamptey et al., 2022). Characterized by distinct but sometimes overlapping …

Adapting A Telehealth Physical Activity And Diet Intervention To A Co-Designed Website For Self-Management After Stroke: Tutorial, Dina Pogrebnoy, Lee Ashton, Brian A. Beh, Meredith Burke, Richard Cullen, Jude Czerenkowski, Julie Davey, Amy M. Dennett, Kevin English, Erin Godecke, Nicole Harper, Elizabeth Lynch, Lesley Macdonald-Wicks, Amanda Patterson, Emily Ramage, Ben Schelfhaut, Dawn B. Simpson, Karly Zacharia, Coralie English

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

People who experience a stroke are at a higher risk of recurrent stroke when compared with people who have not had a stroke. Addressing modifiable risk factors like physical inactivity and poor diet has been shown to improve blood pressure, a leading contributor to stroke. However, survivors of stroke often experience challenges with accessing risk reduction services including long wait lists, difficulty with transportation, fatigue, impaired function, and diminished exercise capacity. Providing health interventions via a website can extend the reach when compared with programs that are only offered face to face or via real-time telehealth. Given global challenges of …

Study Protocol For A Nested Process Evaluation Of A Complex Discharge Planning Intervention (Home Rehab) To Improve Participation After First-Stroke, Sandra Reeder, Mandy Stanley, Laura J. Jolliffe, Natasha A. Lannin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability, and the transition from hospital to home can be fraught with challenges. The HOME Rehab trial is designed to address if better health outcomes for stroke survivors can be achieved with a contextually relevant and tailored occupational therapy discharge planning and support intervention. Process evaluations inform clinical trial findings and future scale up, as well as how to implement a successful intervention effectively into policy and practice. This paper describes the protocol we are using in the HOME Rehab process evaluation planning and activities.

Methods: Using a theoretically informed approach, mixed …

The Experience Of Occupational Therapists And Physiotherapists Using A Prototype, Evidence-Informed Online Knowledge Translation Resource To Learn About Patient-Defined, Personally-Meaningful Chronic Pain Rehabilitation, Katrina J. Liddiard, Annette J. Raynor, Cary A. Brown

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Chronic pain is a complex biopsychosocial experience, and rehabilitation helps people to manage pain, and restore valued life roles. Evidence suggests that more positive outcomes occur when clients perceive their rehabilitation to be meaningful. People with chronic pain describe rehabilitation as personally-meaningful when they develop a genuine connection with a credible therapist who they see as a guiding partner, and when rehabilitation holds personal value, is self-defined, and relevant to their sense of self-identity. This paper presents a qualitative study of therapists’ experience using an e-learning package on patient-defined, personally-meaningful rehabilitation. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used to …

Motoneuron Persistent Inward Current Contribution To Increased Torque Responses To Wide-Pulse High-Frequency Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, Timothée Popesco, Lucas Bet Da Rosa Orssatto, François Hug, Anthony John Blazevich, Gabriel Siqueira Trajano, Nicolas Place

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: To assess the effect of a remote handgrip contraction during wide-pulse high-frequency (WPHF) neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the magnitude of extra torque, progressive increase in torque during stimulation, and estimates of the persistent inward current (PIC) contribution to motoneuron firing in the plantar flexors. Methods: Ten participants performed triangular shaped contractions to 20% of maximal plantar flexion torque before and after WPHF NMES with and without a handgrip contraction, and control conditions. Extra torque, the relative difference between the initial and final torque during stimulation, and sustained electromyographic (EMG) activity were assessed. High-density EMG was recorded during triangular …

The Delta Concept Does Not Effectively Normalise Exercise Responses To Exhaustive Interval Training, Arthur Henrique Bossi, Wouter Timmerman, Diana Cole, Louis Passfield, James Hopker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: This study was designed to quantify inter- and intra-individual variability in performance, physiological, and perceptual responses to high-intensity interval training prescribed using the percentage of delta (%Δ) method, in which the gas exchange threshold and maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) are taken into account to normalise relative exercise intensity. Design: Repeated-measures, within-subjects design with mixed-effects modelling. Methods: Eighteen male and four female cyclists (age: 36 ± 12 years, height: 178 ± 10 cm, body mass: 75.2 ± 13.7 kg, V̇O2max: 51.6 ± 5.3 ml·kg−1·min−1) undertook an incremental test to exhaustion to determine the gas exchange threshold and V̇O2max as prescription …

Criteria And Indicators For Centers Of Clinical Excellence In Stroke Recovery And Rehabilitation: A Global Consensus Facilitated By Isrra, Rachel C. Stockley, Marion F. Walker, Margit A. Murphy, Noor A. A. Aziz, Philemon Amooba, Leonid Churliov, Amanda Farrin, Natalie A. Fini, Emma Ghaziani, Erin Godecke, Tania Gutierrez-Panchana, Jie Jia, Thoshenthri Kandasamy, Patrice Lindsay, John Solomon, Vincent Thijs, Tierney Tindall, Donna C. Tippett, Caroline Watkins, Elizabeth Lynch

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The aim of the International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance is to create a world where worldwide collaboration brings major breakthroughs for the millions of people living with stroke. A key pillar of this work is to define globally relevant criteria for centers that aspire to deliver excellent clinical rehabilitation and generate exceptional outcomes for patients. Objectives: This paper presents consensus work conducted with an international group of expert stroke recovery and rehabilitation researchers, clinicians, and people living with stroke to identify and define criteria and measurable indicators for Centers of Clinical Excellence (CoCE) in stroke recovery and rehabilitation. …

Quantifying Uptake And Completion Of Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs In People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Known To Tertiary Care, Sarah Hug, Vinicius Cavalheri, Daniel F. Gucciardi, Kylie Hill

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: People with symptomatic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation programs (PRPs), but program attrition is common. Methods: For people with COPD who presented to tertiary care and appeared appropriate for a PRP, we prospectively mapped their PRP journey, explored factors influencing attendance to pre-program assessment and captured program attrition. Results: Of the 391 participants, 31% (95% CI 27 to 36) were referred to a PRP (n = 123; age 68 ± 10years, 62 males [50%], FEV1 45 ± 19%predicted). Of those referred, 94 (76% [69 to 84]) attended a pre-program assessment. Ex-smokers and those who had …