Physical Therapy Commons^™

Characteristics Needed To Transition From Exemplary Clinical Instructor To Successful Site Coordinator Of Clinical Education: A Qualitative Study, Nicki Silberman, Vicki Lafay

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Introduction: In physical therapist (PT) education, the site coordinator of clinical education (SCCE) administers and manages clinical placements for student clinical education experiences from the clinical side. Characteristics of successful site coordinators of clinical education (SCCEs) have been established; minimal evidence informs the identification of individuals with those characteristics. One cannot assume that exemplary clinical instructors (CIs) will become effective SCCEs. Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate if the characteristics of exemplary CIs are consistent with the traits needed in a successful SCCE candidate by exploring these 3 aims: (1) Describe characteristics of exemplary CIs. (2) …

Using Whole-Brain Diffusion Tensor Analysis To Evaluate White Matter Structural Correlates Of Delayed Visuospatial Memory And One-Week Motor Skill Retention In Nondemented Older Adults: A Preliminary Study, Jennapher Lingo Vangilder, Maurizio Bergamino, Andrew Hooyman, Megan C. Fitzhugh, Corianne Rogalsky, Jill C. Stewart, Scott C. Beeman, Sydney Y. Schaefer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Skill retention is important for motor rehabilitation outcomes. Recent work has demonstrated that delayed visuospatial memory performance may predict motor skill retention in older and neuropathological populations. White matter integrity between parietal and frontal cortices may explain variance in upper-extremity motor learning tasks and visuospatial processes. We performed a whole-brain analysis to determine the white matter correlates of delayed visuospatial memory and one-week motor skill retention in nondemented older adults. We hypothesized that better frontoparietal tract integrity would be positively related to better behavioral performance. Nineteen participants (age>58) completed diffusion-weighted imaging, then a clinical test of delayed visuospatial memory …

Recommendations For Optimizing Cardiac Ischemia Detection For Physical Therapy Practice: Research Review, Stacey Pirtle, Germaine Ferreira

Physical Therapy Collection

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to guide physical therapists in recognizing ischemia using electrocardiogram strips during graded exercise stress testing using methods other than relying on ST segment deviation for cardiac ischemia detection.

Methods: A literature review of the English-language literature published between 1975 to 2022 on the detection and prediction accuracy of ECG abnormalities on cardiac ischemia during GXT was conducted using PubMed and CINAHL. Inclusion criteria included studies utilizing 12-lead ECG monitoring while performing GXT for the detection of cardiac ischemia. Exclusion criteria included studies that did not utilize GXT or ECG for detection of cardiac …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Understanding Common Factors Association With Pain And Functional Outcomes In Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions, Mary Beth Holmes

Educational Studies Dissertations

Healthcare costs continue to rise the provision of value-based care with evidence to support improvement in patient outcomes is essential for service coverage. While physical therapy has proven to be effective for the treatment of painful musculoskeletal conditions ostensibly different treatment approaches have yielded similar results. These findings have led to an exploration of the influence of the features present across all interventions, variables known as the “common factors”, on physical therapy outcomes. Research pertaining to common factors remains in the early stages in physical therapy literature, with studies primarily aimed at defining and exploring singular concepts. Using Wampold’s Contextual …

The Effects On Gait Of 4-Wheeled Walker Use In People With Alzheimer's Disease Dementia And Gait Impairment: A Pilot Study, Humberto Omaña, Edward Madou, Susan W. Hunter

Physical Therapy Publications

In people with dementia, provision of mobility aids is standard treatment for those with impaired gait. However, mobility aid use is independently associated with increased falls risk. In this short communication, gait velocity and stride time variability were recorded in eleven adults with Alzheimer's disease dementia. Three conditions were tested: single-task (no aid), walking with a walker, and dual-task (walker use and counting backwards) under both a straight path and Figure-of-8 walking configuration. Gait velocity increased when using a walker compared to no aid in the Figure-of-8 walking configuration. Walker use improved gait in simple walking, but benefits diminished upon …

Physical Therapists Clinical Instructors Perceptions, Practices And Experience When Supervising An Underperforming Student In Clinical Education, Ruth Lyons Hansen

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Physical Therapist (PT) clinical instructors’ (CIs) perceptions, practices, and experiences when supervising an underperforming student.

Background: The experience of supervising an underperforming student (UPS) in clinical education and failure to fail (FTF) are described in health professions such as nursing and medicine but there is little description of it in Physical Therapist (PT) clinical education.

Purpose: To explore the PT clinical instructors’ (CIs) perceptions, practices and experience when supervising an under-performing student, and to determine if failure to fail exists in PT clinical education and if so, what organizational, personal, and demographic factors may be related to it.

Methods: …

Assessing Ground Reaction Forces And Degenerative Changes Of Sound Limb In Unilateral Lower Extremity Amputees: A Systematic Review, Kira Donnelly, Colin Davis, Nicole Liotta, Angela Perkins, Vibhor Agrawal, Michael Jason Highsmith, Scott Michael Love

Physical Therapy Collection

Abstract Background: There is a rising number of individuals undergoing lower extremity amputation (LEA) and is associated with increased risk of comorbidities. Osteoarthritis (OA) and Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) are conditions that cause reduction in an individual’s function, independence, and quality of life.

Research Design: A search of multiple databases using terms associated with possible functional declines as evidenced by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), followed by assessment of evidence using the PEDro scoring method will be conducted. Multiple reviewers will screen, sort, rate and extract data from articles.

Methods: A computer-aided literature search of PubMed, …

Knee Joint Biomechanics During Gait Improve From 3 To 6 Months After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Kelsey Neal, Jack R. Williams, Abdulmajeed Alfayyadh, Jacob J. Capin, Ashutosh Khandha, Kurt Manal, Lynn Snyder-Mackler, Thomas S. Buchanan

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Gait alterations after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are commonly reported and have been linked to posttraumatic osteoarthritis development. While knee gait alterations have been studied at several time points after ACLR, little is known about how these biomechanical variables change earlier than 6 months after surgery, nor is much known about how they differ over the entire stance phase of gait. The purpose of this study was to examine knee gait biomechanical variables over their entire movement pattern through stance at both 3 and 6 months after ACLR and to study the progression of interlimb asymmetry between the two …

A Proposed Value Metric To Quantify Value In Outpatient Therapy, Bryan Bourcier Dpt, Scs, Thomas Ruediger Dpt, Ocs, Scs, Alexandra Bond Dpt

Other Specialties

ABSTRACT

Study Design: Case report

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the steps towards developing a single number Value Metric that represents both the quality and cost of clinical care for outpatient therapy that can be used in real time.

Background: As healthcare continues to move towards value-based and risk-based reimbursement, it is imperative that leaders in outpatient therapy settings understand and can quantify the value of the services that therapists provide.

Methods and Measures: This study proposes a Value Metric to quantify value in outpatient therapy using existing quality and cost data. The Value Metric was …

Energy Drink Usage By Students Attending An Online University, Jodi Lynn Hutak, Ali Boolani, Lauri O. Byerley

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective: This study determined the frequency, reasons for, and side effects of energy drinks (ED) consumption among online students. Participants: Students attending an online university. Methods: Participants were recruited by email and completed a 59-question survey about their prior months ED practices using a combination of validated surveys previously published examining similar constructs in on-campus students. Results: 307 students (age = 32.4 ± 6.5yrs) completed the survey, and 88% reported consuming EDs. Students’ reasons for consuming ED included school (p < .001), work (p < .001), an event/competition (p < .001), pick me up (p < .001), lack of rest (p < .001), more energy (p < .001), and staying awake while driving (p < .001). Only individuals who consumed > 10 ED/month reported side effects of headaches (p = .01) and speeding (p=.01). Conclusions: In our sample, a majority of …

Advancing The Assessment And Treatment Of Signs And Symptoms Of Parkinson Disease, David Scott May

WUSM Theses and Dissertations – All Programs

People with PD often report signs and symptoms that negatively impact quality of life. Among these are balance difficulties, impaired gait, and FOG. New treatment and assessment strategies for these signs and symptoms are needed, as current techniques are limited. While new treatment and assessment strategies continue to emerge, gaps in knowledge persist. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been utilized in many people with PD throughout the 21st century, but it is unknown specifically how subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) affects balance. Alternative treatment strategies, such as a dental mouthpiece, have also been proposed. While dental mouthpieces have shown …

Assessment Of Postural, Locomotor, And Physical Fitness Status In Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Alana J. Turner

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Postural control and locomotion deficits can be observed during the early years of childhood development and throughout life. For those with disabilities, these deficits can advance past the development years and into adolescence and adulthood while affecting the quality of life and daily activity. Finding interactive rehabilitative activities to delay or limit these deficits is essential for people with disabilities to improve their quality of life, inclusion, and overall movement. Adapted physical activity/sports like badminton and virtual reality could promote improvements in postural and locomotor status for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities like cerebral palsy (CP), intellectual …

Community Based Rehabilitation Programs For Resettled Muslim Women Refugees, Lori Maria Walton Phd, Dpt, Mscpt, Mph(S), Renee Hakim, Phd, Pt, Ncs, Veena Raigangar, Phd(C), Mscpt, M.Ed., Jennifer Schwartz, Dpt, Ncs, Sjm Ummul Ambia, Mscpt, Najah Zaaeed, Drph, Lmsw, Bassima Schbley

Journal of Health Ethics

According to the 2021 report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 82.4 million people were forcibly displaced because of violence, wars, or persecution and over 26.4 million are currently living with refugee status. Displacement and resettlement trauma are associated with chronic disease onset and poor cognitive, physical, and mental health outcomes for refugee populations. To mitigate some of the deleterious effects of resettlement trauma, we propose a community-based rehabilitation program (CBRP) framework that is culturally sensitive, trauma-informed and focused on the vulnerabilities of women. The purpose of this novel CBRP framework is to address health inequities among a …

Association Between Visuomotor Skills And The Effects Of Stroboscopic Vision On Depth Jump Performance, Riley Welch

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The reactive strength index (RSI) is a popularized method of evaluating depth jump performance. Performance in anticipation of ground impact is influenced by the proprioceptive, vestibular, and visuomotor systems through multisensory integration. The contribution of vision to depth jump performance has been studied through use of stroboscopic goggles, but no study has evaluated which visuomotor skills may be a predictor for DJ performance. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the association between visuomotor skills and the effects of stroboscopic vision on DJ performance. Participants consisted of 9 female and 13 male college aged adults. DJ performance was evaluated …

Association Of Disease Outcomes With Physical Activity In Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study, Trinh L T Huynh, Stephanie L Silveira, Brenda Jeng, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose/Objective Research: This study examined combinations of disease outcomes (i.e., walking, cognition, and symptoms) as correlates of physical activity subgroups (insufficiently active vs. sufficiently active) in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).

RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN: This study included 213 participants who completed walking and cognitive function tests and self-report measures of symptoms and physical activity. Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant function analysis identified combinations of MS outcomes associated with physical activity.

RESULTS: The sample had a mean age of 49.6 years (

CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS: The findings identified walking endurance and limitations, processing speed, depression, and fatigue as primary correlates of physical activity …

Role Of Physical Therapists In The Management Of Individuals At Risk For Or Diagnosed With Venous Thromboembolism: Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline 2022, Ellen Hillegass, Kathleen M. Lukaszewicz, Michael Puthoff

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

No matter the practice setting, physical therapists work with patients who are at risk for or who have a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE). In 2016, the first clinical practice guideline (CPG) addressing the physical therapist management of VTE was published with support by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy and Academy of Acute Care, with a primary focus on lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This CPG is an update of the 2016 CPG and contains the most current evidence available for the management of patients with lower extremity DVT and new key …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Direction Of Attentional Focus In Prosthetic Training: Current Practice And Potential For Improving Motor Learning In Individuals With Lower Limb Loss, Szu-Ping Lee, Alexander Bonczyk, Maria Katrina Dimapilis, Sarah Partridge, Samantha Ruiz, Lung-Chan Chien, Andrew Sawers

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

Objective:

Adopting an external focus of attention has been shown to benefit motor performance and learning. However, the potential of optimizing attentional focus for improving prosthetic motor skills in lower limb prosthesis (LLP) users has not been examined. In this study, we investigated the frequency and direction of attentional focus embedded in the verbal instructions in a clinical prosthetic training setting.

Methods:

Twenty-one adult LLP users (8 female, 13 male; 85% at K3 level; mean age = 50.5) were recruited from prosthetic clinics in the Southern Nevada region. Verbal interactions between LLP users and their prosthetists (mean experience = 10 …