Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Mindfulness As A Tool To Decrease Stress In Parents Of Children With Special Needs, Ashley N. Garwood

MOT Student Capstones

The occupational role for a parent and/or caregiver of a child with special needs can be a stressful role. These individuals often assume the responsibilities of many different professions, with little time for their own health and wellness. This project aimed to investigate the use of mindfulness as a stress management tool for such parents and caregivers. The objectives of this project were to provide parents and caregivers of children with special needs a simple and realistic tool to decrease perceived stress, and to improve their overall role satisfaction. Attendants were provided with two educational training sessions in order to …

Caring For Caregivers Of Children With A Traumatic Brain Injury: Support Group, Caroline T. Boyd

MOT Student Capstones

This Capstone project discusses a piloted support group for Eastern North Carolina at Vidant Medical Center for caregivers of children with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Through collaboration with Vidant Medical Center interprofessionals, my fieldwork supervisor, and literature reviews of scholarly articles I designed outcome objectives and an itinerary for four piloted support group sessions. Support group topics included health maintenance, stress management, leisure exploration, parenting children with a TBI, and learning self-care management skills. Pre-and post-questionnaires were created and provided to participants. These questionnaires included questions concerning level of understanding of TBI, knowledge of community resources, level of stress, …

Occupatioanl Therapy In A Rural Public-School System: Exploring The Needs Of Elementary Schools Regarding Written Expression, Kaitlyn A. James

MOT Student Capstones

This capstone focused on the topic of written expression in a rural public school system setting, Edgecombe County Public Schools (ECPS). After investigating the needs of teachers in ECPS specifically and researching the evidence behind writing programs and current best practices, the end goal of this capstone was to make a formal recommendation for a writing program to the involved stakeholders in ECPS. Literature examined for this project included research from scholarly journals, presentations, evidenced-based databases, and credible web-based and academic resources. Gaining feedback from the teachers provided insight that specifically targeted areas of daily instruction while providing additional perspective …

A Model Of Employment Supports For Job Seekers With Intellectual Disabilities, Alberto Migliore, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Oliver Lyons, Jennifer Bose, John Butterworth, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Interviews with 16 employment consultants-triangulated with job seekers, family members, and supervisors-revealed a model of employment supports aligned with the elements described in the literature, although with an added emphasis on (a) building trust as a key element starting from day one; (b) a circular process converging on the job match; (c) and flexible intensity of supports. The model can be used for improving clarity in communication with employment consultants about effective employment support practices for assisting job seekers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Rrtc On Advancing Employment Composite Indicator Research, Frank A. Smith, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

What?
Analysis to describe the relationship between state employment system characteristics and employment outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Why?
To better understand higher-performing state employment systems.

How?
Researchers included individual indicators from 2013 for each state from its IDD and vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies. We also used American Community Survey data that looked at employment outcomes and education for individuals with cognitive disability between the ages of 22 to 30, i.e. individuals who recently aged out of eligibility for services under IDEA. The resulting composite indicator (CI) represents overall state employment system performance.

Integration Of A Sensory Driven Model For Hand Grasp Function In 3d Printed Prostheses, Austin T. Hetherington

Senior Theses

My Honors Thesis was completed through the Biomedical Engineering senior design project I worked on. Our project took a mechanically operated 3D printed prosthetic hand and automated the process by which it makes a grasp. The purpose of this project was to provide an affordable, automatic prosthetic hand to those either capable and incapable of wrist flexion. The current 3D printed prosthetic models require users to bend their wrist to initiate a simple grasp. However, our design took an alternative approach by using an EMG sensor placed on the ventral side of the forearm to record muscle activity, which, upon …

Development Of An Evidence-Based Strength Training Program For Individuals With Dementia Participating In Adult Day Services, Jaclyn Franz

Honors Theses

Falling and loss of mobility present serious risks for elderly adults, especially those with cognitive impairments such as dementia. These risks are shown to be significantly reduced when elderly adults participate in exercises focusing on strength and balance of sufficient intensity. Despite these potential benefits, many adult day programs do not incorporate exercise in a systematic and progressive fashion to achieve desirable improvements in function.

The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based exercise program, later titled Simply Strong, for reducing fall risk and improving mobility in elderly adults with dementia participating in Goodwill Easter Seals adult day …

Improvements In Cultural Competence In Athletic Training And Rehabilitative Science Students Through Classroom Activities, Jason M. Denton, Shandra Esparza, David S. Fike, Jaime González

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Cultural competence is a "Foundational Behavior of Clinical Practice (CAATE, 2016)" for Athletic Training education. The objective of this study was to determine whether classroom activities are effective for improving cultural competence in undergraduate athletic training students. Twenty-seven participants completed an Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals-Student Version pre-test to establish a baseline level of cultural competence and completed a post-test after participating in the classroom activities. The mean score increased from 60.44 to 67.78 after participation in classroom activities exceeding the minimal detectable change of the tool and demonstrating significant improvement in cultural competence.

A Randomized Trial Of A Motivational Interviewing Intervention To Increase Lifestyle Physical Activity And Improve Self-Reported Function In Adults With Arthritis, Abigail L. Gilbert, Jungwha Lee, Linda S. Ehrlich-Jones, Pamela A. Semanik, Jing Song, Christine A. Pellegrini, Daniel Pinto, Dorothy D. Dunlop, Rowland W. Chang

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Arthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and functional limitations. Exercise is beneficial for improving strength and function and decreasing pain. We evaluated the effect of a motivational interviewing-based lifestyle physical activity intervention on self-reported physical function in adults with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Participants were randomized to intervention or control. Control participants received a brief physician recommendation to increase physical activity to meet national guidelines. Intervention participants received the same brief baseline physician recommendation in addition to motivational interviewing sessions at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. These sessions focused on facilitating individualized …

Development Of Health Rehabilitation In Mainland China: From Traditional Chinese Medicine To Modern Western Rehabilitation Methods, Michelle Moy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this study is to understand the changes occurring in China, leading to the development of health rehabilitation. This study will portray the shift of traditional Chinese medicine to modern influences of Western rehabilitation, and will also introduce the idea of an integrated model of TCM and Western Rehabilitation.

Observations were held at a TCM hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, as well as a TCM hospital that provided modern rehabilitation services. Two online questionnaire surveys were sent out to rehabilitation health professionals working in mainland China, one of which collected quantitative data while the other collected both qualitative and …

Physiological Tremor In Handgun Aiming And Shooting Tasks, Kyle J. Kellran

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

When holding an outstretched limb or aiming at a target, humans produce small involuntary fluctuations that may hamper performance. Current strategies for minimizing the impact of tremulous oscillations predominantly include both extrinsic and intrinsic support. The aim of the current dissertation is to better understand the parameters of physiological tremor associated with handgun aiming with the end goal of improving shooting accuracy. Experiment 1 focused on handgun aiming and the influence of different arm posture adopted during aiming. Experiment 2 expanded upon the findings of experiment 1 by comparing tremor during finger pointing, handgun aiming, and handgun shooting. Experiment 3 …

Perceptions About Authentic Leadership Development: South African Occupational Therapy Students' Camp Experience, Fatima Hendricks, Susan Toth-Cohen

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Background. Twenty-three years into democracy, concern is deepening regarding the slow progress of Occupational Therapy (OT) in South Africa, especially with regard to diversity and inclusion within OT. Methods. This study explores authentic leadership development primarily among Black OT students attending a pilot Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA) National Student Leadership Camp. It seeks to ascertain their perceptions on leadership and leadership development. This descriptive pilot study employs in-depth interviews and subsequent content analysis, with 12 OT students from six university OT programs in South Africa. Findings. Four categories of participant perceptions on authentic leadership development emerged from …

We Are The Medicine, Madalynn Wendland, Toni Speed

Interprofessional Education

We are all healers— to ourselves, each other and the world around us. Whether you are on the path of becoming a health professional, or have been in practice for a long time, this half-day workshop will help you to view healing from a holistic perspective that draws from the ancient traditions while respecting contemporary science.

Chronic Ankle Instability And Hip Muscle Function: A Systematic Review, Lindsay Carroll

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Purpose/background

The connection between hip strength and knee function is widely accepted in rehabilitation. The beginnings of evidence supporting a connection between the hip and ankle in people with chronic ankle instability (CAI) causes clinicians to question how the hip and the ankle may interact in this population. The purpose of this review is to provide a cohesive summary of the current available evidence examining hip muscle function in people with chronic ankle instability so that clinicians are better able to treat these patients.

Methods

An electronic search of PubMed was performed to locate studies published in peer-reviewed journals that …

Resistance Training-Induced Gains In Muscle Strength, Body Composition, And Functional Capacity Are Attenuated In Elderly Women With Sarcopenic Obesity, Alessandro De Oliveira Silva, Maurílio Tiradentes Dutra, Wilson Max Almeida Monteiro De Moraes, Silvana Schwerz Funghetto, Darlan Lopes De Farias, Paulo Henrique Fernandes Dos Santos, Denis Cesar Leite Vieira, Dahan Da Cunha Nascimento, Vânia Silva Macedo Orsano, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Jonato Prestes

Publications and Research

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of resistance training (RT) on body composition, muscle strength, and functional capacity in elderly women with and without sarcopenic obesity (SO).

Methods: A total of 49 women (aged $60 years) were divided in two groups: without SO (non-SO, n=41) and with SO (n=8). Both groups performed a periodized RT program consisting of two weekly sessions for 16 weeks. All measures were assessed at baseline and postintervention, including anthropometry and body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), muscle strength (one repetition maximum) for chest press and 45° leg press, and functional capacity …

Non-Invasive Detection Of Adeno-Associated Viral Gene Transfer Using A Genetically Encoded Cest-Mri Reporter Gene In The Murine Heart, Shelby Meier, Assaf A. Gilad, Jason Anthony Brandon, Chenghao Qian, Erhe Gao, Jose F. Abisambra, Moriel Vandsburger

Physiology Faculty Publications

Research into gene therapy for heart failure has gained renewed interest as a result of improved safety and availability of adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV). While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is standard for functional assessment of gene therapy outcomes, quantitation of gene transfer/expression relies upon tissue biopsy, fluorescence or nuclear imaging. Imaging of gene expression through the use of genetically encoded chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST)-MRI reporter genes could be combined with clinical cardiac MRI methods to comprehensively probe therapeutic gene expression and subsequent outcomes. The CEST-MRI reporter gene Lysine Rich Protein (LRP) was cloned into an AAV9 vector and either …

A Speed-Based Approach To Vestibular Rehabilitation For Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction: A Retrospective Chart Review, Robert Alen Roller, Courtney D. Hall

ETSU Faculty Works

BACKGROUND: Current vestibular rehabilitation for peripheral vestibular hypofunction is an exercise-based approach that improves symptoms and function in most, but not all patients, and includes gaze stabilization exercises focused on duration of head movement. One factor that may impact rehabilitation outcomes is the speed of head movement during gaze stability exercises.

OBJECTIVE: Examine outcomes of modified VOR X1 exercises that emphasize a speed-based approach for gaze stabilization while omitting substitution and habituation exercises. Balance training focused on postural realignment and hip strategy performance during altered visual and somatosensory inputs.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 159 patients with vestibular deficits …

Biomarkers Of Rehabilitation Therapy Vary According To Stroke Severity, Erin Burke Quinlan, Lucy Dodakian, Jill See, Alison Mckenzie, Jill Campbell Stewart Pt,Phd, Steven C. Cramer

Faculty Publications

Biomarkers that capture treatment effects could improve the precision of clinical decision making for restorative therapies. We examined the performance of candidate structural, functional, and angiogenesis-related MRI biomarkers before and after a 3-week course of standardized robotic therapy in 18 patients with chronic stroke and hypothesized that results vary significantly according to stroke severity. Patients were 4.1 ± 1 months poststroke, with baseline arm Fugl-Meyer scores of 20–60. When all patients were examined together, no imaging measure changed over time in a manner that correlated with treatment-induced motor gains. However, when also considering the interaction with baseline motor status, treatment-induced …

Biomarkers Of Rehabilitation Therapy Vary According To Stroke Severity, Erin Burke Quinlan, Lucy Dodakian, Jill See, Alison Mckenzie, Jill Campbell Stewart, Steven C. Cramer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Biomarkers that capture treatment effects could improve the precision of clinical decision making for restorative therapies. We examined the performance of candidate structural, functional,and angiogenesis-related MRI biomarkers before and after a 3-week course of standardized robotic therapy in 18 patients with chronic stroke and hypothesized that results vary significantly according to stroke severity. Patients were 4.1 ± 1 months poststroke, with baseline arm Fugl-Meyer scores of 20–60. When all patients were examined together, no imaging measure changed over time in a manner that correlated with treatment-induced motor gains. However, when also considering the interaction with baseline motor status, treatment-induced motor …

Dating As An Occupation: Swipe Right For Occupational Therapy, Karen Mccarthy

Collected Faculty Scholarship

At a first glance, these may look like personal ads you might in the past have found in any newspaper classified section, yet they could be mini occupational profiles that represent your clients. Each profile contains information about the client, their interests and passions, their values, and their goals and dreams for meeting a partner.

Personal ads, once so public for everyone who opened a newspaper to read, have now moved onto the vast and complicated world of online dating. The game has changed, with 15% of adults in the United States reporting they have used online dating sites or …

Table Of A Second Chance, Jean P. Belizaire Mr.

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation will help to empower those who work with the drug addicted population to identify, increase, and incorporate better means of services.

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy For Locally Progressive And Recurrent Pancreatic Cancer After Prior Radiation, Philip Sutera, Mark E. Bernard, Hong Wang, Nathan Bahary, Steven Burton, Herbert Zeh, Dwight E. Heron

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive malignancy that has consistently demonstrated poor outcomes despite aggressive treatments. Despite multimodal treatment, local disease progression and local recurrence are common. Management of recurrent or progressive pancreatic carcinomas proves a further challenge. In patients previously treated with radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a promising modality capable of delivering high dose to the tumor while limiting dose to critical structures. We aimed to determine the feasibility and tolerability of SBRT for recurrent or local pancreatic cancer in patients previously treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).

Materials and methods: Patients treated with …

A Delayed Diagnosis Of Tarsometatarsal Ligament (Lisfranc) Sprain In A Female College Soccer Athlete And Foot Rehabilitation, Boyoung Park

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

A Delayed Diagnosis of Tarsometatarsal Ligament (Lisfranc) Sprain in a Female College Soccer Athlete and Foot Rehabilitation

Park B*, Nicola M*, Wilkins S*: *University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE

Objective: To emphasize the importance of the correct treatment protocol and the proper rehabilitation exercises based on the patient’s injury condition and healing process. Background: A 22-year-old female division I soccer athlete underwent tarsometatarsal ligament repair to stabilize midfoot. The patient started feeling pain in the dorsal aspect of her left 1st and 2nd metatarsals at the beginning of the season, however, she reported no specific mechanism of injury …

Developing A Footswitch Device To Assess The Likelihood Of Falls In At-Risk Populations, Arash Mohammadzadeh Gonabadi

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Falls are one of the major cause of injuries, reduced functioning and even mortality in older adults. Most of the falls occur during walking, so considering the mechanics of gait during walking can provide insight to identify the risk of fall in this population. A component of walking mechanics associated with falling in the elderly is gait variability (i.e. the inherent natural fluctuations between strides). Healthy states are associated with an optimal level of movement variability reflecting the adaptability of the underlying control system, while pathological gait can be either too regular, or periodic, or too random and disordered. In …

Subthreshold Vibration Does Not Affect Walking Performance Of Transtibial Amputees, Charles Sloan

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Ian Sloan , Jenny A. Kent, Shane R. Wurdeman, Adam L. Jacobsen, Kota Z. Takahashi, Nicholas Stergiou. Subthreshold vibration does not affect walking performance of transtibial amputees. Objective: To test the hypothesis that adding subthreshold vibrations to the thigh of the affected limb on amputees would allow for better control of the prosthesis. Setting: Biomechanics Research Building at UNO. Participants: 14 transtibial amputees (age range, 33-72y). Intervention: Applying subthreshold vibrations to thigh of affected limb for three different conditions; white noise signal, pink noise signal, and none. Outcome Measures: Step length, step width, and step …

Dynamic Stability Association With Cost Of Transport Is Different In Patients With Copd Compared To Healthy Controls, Farahnaz Fallah Tafti

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suffer from deficits in their functional performance besides their lung disease. In this situation, increased muscle activity is needed to provide safe walking patterns, stability while walking. This increase in muscle activity leads to increased metabolic cost, i.e., using more oxygen to complete the task. The main objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between walking stability and metabolic cost in patients with COPD in comparison with age-matched controls. Seventeen patients with COPD and 23 healthy controls walked on a treadmill at three different speeds: preferred, fast (+20% preferred) and slow …

Acute Subdural Hematoma In A High School Football Player Requiring Emergent Decompressive Craniecromy, Christine Center

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The purpose of this report is to present the case of a high school football player that was injured in a game causing an acute subdural hematoma (SDH). A SDH is a potential life-threatening arterial vessel bleed in the brain, causing increased intracranial pressure. The intervention used to treat the athlete was an emergent decompressive craniectomy. The uniqueness of the case is due to both rare pathology and treatment method used. The athlete had a positive outcome due to prompt on-field assessment, and advanced surgical treatments. Certified Athletic Trainers (ATC) should know how to recognize symptoms of traumatic brain injury, …

Impact Of Real World Environments On Movement Variability, Matt Harrison

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Osteoarthritis; OA for short, is the most common form of arthritis and is one of the leading causes of disability. OA is the progressive wearing down of the cartilage covering bones and joints. For those with end stage knee OA, a total knee arthroplasty, or replacement, is the standard treatment with more than 700,000 TKA’s performed annually. While pain is improved in general, the functional performance and activity levels of the joint often do not return to those of healthy individuals. To understand the long-term consequences of poor function post-TKA, we need data that characterizes an individual’s real-world movement and …

The Effects Of Contralateral Exercise On Patient Pain And Range Of Motion, Smokey Fermin, Lindsay Warren, Sarah Beene, David Wetzel

Health Sciences Faculty Scholarship

Clinicians are commonly tasked with treating patients suffering from range of motion (ROM) deficits, pain, or both. Treatment options intended to increase ROM, decrease pain and restore function are vast. Often interventions are used that focus on a singular symptom location (e.g., stretching and joint mobilizations) although a long-standing call exists to utilize global approaches to treating dysfunction. This review was conducted to determine whether evidence exists to support the use of contralateral exercise (CE)to treatROM deficits or pain.

Comparison Of Interactive Video Test Performance To Overall Class Performance In A Biomechanics Course, Guinevere S. Bennett

Occupational Therapy Faculty Research

Objective:

This study compared interactive video test performance and students' overall class performance. The hypothesis was that there would be a difference in video test performance compared to overall class performance.

Methods:

A total of 30 students participated in the pilot study from a master's level biomechanics course. Students completed four interactive video tests using EduCanon; content of videos included base of support, lever systems, scapulohumeral rhythm, and postural analysis. This content was reviewed with class discussion after completion of the interactive video test. The tests administered counted toward the participation portion of the final student grade. Student performance on …