Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

From Nepantla To Aztlan: Testimonios Of Faculty Mothers Of Color With Disabilities, Maria Bridges

Theses and Dissertations

From Nepantla to Aztlan: This dissertation sheds light on the supports and barriers that tenured/tenure-track Faculty Mothers of Color with Disabilities experience/d in their careers as students and faculty. Drawing from Indigenous methodologies (Relationality, Decoloniality, and Autoethnography), Liberation Psychology (Decolonial Designs, Conscientização, and Psicología social de la liberación), and Critical Theories (Latina Critical Theory, Pedagogies of the Home, Autohistoria-teoría and Disability Critical Theory), the researcher uses testimonios/pláticas as a method of inquiry to uncover the experiences of eight Nepantleras, Faculty Mothers of Color with Disabilities. The researcher initially hypothesized that she would find supports and barriers that fell into 4 …

A Clinical Test To Assess Isometric Cervical Strength In Chronic Whiplash Associated Disorder (Wad): A Reliability Study, Jeff Habberfield, Geoff Schneider, Kathryn Schneider, Sozina Katuli, Lee Olson

Faculty Publications

Background: Cervical spine muscle weakness is well demonstrated in individuals with chronic neck pain. There is a lack of literature evaluating clinically applicable means of assessing isometric cervical strength in chronic whiplash associated disorder (WAD). This study assessed the reliability of self-resisted isometric cervical strength testing using a handheld dynamometer. The relationship between strength and neck pain-related disability and kinesiophobia was also investigated.

Methods: Twenty subjects with chronic WAD performed maximum-efort isometric cervical fexion, extension, side fexion, and rotation against a hand held dynamometer. The dynamometer was held by the subject, who provided self-resistance. Subjects completed two sessions of testing …

Enhancing Physician Perspectives Of Skilled Occupational Therapy Services For Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Valerie S. Trinidad

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

This Capstone Project, with a focus in research, sought to identify a relationship between self-reported functional performance and participation restriction as described by satisfaction with one’s execution or participation in a described occupation. A correlational study design was employed under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Decker, EdD, OTD, OTR/L who oversaw all IRB processes, documentation, study development and deployment, as well as co-authored and provided mentorship for creation of a publishable manuscript of this project. The established Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the newer Keele Assessment of Participation (KAP) were the two outcome measures of focus for surveying …

Mediation Analysis Of The Effect Of Visuospatial Memory On Motor Skill Learning In Older Adults, Andrew Hooyman, Jennapher Lingo Vangilder, Sydney Y. Schaefer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

There is high inter-individual variability in motor skill learning among older adults. Identifying the nature of these individual differences remains challenging due to interactions between participant characteristics (e.g., age, cognition) and task-related factors (e.g., nature of task, level of skill pre-training), making it difficult to determine plausibly causal relationships. This study addresses these competing explanations by using mediation analysis to examine plausible causal inference between visuospatial memory and one-month retention of both gross and fine motor components of a functional upper-extremity task following training. Results suggest that better visuospatial memory results in more retention of fine but not gross motor …

Exploring The Knowledge And Perception Of The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Concussion Management In An Interdisciplinary Sports Medicine Center, Courtney J. Leiter

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to identify the need for occupational therapists (OTs) in the management of sport-related concussion symptoms and work to educate and advocate for the field to be included as a part of an interdisciplinary concussion care team. The primary focus was to determine support for the use of interdisciplinary educational (IPE) demonstrations to educate health care professionals and graduate students on the scope and services OTs can offer within concussion care. A pre-post survey was utilized to evaluate the agreement levels on the use of an IPE demonstration to increase knowledge and perception of the …

Mtorc1 And Mtorc2 Complexes Regulate The Untargeted Metabolomics And Amino Acid Metabolites Profile Through Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Functions In Pancreatic Beta Cells, Ghada A. Soliman, Rinat Abzalimov, Ye He

Advanced Science Research Center

Background: Pancreatic beta cells regulate bioenergetics efficiency and secret insulin in response to glucose and nutrient availability. The mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) network orchestrates pancreatic progenitor cell growth and metabolism by nucleating two complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. Objective: To determine the impact of mTORC1/mTORC2 inhibition on amino acid metabolism in mouse pancreatic beta cells (Beta-TC-6 cells, ATCC-CRL-11506) using high-resolution metabolomics (HRM) and live-mitochondrial functions. Methods: Pancreatic beta TC-6 cells were incubated for 24 h with either: RapaLink-1 (RL); Torin-2 (T); rapamycin (R); metformin (M); a combination of RapaLink-1 and metformin (RLM); Torin-2 and metformin (TM); compared to the control. …

Doctoral Capstone Culminating Project: Addressing Language Barriers To Parent Education In Pediatric Outpatient Settings, Agnes M. Valentin

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Classifying Toe Walking Gait Patterns Among Children Diagnosed With Idiopathic Toe Walking Using Wearable Sensors And Machine Learning Algorithms, Rahul Soangra, Yuxin Wen, Hualin Yang, Marybeth Grant-Beuttler

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Idiopathic toe walking (ITW) is a gait abnormality in which children’s toes touch at initial contact and demonstrate limited or no heel contact throughout the gait cycle. Toe walking results in poor balance, increased risk of falling, and developmental delays among children. Identifying toe walking steps during walking can facilitate targeted intervention among children diagnosed with ITW. With recent advances in wearable sensing, communication technologies, and machine learning, new avenues of managing toe walking behavior among children are feasible. In this study, we investigate the capabilities of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms in identifying initial foot contact (heel strike versus toe …

Nurse-Led Intervention: Implementing Early Mobilization Of Patients In The Intensive Care Unit, Lou A. Hill

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Immobility of patients in the hospital intensive care unit can cause longer stays in the intensive care unit and the hospital. Evidence-based early mobilization of patients helps to reduce length of stay (LOS) and avoid many detrimental sequelae, leading to short and long-term debilitation.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In the adult medical and surgical intensive care units (P), how does implementation of a nurse-driven protocol for early mobility (I), affect the LOS in the intensive care units and the LOS in the hospital (O), as opposed to not using a protocol for early …

Projected Utility Of The Ready Set Return Application, Erin Hartigan, Cassidy Sirois, Jonathan Lindau, Taylor Lockwood, Valerie Nesom, Nan M. Solomons

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: An application (app) that summarizes best practices may promote standardized care among clinicians treating patients during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to test the prototype of the Ready Set Return (RSR) app to determine receptiveness for use in clinical practice.

Methods: Two mock patient cases were used to familiarize 19 physical therapists and athletic trainers with the RSR app. Then these participants provided feedback about the user experience, features, and content using Likert ratings and free-text fields through an online survey.

Results: Most participants (89%-95%) would recommend the RSR app to others and …

The Anatomy Of Human Occupation, Jennifer K. Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Dr. Emily Balog, PhD., OTR/L, ECHM, an occupational therapy professor and artist based in New Jersey, provided the cover art for the Summer 2022 edition of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). “The Knitting Brain” is an 11” x 15” painting made from watercolors. The inspiration for this painting came from years of experience working with individuals with head injury, stroke, and mental illness. The piece is from her Anatomy of Human Occupation series. This collection of paintings is a unique and authentic representation of Dr. Balog’s love of the human body and the healing power of occupation. Dr. …

Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Emily N. Maas, Allison Sullivan, Said Nafai, James Plummer

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic. Hospitals, nursing homes, and communities worldwide were flooded with patients diagnosed with COVID-19, resulting in the increased need for medical care and treatment by health care professionals, such as occupational therapists. This study analyzes output from a quantitative online survey design, which was created on SurveyMonkey and included 43 questions. Data from the survey were collected, categorized, and measured through the SurveyMonkey computer system and included information gathered from 204 occupational therapists from October 2020 to February 2020. Based …

Occupational Disruptions Among Health Professional Graduate Students During Covid-19 Pandemic, Supawadee C. Lee, Blerta Blushi, Joy Ann Dimaculangan, Anahid Keshishian, Michelle Segovia

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The COVID-19 pandemic created a global lockdown and restricted people from leaving their homes. The current study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on occupational engagement among health professional graduate students. A web-based survey consisting of quantitative and qualitative responses was sent out to graduate students enrolled in health professional programs at a private university in the Northeast and received 86 responses. The results revealed that social participation and education were the most impacted occupations. The least affected occupations among the graduate students in health professional programs was ADLs. The participants reported the pandemic did not negatively affect …

Peer Mentoring In An Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Program: Student Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lauren E. Stone Kelly

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on education. During this time, educators were tasked to develop creative and new ways to engage and teach students. Mentoring has been shown to positively impact academic and psychosocial outcomes and can enhance clinical skills in both in-person and e-learning environments. However, there is need for further research on peer mentoring programs in occupational therapy curriculum.

Method: This retrospective qualitative study investigates the effects of peer mentoring on student perceptions of learning and professional development. Experiences were tracked for three semesters during the pandemic at an accredited entry-level occupational therapy …

Occupational Disruptions Among Health Professional Faculty During Covid-19 Pandemic, Supawadee C. Lee, Mahrukh Awan, Uruj Chaudhary, Priyanka John

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The coronavirus disease was an unexpected pandemic. It led faculty in the health professional graduate programs to adjust and adapt to the new reality, which impacted them mentally, physically, and emotionally, and disrupted their occupational performance. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 on occupational engagement through semi-structured interviews conducted to understand the lived experiences of graduate faculty in health professional programs at one university in the northeast region. The interviews were analyzed by creating codes and themes through the process of peer debriefing. Eight faculty participated in the study, including faculty from the …

Occupational Disruption: The Influence Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Behavioral Inflexibility And Anxiety Of Autistic Children, Aaron R. Dallman, Catherine Perry, Jessica Goldblum, Nicole M. Butera, Brian Boyd, Clare Harrop

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented changes to the lives of many. The aim of this paper was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted behavioral inflexibility (BI) and anxiety among autistic children and how autistic children and their families have adapted to COVID-19-related routine changes.

Methods: This sequential mixed-method study included two phases. During the first phase, parents of autistic children (N = 48) completed an online survey consisting of the Behavioral Inflexibility Scale (BIS) and the Parent-Rated Anxiety Scale – Autism Spectrum Disorder (PRAS-ASD). During the second phase, a subset of parents (parents of adolescents, N …

Occupational Therapists And Covid-19 Pandemic: An Observational Survey In Europe, Christian Pozzi, Alessandro Lanzoni, Pier Carlo Battain, Evelyn Alvarez, Eduardo Tobar, Ruth Hersche, Stefano Cavalli, Anna Monsò, Eva Llarch, Giuseppe Bellelli, Alessandro Morandi, Maud Graff

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a health care emergency in Europe since the first wave in 2020. Several challenges have arisen for occupational therapists, as well as all the health care professionals. The aim of this study was to determine what occupational therapists have changed to adapt their therapeutic processes for this catastrophic situation.

Method: An online survey was developed and sent in conjunction with the Council of Occupational Therapy for European Countries (COTEC) to European national associations of occupational therapists.

Results: The study was based on a sample of 65 occupational therapists who worked …

From Isolation To Connection: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Older Adults’ Social Participation Using The Cov19-Qol Scale, Kathleen Melei, Jill Linder

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Social isolation during COVID-19 has the capacity to impact older adults’ physical health, mental health, and quality of life. Using an occupational therapy perspective of social participation as an occupation, the current study explores (a) the extent to which social participation (habits/routines) has changed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) differences in perceptions of social participation in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (c) differences in scores on the COVID-19 Quality of Life (COV19-QoL) scale by demographics, access to health care, and lifestyle routine.

Method: Community-dwelling adults (N = 230) 65 years of age or …

A Dialogue Regarding The Current Status Of Mental Health And Occupational Therapy Practice In The United States, Bryan M. Gee, Sonia Zimmerman, Janice Hinds, Halley Read

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Increasing Occupational Engagement By Addressing Psychosocial And Occupational Factors Of Chronic Pain: A Case Report, John V. Rider, Monica C. Tay

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Chronic pain can significantly disrupt occupational engagement through physical, psychological, and social domains. Because pain is a subjective experience influenced by numerous factors, it has the capacity to become increasingly complex. Evidence supports addressing chronic pain through a biopsychosocial approach and promoting health and well-being through occupational engagement.

Method: This case report describes the implementation of psychosocial and occupation-focused assessments and interventions for a 68-year-old client with chronic pain and increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing. The use of an occupation-focused time-use assessment (Occupational Experience Profile), psychosocial assessments, and pain assessments guided intervention development. Occupational …