Physical Therapy Commons^™

Puzzling Your Puzzler, Samantha Brown

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following is summarizing a proposed experimental study based on current literature review and research to evaluate a new interventional therapy for the treatment of concussion compared to current therapeutic practices.

Background and Purpose: Concussions have become a major concern in the medical field in recent years. Several research studies have been conducted to learn the signs and symptoms regarding concussions. Recent literature has found that the signs and symptoms of a concussion are similar to those of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Treating Alzheimer’s disease has changed in recent years. Research has found that mental rehabilitation, also known as …

Self-Efficacy, Cultural Competence, And Perception Of Learning Environment In Traditional And Interprofessional Education Physical Therapy Curricula, Laura Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interprofessional education (IPE), a concept that brings students from different health care professions together in the learning process, has been adopted by some physical therapy (PT) schools as an alternative to traditional PT-only curricula. Both approaches have the goal of improving patient outcomes for an increasingly diverse population. There was a void in the research comparing IPE and traditional curricula in PT education. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of adult and social learning theory, the purpose of this study was to examine differences in students' self-efficacy, cultural competence, and perceptions of the learning environment based on curricular type and prior …

Choice Of Human–Computer Interaction Mode In Stroke Rehabilitation, Hossein Mousavi Hondori, Maryam Khademi, Lucy Dodakian, Alison Mackenzie, Cristina V. Lopes, Steven C. Cramer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Objective. Advances in technology are providing new forms of human–computer interaction. The current study examined one form of human–computer interaction, augmented reality (AR), whereby subjects train in the real-world workspace with virtual objects projected by the computer. Motor performances were compared with those obtained while subjects used a traditional human–computer interaction, that is, a personal computer (PC) with a mouse. Methods. Patients used goal-directed arm movements to play AR and PC versions of the Fruit Ninja video game. The 2 versions required the same arm movements to control the game but had different cognitive demands. With …

Evaluating Web-Based Pelvic Floor Muscle Education For Pregnant Women, Judith Wilson

Theses

Background: Guidelines recommend that when pregnant women attend antenatal education they gain adequate knowledge about pregnancy-related topics, including the function of pelvic floor muscles and how to undertake a pelvic floor muscle exercise programme. Evidence is limited about how this information can be optimally delivered to pregnant women such that they gain knowledge, confidence and motivation to engage in a pelvic floor muscle exercise programme during the antenatal period. The primary objectives of the research were to evaluate the effect of delivering a web-based pelvic floor muscle education intervention in addition to usual antenatal care on primiparae women’s awareness; knowledge; …

The Prevalence, Characteristics, Impact And Management Of Headache In People With Schizophrenia And Schizoaffective Disorder: A Cross Sectional Cohort Study, Joanne Connaughton

Theses

Headache is the most common pain problem reported by people with schizophrenia, with 12 month prevalence rates of around 50%. Despite this little research has been conducted into the characteristics, impact and management of headaches in this population. There is evidence to support the efficacy of physiotherapy treatment of cervicogenic headache and tension type headache and determining the prevalence, impact and current management of these types of headache was of particular interest.

A pilot study was first undertaken to identify and refine an appropriate headache questionnaire, develop an algorithm to use for classification of headache and test the repeatability and …

Validity And Usability Of A Professional Association’S Web-Based Knowledge Translation Portal: American Physical Therapy Association’S Ptnow.Org, Judith E. Deutsch, Wendy Romney, Jan Reynolds, Tara Jo Manal

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Background: PTNow.org is an evidence-based, on-line portal created by a professional membership association to promote use of evidence in practice and to help decrease unwarranted variation in practice. The site contains synthesis documents designed to promote efficient clinical reasoning. These documents were written and peer-reviewed by teams of content experts and master clinicians. The purpose of this paper is to report on the content and construct validity as well as usability of the site. Methods: Physical therapist participants used clinical summaries (available in 3 formats--as a full summary with hyperlinks, "quick takes" with hyperlinks, and a portable two-page version) on …

A Novel Fmri Paradigm Suggests That Pedaling-Related Brain Activation Is Altered After Stroke, Nutta-On Promjunyakul, Brian D. Schmit, Sheila M. Schindler-Ivens

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure pedaling-related brain activation in individuals with stroke and age-matched controls. We also sought to identify stroke-related changes in brain activation associated with pedaling. Fourteen stroke and 12 control subjects were asked to pedal a custom, MRI-compatible device during fMRI. Subjects also performed lower limb tapping to localize brain regions involved in lower limb movement. All stroke and control subjects were able to pedal while positioned for fMRI. Two control subjects were withdrawn due to claustrophobia, and one control data set was …

Trunk Postural Control In Unstable Sitting: Effect Of Sex And Low Back Pain Status, Christian Larivière, Dany H. Gagnon, Hakim Mecheri

Études primaires

Background

Adequate neuromuscular control of the lumbar spine is required to prevent lumbar injuries. A trunk postural control test protocol, controlling for the influence of body size on performance, was implemented to carry out between-subject comparisons. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of sex and low back pain status with the use of two measures of trunk postural control, the first based on chair motion, and the second based on trunk motion.

Methods

Thirty-six subjects (with and without low back pain) performed three 60-s trunk postural control trials with their eyes closed while seated on an …

Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Orthosis Augmented By Either Stretching Or Stretching And Strengthening For Stage Ii Tibialis Posterior Tendon Dysfunction, Jeff Houck, Christopher Neville, Josh Tome, Adolph Flemister

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Background: The value of strengthening and stretching exercises combined with orthosis treatment in a home-based program has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of augmenting orthosis treatment with either stretching or a combination of stretching and strengthening in participants with stage II tibialis posterior tendon dysfunction (TPTD).

Methods: Participants included 39 patients with stage II TPTD who were recruited from a medical center and then randomly assigned to a strengthening or stretching treatment group. Excluding 3 dropouts, there were 19 participants in the strengthening group and 17 in the stretching group. The stretching …

Functional Performance Deficits Exist In Female Naia Collegiate Athletes With History Of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Jason Brumitt

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

The Lower Extreminty Functional Test: Normative And Epidemiological Data In A Collegiate Female Athlete Population, Jason Brumitt, Bryan Heiderscheit, Robert C. Manske, Paul E. Niemuth, A. Mattocks

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

Intra-Tester Reliability And Concurrent Validity Of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound And Vernier Calipre In Quantifying The Anteroposterior Diameter Of The Common Extensor Origin Of The Forearm And The Radial Nerve: A Cadaveric Study, Valentine Dones Iii, Ian P. Aguinaldo, Svetlana Maris Aycardo, Buena Fe Apepe

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Introduction: The literature reports an increase in anteroposterior diameter of the common extensor origin (CEO) of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) and extensor digitorum communis (EDC) or the radial nerve in painful elbows diagnosed with lateral epicondylalgia (LE) or supinator syndrome. The edge-to-edge measurements of these anatomical structures are quantified using musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS). However, in the current literature, reports on the reliability and validity of MSUS measurements of the CEO (of ECRB and EDC) and the radial nerve are not found. In this study, reliability was measured for three testers in determining the anteroposterior diameter of the CEO …

Evaluation Of Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Mobility Using Advanced Biomechanical Methods, Brooke A. Slavens, Alyssa J. Schnorenberg, Christine M. Aurit, Adam Graf, Joseph J. Krzak, Kathryn Reiners, Lawrence C. Vogel, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

There is minimal research of upper extremity joint dynamics during pediatric wheelchair mobility despite the large number of children using manual wheelchairs. Special concern arises with the pediatric population, particularly in regard to the longer duration of wheelchair use, joint integrity, participation and community integration, and transitional care into adulthood. This study seeks to provide evaluation methods for characterizing the biomechanics of wheelchair use by children with spinal cord injury (SCI). Twelve subjects with SCI underwent motion analysis while they propelled their wheelchair at a self-selected speed and propulsion pattern. Upper extremity joint kinematics, forces, and moments were computed using …

Evidence For Respiratory Neuromodulator Interdependence After Cholinergic Disruption In The Ventral Respiratory Column, Clarissa Muere, Suzanne Neumueller, Justin Robert Miller, Samantha Olesiak, Matthew Hodges, Lawrence Pan, Hubert Forster

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Reverse dialysis of the muscarinic receptor antagonist, atropine (ATR, 50 mM), into the pre-Bötzinger Complex region of the ventral respiratory column (VRC) of awake and sleeping goats increases breathing frequency and serotonin (5-HT), substance P (SP), glycine, and GABA concentrations in the effluent dialysate. Herein, we report data from goats in which we reverse dialyzed 5 mM ATR or specific antagonists of M2 or M3 muscarinic receptors into the VRC. The effects on frequency of all three antagonists were not significantly different from time control studies. 5 mM ATR and the M3 antagonist increased SP sevenfold less than 50 mM …

The Use Of An Orthotic Garment System On A Pediatric Patient With Mitochondrial Disease Complex 1+3: A Case Report, Stephanie Sheehan

Case Report Posters

Background: Mitochondrial Disease (MD) is a progressive and debilitating disease that is characterized by a loss of efficiency in the electron transport chain and reductions in the synthesis of high energy molecules such as ATP. Orthotic garment systems also referred to as “TheraTogs®”, have been designed to act as a continuous somatosensory guide for proper functional alignment. Theratogs have been used in the pediatric population to treat Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome with excellent results but there is no known research regarding the benefits of TheraTogs® in individuals with MD. Purpose: To investigate the use of the TheraTogs® System for …

Pelvic Pain, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Urinary And Colorectal Distress Incidence And Relationship To Quality Of Life And Birth Mode, Lori Maria Walton, Christine Abreu, Eliena Jeffus, Amy Trautwein, Shenya Xavier

Faculty Publications

Abstract Purpose: To determine the incidence and impact of pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and colorectal distress and quality of life by birth mode for women in the chronic postpartum period. Study design: Cross-sectional correlational design utilizing purposive sampling of (n=21) female postpartum subjects ages 18-45. Background: Caesarean Section (CS) incidence is reported at 32% nationwide, well above the recommended safe rate of 10% (WHO). Literature is not clear regarding role of birth mode in postpartum symptoms including: pelvic pain, colorectal distress, pelvic organ prolapse, and quality of life. Methods: Data collection took place after IRB approval from Andrews …

Outpatient Physical Therapy Management Of A Female Athlete With A Left Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction And Left Medial Meniscectomy: A Case Report, Kyle Brown

Case Report Papers

Background and Purpose: The anterior cruciate ligament is a vital structure of the knee, especially for athletes involved in agility driven sports. Currently, the prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries is on the rise in young female athletes. Females in general are more susceptible to these injuries because of their anatomical structure, possibly hormone balances, and other factors. The purpose of this Case Report is to provide a comprehensive account of the physical therapy treatment provided to a young female athlete status post left anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Case Description: The patient is an eighteen year old female athlete who …

The Test-Retest Reliability And Minimal Detectable Change In The Modified Fresno Test In Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students, Erin Pike, Lisa Gerhardt

Research Report Papers

Background: The American Physical Therapy Association identified the need for training in evidence based practice (EBP) and set forth guidelines for doctor of physical therapy (DPT) curricula to educate practitioners who are efficient and critical users of best evidence. Since DPT programs are teaching EBP, educators need an assessment tool to evaluate the competence of students. The Modified Fresno Test (MFT) of EBP was validated for physical therapists and the test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) has been found for first year DPT students.

Objective: The purpose is to determine the test-retest reliability and MDC of the MFT in …

Physical Therapy Management Of A Patient After A Subacromial Decompression With Acromioplasty And Bursectomy: A Case Report, Brianne Landholt

Case Report Papers

Background: Subacromial impingement results from repetitive trauma to structures underneath the subacromial arch leading to a decrease in the subacromial space, impingement of soft tissue, and ultimately a decrease in functional abilities. Conservative treatment includes physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteriod injections. If improvements are not observed, there is a surgical option of a subacromial decompression (SAD). Conclusive evidence supporting surgery over conservative measures does not exist1. Literature is lacking regarding SAD without rotator cuff (RTC) repair and performing SAD with both an acromioplasty and bursectomy. Therefore, the purpose of this case report was to investigate the functional outcomes …

Improving Interdisciplinary Communication To Improve Patient Satisfaction, Jennifer J. Barnes

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Clinical Nurse Leader project took place at a Magnet Hospital in Northern California. It involved the nursing staff on a 23-bed Post-Surgical Medical Surgical unit, as well as the therapists providing care to their diverse patient population. The goal was to improve interdisciplinary communication to decrease the frequency of missed or postponed therapy sessions. A review of literature revealed that this preventable issue could be the most significant factor resulting in an extended length of stay and affecting overall patient satisfaction. Project data was gathered from a variety of sources, including a unit assessment, shadowing therapists, interviews with key …