Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

An Examination Between Swimming Ability, Gender, And Race- An Exploratory Investigation, Laynie E. Brown

Honors College Theses

One of the leading causes of unintentional death worldwide is drowning. From 2005-2009, an estimated 3, 107 people in the United States over the age of fifteen died from drowning (Peden, Oyegbite, & Ozanne-Smith, 2008). Research has found higher amounts of drowning deaths to be males than females and African-American than Caucasian (Saluja et al., 2005). However, no significant differences have been found in real or perceived water competency between gender or age groups (Moran et al., 2012). Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine ability to swim between gender, race, and school classification of college students. Quantitative …

Exploring The Neuro-Occupational Relationship Between Routine Family Mealtimes And Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Megan Shea

Neuro-Occupation Papers

There is a widely held opinion that eating is one of the most significant, emotional, and enjoyable daily occupations. Mealtimes provide a sense of familiarity, comfort, and structure to our days, while the preparation of meals often provides opportunities for us to socialize, acquire new skills, and develop meaningful roles (Hasselkus, 2002). The sharing of routine family meals is associated with numerous neurological, psychosocial, developmental, and educational benefits, including increased family communication and cohesiveness, and opportunities for parents to model healthy eating patterns and behaviors (Absolom & Roberts, 2011). However, prevalence rates indicate that mealtime difficulties are very common in …

Keeping Memory Alive: Exploring The Personal Experiences Of Women In Midlife, Mary Konz

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore how women in their midlife years use activities of daily living to address possible memory loss by exploring their personal experiences. The review of the literature provides an overview of memory disorders including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well as three specific aspects of memory that are affected by these: verbal, spatial, and procedural memory. A questionnaire that targeted women between the ages of 50 and 60 years of age was distributed via social media and e-mail for four weeks. Eighteen women completed the questionnaire. Results of the study suggest that …

First Generation Americans' Perceptions On Asd: A Comparison Of Generational Worldviews On Services, Samantha Tejada

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand why parents of different ethnicity do or do not seek services or follow-up with recommendation for services for children with autism. Data was collected using an electronic questionnaire. The questionnaire asked demographic information about their family’s cultural roots; the age of diagnoses and available services for a child with ASD; and worldviews on health and services for children with ASD, which was distributed via social media. A total of 26 individuals began the questionnaire but only thirteen complete it. A comparison was made between first generation American parents, those who come from …

Exploring The Utility Of The Children’S Kitchen Task Assessment For Use With Six-Year-Olds, Vanessa Mae Clemente Carzon, Charisa Justine Kelly, Alexandra Maria Rodriguez

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective The Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA) is an ecologically valid assessment that was designed to assess executive functioning skills in children age 7-10. Currently there is a lack of ecologically valid assessments that test executive functioning in children under seven years of age. For this reason, this study explored the utility of the CKTA for use with six-year-olds.

Methods This study used an exploratory, qualitative, case study design to facilitate its implementation and used quantitative data to make qualitative inferences about the results. Children were given the CKTA and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV Digit Span), a …

Haptic And Exoskeleton Devices For Neurorehabilitation Of Upper Limb Paralysis: A State Of Art And A Night Landing Task, Samantha Renee Wagner

All NMU Master's Theses

Rehabilitation is an important training phase for those suffering from upper limb paralysis as a result of brain injury. When successfully completed, the re-trained limb should be able to successfully complete daily life activities. An alternative to traditional therapy is the usage of effective rehabilitation by using haptic devices in a virtual environment. The type of haptic device and task are crucial for the success of the therapy training sessions. After presenting a state-of-art literature review of several haptic devices that has been used in research and clinical facilities, we thought to use the black hole illusion (BHI), a night …

Effects Of Jump Training On Bone Mineral Density In Young Adult Females, Battogtokh Zagdsuren

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Physical activity is critical to bone health. However, not all physical activity has optimum effect on bone health and metabolism. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a short term progressive jumping protocol on bone mineral density in college age Asian females. Sixteen participants aged18-28 years enrolled in the study. Participants were assigned to exercise (n=9) and control (n=8) groups. The exercise group completed a two-legged depth jump from an approximate 20cm stepbench followed immediately by a maximum vertical jump using arm swings for five days per week for two weeks. Each depth jump and vertical …

Effect Of Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift On Bilateral Coordination In Healthy Adults, Madeleine Haas, Amy Marie Sequeira Boeschen

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this research study was to examine the influence of Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift on the bilateral coordination of healthy adults with no history of developmental or motor delays. Additional studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the Therapeutic Listening® modality using measurable outcomes are necessary as many therapists currently use this program, even though few studies prove its effectiveness. This study recruited 14 freshman and sophomore students aged 18-21 years. Seven participants received Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift intervention one time for 20 minutes and seven received no intervention, but instead listened to white noise for the same duration. The participants …

The Preschool Kitchen Task Assessment (Pkta): A Pilot Study Exploring Executive Functioning In Children Ages 3 To 6 Years, Annette M. Yuson, Mallory Hope Engelhardt, Fanny Canlas Dizon

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Background and purpose. The Preschool Kitchen Task Assessment (PKTA) is a newly developed assessment tool based on the principles of the Kitchen Task Assessment (KTA) and may be a valuable tool for assessing executive function (EF). There is a lack of age-appropriate assessments for EF in occupational therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the PKTA as a new assessment and determine if it is a valid measure of EF in preschool children.

Subjects. The total sample consisted of 11 willing preschool-aged children and their parents, with a female to male ratio of 8:3 and …

Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Internationally, Erika Lynn Davee

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and treatment priorities for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) internationally. The materials for this study included a questionnaire developed from literature and that was electronically distributed. Ten individuals from four countries that stretch across three continents completed the questionnaire. Results indicated According to the SLP’s that answered the questionnaire, the minimum education level for a practicing SLP is a master’s and some have obtained a Ph.D. The majority of SLP’s internationally, have treated 1-5 TBI’s in the last twelve months. According to the survey, SLP’s around the world align closer to …

Understanding Dysphagia: The Social And Emotional Impact, Savannah Learned

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the social and emotional impact of dysphagia on the lives of adults with dysphagia and their caregivers. Four adults participated in this study. Five narratives were elicited, two from adult caregivers for children, two from an adult who assisted with family members, and one from an adult who experienced dysphagia. The semi-structured interviews conducted with these adults were audio taped and transcribed word for word. They were then member checked for accuracy. Themes were abstracted from the data set using narrative analysis. Emotional issues associated with dysphagia were the most common themes …

Biomechanical Analysis Of Gait Kinetics Resulting From Use Of A Vacuum Socket On A Transtibial Prosthesis, Maria De Lourdes Ramos Gonzalez

Honors College Theses

The technology and design of lower limb prosthetics have evolved greatly since their introduction. The current study proposed to compare the effects of a conventional pin socket attachment and a vacuum socket attachment for a transtibial amputee. Whereas traditional measurements of gait utilize force plates and camera systems, this study made use of a small tri-axial load cell located at the base of the socket to measure the forces and moments exerted during a regular gait cycle. The hypothesis tested stated that a vacuum pump socket attachment, when compared to a non-vacuum (pin) socket, will have a significant effect on …

Physio@Home: Design Explorations To Support Movement Guidance, Richard Tang, Hesam Alizadeh, Anthony Tang, Scott Bateman, Joaquim A.P. Jorge

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Patients typically undergo physiotherapy with the help of a physiotherapist who teaches, guides, and corrects the patients as they perform exercises. It would be nice if people could repeat these exercises at home, potentially improving their recovery rate. However, without guidance and/or corrective feedback from a physiotherapist, the patient will not know whether they are doing their exercises correctly. To address this problem, we implemented a prototype that guides patients through pre-recorded exercise movements using visual guides overlaid atop a mirror-view of the patient on a wall-mounted display. We conducted informal evaluations and pilot studies to assess our prototype and …

Evidence For The Validity Of A Tool For Improved Pressure Ulcer Staging By The Non-Expert In The Live Patient, Janelle Borg, Carrie Johnston, Megan Lucke, Jordan Sinclair

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: Pressure ulcers (PrUs) are a costly issue for the health care system. The utilization of a tool that increases the accuracy of PrU identification and staging may allow the health care team to better manage these wounds. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of the NE1 Wound Assessment Tool (NE1 WAT) for increasing the wound assessment accuracy of novice nurses.

Subjects: A convenience sample of 11 novice nurses evaluated 11 wounds on eight patients at a 730 bed, hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Methods: Subjects assessed 11 wounds on the patients independently. They …

Developing A Website Of Occupation-Based Resources For Healthy Aging At Dominican University Of California, David Aizpuru, Kevin Urquhart Brown, Beverly Posqdas Deguzman, Cournety Brooke Mcintosh

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this project was to create a website to promote healthy aging at Dominican University of California. The website contains relevant information to promote healthy aging and publicizes Dominican University of California’s activities and programs centered around healthy aging. The design of this thesis is a virtual context project that focuses on occupation based resources for healthy aging and highlights the role of occupational therapy in health aging. The healthy aging website is currently located on the homepage of the Occupational Therapy Department of Dominican University of California website. The need for a Dominican University of California healthy …

Factors That Influence Career Choice In South African Township High School Students, Emily Ann Dodge, Martha Welderufael

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Background:The legacy of apartheid is apparent in the lack of educational resources for Black South African high school students and the occupational deprivation they experience.

Objectives of Study: To collect data on students’ perceptions of career choice in township high schools, barriers prohibiting students from engaging in a career of choice, students’ learning and listening strategies and their general hopefulness.

Methods:Non-experimental, descriptive study using both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis strategies.

Findings:A significant difference was found based on gender in relation to having career options and with regard to how knowledge about careers is gained. …

An Inventory Of Evidence-Based Health And Wellness Assessments For Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Elliott David Brent, Matthew Jordan Carlson

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

It is estimated that by 2020 older adults will makeup one fifth of California's population. Many of these older adults are living in the community and are maintaining their independence. In order to help the older adults to maintain their independence, occupational therapists are turning to the newly emerged wellness promotion model to guide their practice. The wellness promotion model is a holistic model that addresses six domains of wellness (intellectual, spiritual, physical, social, emotional, and vocational). One of the concerns in using this model to guide the emerging practice area in occupational therapy is that there is little information …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Contrast Baths To Cryotherapy In Patients With A Wrist Fracture, Elizabeth Ashley Brown, Brittany Nicole Phipps

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Cryotherapy and contrast baths are common modalities used to treat edema. Despite the fact that many hand therapists report using contrast baths with their patients, there is still little evidence on the effectiveness of them. A Randomized Controlled Trial-Repeated Measures Design was employed to compare the effectiveness of contrast baths to cryotherapy. Participants were recruited after a period of post-fracture immobilization. Blind assessors attained measurements in range of motion, pain, and edema in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to either use cryotherapy or contrast baths at home during the 4-week study period. The participants in …

Developing A Data Compilation For The Marin Autism Collaborative, Sarah Jane Dequis Calub, Nicole Marie Hofeditz, Caitlin Danae Mcintyre

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

There is a documented need for better services for those with autism spectrum disorders. Various barriers, such as availability and accessibility of services and financial barriers, prevent those who need services from obtaining them. According to the literature, using data, particularly population level data, leads to improved services. Understanding the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of services helps healthcare providers identify areas for improvement and/or capitalize on past successful methods. The purpose of this project was to provide a data compilation containing autism statistics including but not limited to prevalence, trend data, service use, and needs for the Marin Autism Collaborative (MAC). …

Skill Generalization Following Computer-Based Cognitive Retraining Among Individuals With Acquired Brain Injury, Jonathan William Alonso, Nisha E. Chadha, Jennifer Elizabeth Pulido

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) often experience cognitive deficits. This creates many challenges in learning or relearning skills and generalizing skills among different contexts and task demands. Computer-Based Cognitive Retraining (CBCR) is a common intervention utilized by occupational therapists to help remediate cognitive deficits in individuals with ABI. Although research has shown that CBCR programs are effective at improving cognitive domains, there is limited evidence to support generalization of these skills to functional daily living tasks. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to assess the occurrence of generalizing gained skills in overall cognition, attention, and memory from …