Results from 10 Years of a CBT Pain Self-Management Outpatient Program for Complex Chronic Conditions.

Traditional unimodal interventions may be insufficient for treating complex pain, as they do not address cognitive and behavioural contributors to pain. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and physical exercise (PE) are empirically supported treatments that can reduce pain and improve quality of life. To examine the outcomes of a pain self-management outpatient program based on CBT and PE at a rehabilitation hospital in Toronto, Ontario.

Men's Educational Group Appointments in Rural Nicaragua.

Men's preventive health and wellness is largely neglected in rural Nicaragua, where a machismo culture prevents men from seeking health care. To address this issue, a men's educational group appointment model was initiated at a rural health post to increase awareness about hypertension, and to train community health leaders to measure blood pressure. Men's hypertension workshops were conducted with patient knowledge pretesting, didactic teaching, and posttesting.

Exploring daily blood pressure fluctuations and cardiovascular risk among individuals with motor complete spinal cord injury: a pilot study.

Background: Clinically silent autonomic dysfunction with bowel and bladder care, are postulated to contribute to cardiovascular disease after chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).

Objective: We describe the frequency and severity of dysreflexic episodes, termed transient blood pressure elevations (T-BPE) over 48 hours in adults with cervical or high-thoracic motor-complete SCI.

Setting: Tertiary SCI Rehabilitation Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Functional outcomes associated with adaptive seating interventions in children and youth with wheeled mobility needs.

Objective: To determine the parent-reported functional outcomes associated with adaptive seating devices for wheeled mobility devices used by young people aged 1 to 17 years.

Design: Longitudinal case series.

Setting: Homes of participating parents.

Electronic aids to daily living and quality of life for persons with tetraplegia.

Purpose: To compare the satisfaction with quality of life (QOL) of adults with tetraplegia from spinal cord injury (SCI) who use and do not use electronic aids to daily living (EADLs).

Method: This study used a cross-sectional design. Thirty-six persons with spinal cord injuries or conditions at or above C5/6 level participated.

Randomised controlled trial comparing two school furniture configurations in the printing performance of young children with cerebral palsy.

Aim: This randomised controlled trial compared the same-session effects of two different school furniture configurations on printing legibility.

Methods: A total of 30 school-age children with ambulatory cerebral palsy participated in this study. Each child provided one near-point printing sample of up to 34 letters while positioned on Mandal-type specialty school furniture and on standard school furniture.

Effect of adaptive seating devices on the activity performance of children with cerebral palsy.

Objective: To evaluate the short-term impact of 2 adaptive seating devices on the activity performance and satisfaction with performance of children with cerebral palsy (CP), as observed by their parents.

Design: Baseline-intervention-baseline study.

Setting: Homes of participating families.

Reliability of speech generating devices: a 5-year review.

Individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) depend on technology to meet their daily needs and form relationships. Speech generating devices (SGDs) are integral components of communication systems. Reliability of SGDs is critical for effective use in everyday life.

Individualized outcome measures for evaluating life skill groups for children with disabilities.

Background: The challenge of evaluating life skill groups is the need to assess skills reflecting the priorities and abilities of the individuals as well as the program focus.

Purpose: This study describes the feasibility and utility of goal menus and individualized outcome measures in two life skill groups for children with disabilities.

Methods: Eleven children were evaluated at baseline and 5 weeks post-program using a modified Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and modified Goal Attainment Scaling (mod-GAS).

The impact of adaptive seating devices on the lives of young children with cerebral palsy and their families.

Objective: To determine the parent-perceived effect of adaptive seating devices on the lives of young children with cerebral palsy (CP) (aged 2-7y) and their families.

Design: Baseline-intervention-baseline study.

Setting: Homes of participating families.

Impact of modafinil on spasticity reduction and quality of life in children with CP.

This randomized double blind AB/BA cross-over trial evaluates the effect of oral modafinil versus placebo on spasticity, function, and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Outcomes were measured at the start and end of both 8-week treatment periods (modafinil and placebo). The order of the treatment periods was randomly assigned.

Secondary health complications in an aging Canadian spinal cord injury sample.

Objectives: This study describes self-reported incidence of secondary health complications (SHCs) and their associations with age, years postinjury (YPI), and impairment among a Canadian spinal cord-injured (SCI) cohort.

Design: Cross-sectional telephone survey methods were used to collect data on (1) sociodemographics, (2) impairment, (3) health status, and (4) self-reported SHCs on 781 adults >or=1 yr post-SCI living in Ontario, Canada.

Results: Logistic regression analyses were used to determine associations between self-reported incidences of SHCs with the following covariates: (1) age, (2) YPI, and (3) impairment.

Giving Youth a Voice (GYV): a measure of youths' perceptions of the client-centredness of rehabilitation services.

Background: Although client-centred care is regarded as the optimum way of delivering health care, there is currently no method to measure the client-centredness of services for youth with disabilities.

Purpose: To develop a measure of youths' perceptions of the client-centredness of health care services in rehabilitation.

Methods: The Giving Youth a Voice (GYV) questionnaire was adapted from the Measure of Processes of Care, a measure of caregiving from the perspective of parents.

Reliability of the family impact of assistive technology scale for families of young children with cerebral palsy.

Objective: To examine the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Family Impact of Assistive Technology Scale (FIATS) when used to measure the perceptions of parents about important aspects of family life that may be influenced by their children's use of assistive devices.

Design: Repeated measure.

Setting: Homes of 50 participating families.

A randomized controlled trial comparing botulinum toxin A dosage in the upper extremity of children with spasticity.

This study compared the effects of low and high doses of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) to improve upper extremity function. Thirty-nine children (22 males, 17 females) with a mean age of 6 years 2 months (SD 2y 9mo) diagnosed with spastic hemiplegia or triplegia were enrolled into this double-blind, randomized controlled trial. The high-dose group received BTX-A in the following doses: biceps 2U/kg, brachioradialis 1.

Initial development and validation of the Caregiver Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD).

This paper reports the development and validation of a disease-specific measure of health status and well-being of children with severe cerebral palsy (CP). The Caregiver Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD) was constructed from recommendations from caregivers, healthcare providers, and review of other measures. Items spanning six domains are rated on an ordinal scale.

Development of the new Family Impact of Assistive Technology Scale.

Children with physical disabilities generally require more care, attention and direct supervision than children without disabilities. Research demonstrates that these higher care-giving demands are associated with poorer psychological and physical health states for parents and other family members. Assistive technologies may have a role in mitigating caregiver stress and burden by improving functional performance, social interaction and autonomy in children with physical disabilities.

Predictors of family system functioning after brain injury.

Objectives: To identify predictors of family system functioning after acquired brain injury (ABI).

Research Design: Retrospective design.

Methods And Procedures: Data on ABI-related impairments, level of awareness, neuropsychological functioning, caregiver strain and family system functioning were extracted from the files of 66 individuals with ABI and 148 family members who had enrolled in a community-based support programme.

Effects of enhanced patient education on compliance with silicone gel sheeting and burn scar outcome: a randomized prospective study.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether enhanced patient education increases compliance with silicone gel sheeting (SGS) on hypertrophic (HT) scars and to determine whether this results in any improvement in scar outcome. Outpatients with a HT burn scar were randomized to either a conventional education group (CEG), which received routine instruction on the use of SGS or to an enhanced education Group (EEG), which also received routine instruction, along with a detailed 5-page handout and a 26-minute videotape. The CEG (n = 12, 67% male, age 38 +/- 10 years) and the EEG (n = 13, 77% male, age 47 +/- 10 years) were followed monthly for 6 months.

Is telephone assessment a valid tool in rehabilitation research and practice?

Purpose: To determine if face-to-face and telephone administration of questionnaires produce comparable results in rehabilitation research studies. METHOD A total of 80 participants who used eyeglasses as their primary visual assistive device agreed to participate. All completed the Life Orientation Test and the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale.

Evaluation of therapeutic electrical stimulation to improve muscle strength and function in children with types II/III spinal muscular atrophy.

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of low-intensity night-time therapeutic electrical stimulation (TES) on arm strength and function in children with intermediate type spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The design was a randomized controlled trial with a 6-month baseline control period. Children were evaluated at baseline, 6, and 12 months.