A psychometric evaluation of the Arm Motor Ability Test.

Objective: To further examine the psychometric properties of a 9-item version of the Arm Motor Ability Test (AMAT-9) in persons with stroke.

Subjects: Thirty-two community-dwelling persons > 6 months post-stroke undergoing robotics treatment (mean age = 56.0 years, time post-stroke = 4.

Burn survivors' perceptions of rehabilitation.

Background: The perspectives of burn survivors offer a powerful tool in assessing the efficacy of burn therapy interventions and methods. Despite this potential wealth of data, comprehensive analysis of burn survivor feedback remains largely uninvestigated and underdocumented. The aim of this study was to evaluate specific burn therapy interventions based on the opinions of a sample of the burn community.

Use of Nintendo(®) Wii(™) in Physical Therapy of an Adult with Lower Extremity Burns.

Objective: The purpose of this exploratory case study is to describe differences in rehabilitation outcomes for a 47-year-old male with bilateral lower extremity burns when using conventional therapy techniques alone versus such techniques in combination with Nintendo(®) Wii™ (Nintendo of America, Inc., Redmond, WA) videogames.

Materials And Methods: The patient received three series of rehabilitation therapy over 2 weeks.

The utilization of Nintendo® Wii™ during burn rehabilitation: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate feasibility and measure outcomes on pain, anxiety, active range of motion (AROM), function, enjoyment, and presence with the adjunctive use of Nintendo® Wii™ (Nintendo of America Inc., Redmond, WA) during acute burn rehabilitation. Participants were alternated and stratified based on the location of burn into Wii or control treatment groups.

Comparison of positive pressure gloves on hand use in uninjured persons.

The purpose of this study was to examine functional hand use in uninjured adults when wearing a standard, custom-made pressure glove (SPG) as compared with a glove with select placement of suede, The New York-Presbyterian Dexterity Glove (NYPDG) (patent pending). Thirty-four participants received a custom SPG and NYPDG in a randomized order. Gloves were worn for one day during all activities of daily living (ADL).

The development and validation of a screening instrument to identify hospitalized medical patients in need of early functional rehabilitation assessment.

The purpose of this study was to develop a scale that identifies hospitalized patients in need of physical therapy (PT) and/or occupational therapy (OT) assessments. Preliminary scale items were tested for reliability among 52 patients and remaining items were then administered to 299 patients and items that were associated with the concept of 'need for an assessment' on multivariate analyses were selected as final scale items. The concept of need was based on the clinical judgment of physical and occupational therapists.

Gait variables of patients after lower extremity burn injuries.

Functional ambulation is an expected outcome of physical therapy after burn injuries on the lower extremities. The purpose of this study was to document temporal and spatial gait parameters of adult patients with the use of the GAITRite system (CIR Systems Inc, Clifton, NJ) after the patients were burned on their lower extremities and to compare these results with previous data reported for normal subjects. Twenty-five adults with lower extremity burns (19 men and 6 women; mean age, 35.

The physical, functional, and developmental outcome of pediatric burn survivors from 1 to 12 months postinjury.

Fifty-one children with an average age of 27 months and who had sustained a burn injury were tested at 1, 6, and 12 months postinjury to determine their physical, functional, and developmental outcomes. Most parents were either African-American or Hispanic, lived on public assistance, and had a high school education or less. Most children had normal range of motion and were appropriate for their age in self-care skills.

The value of pain drawings in the care of neck and back pain.

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reports and pain questionnaires of 100 patients with complaints of lower back or neck pain were reviewed. Prior to physician examination, each patient had completed a questionnaire which included pain drawings and a rating on a pain scale. The information given on the drawings and questionnaires was compared to the MRI reports.

A survey of the prevalence and application of chest physical therapy in U.S. burn centers.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and application of chest physical therapy (CPT) in burn centers. Respiratory therapists primarily administered CPT, and suctioning and coughing were the most frequently used modalities. Further study of the efficacy of treatment techniques is needed to develop congruous standards for CPT after a burn injury.

Compliance with pressure garment use in burn rehabilitation.

Pressure garment use is recommended 23 to 24 hours a day for hypertrophic scar control after a burn injury. Compliance with this treatment has not been documented. A 52-question survey was administered to 101 adult outpatient burn survivors to rate compliance with this program.

The neuromotor behavior of preterm and full-term children by three years of age: quality of movement and variability.

Thirty-six preterm and full-term children were seen during the first year of life and at 3 years old. The Neuromotor Behavioral Inventory (NBI)-Version for 3 Year Olds (a 5-category measure of Gross Motor and Fine Motor Development, Reaction to Movement, Neurological Reflexes and Reactions, and Neuromotor Outcome) was used with three groups: healthy preterm, sick preterm, and healthy full term. The groups differed in gross motor, fine motor, reaction to movement, and neuromotor outcome at 3 years of age with the greatest difference between the sick preterm group and the other groups.

Occupational therapy in pediatric rehabilitation.

Occupational therapy in pediatric rehabilitation focuses on the effects of diseases and of the environment on a child's abilities to function successfully in daily life settings (home, school and playground) and roles (family member, student, etc.). In this paper, the process of pediatric occupational therapy, from assessment to discharge planning, is briefly described.

Occupational therapy treatment practices with infants in early intervention.

This paper explores occupational therapy treatment practices for infants (birth to age 2 years) in early intervention programs. Generic treatment is viewed as the facilitation of the infant's independence through improved motor control, sensory modulation, adaptive coping, sensorimotor development, social-emotional development, daily living skills, and play. Treatment practices in specialized settings, that is, in a neonatal intensive care unit and in a follow-up program for high-risk infants, are outlined.

Neuromotor development of preterm and full-term infants.

The Neuromotor Behavioral Inventory (NBI), a 16-category measure of muscle tone, developmental motor abilities, quality of movement, neurological reflexes and reactions, and neuromotor outcome was used with 38 infants divided into three groups: healthy preterm (HPT), sick preterm (SPT), and healthy full-term (HFT) infants. Infants were tested at five time points: 40 weeks postconception (newborn) and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age post-term. The intent of the study was two-fold: to determine whether there are developmental differences among the groups of infants and whether the differences persist during the first year of life.

Trends in neuromotor behavior of preterm and fullterm infants in the first year of life: a preliminary report.

A follow-up study of 150 fullterm and preterm infants was conducted to determine the similarities and differences in neuromotor behavior during the first year of life. Three groups (healthy fullterm, healthy preterm, sick preterm) were compared at three, six, nine and 12 months of age. In general, fullterm infants were more similar in their responses to the Neuromotor Behavioral Inventory and more consistently advanced than some preterm infants at all four examinations.