Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy Research Agenda: Rationale for the Development and the Intent for Use.

The rationale for the development and the intent for use of a research agenda for the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy is described. The reasons for the research agenda for geriatric physical therapy are (1) to have a broad representation of the research conducted by physical therapist(s) working with older adults, (2) to provide guidance and assistance to emerging investigators to aid the trajectory of a research career, and (3) as a document to engage potential funding agencies, foundations, and individuals in support of physical therapist-conducted research. The design was based on the Research Agenda for Physical Therapy (APTA document), formatted to be consistent with the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, priority ratings for the research statements, and specific examples of research questions for each category of the Research Agenda.

Student Perceptions of a Live Standardized Patient Interprofessional Education Scenario: A Multi-Year Study.

Purpose: This qualitative study examined perceptions of interprofessional education (IPE) and professional roles following a standardized patient experience in occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) students.

Rationale: Simulation-based learning experiences offer effective means to enhance IPE. Limited research exists in OT and PT about student perceptions of IPE and professional roles following a standardized patient experience.

Live Standardized Patient Scenario Improves Attitudes Toward and Readiness for Interprofessional Education in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Students.

Purpose: This study examined the impact of video-based and live standardized patient scenarios on attitudes toward and readiness for interprofessional education (IPE) in occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) students. In academic health programs, IPE is used to teach the knowledge and skills to develop interprofessional teamwork abilities; however, research is limited on the impact of standardized patient scenario experiences (SPSE) on the effectiveness of IPE in OT and PT students.

Participants: The study involved 49 participants: 23 OT and 26 PT students.

Sensory-Challenge Balance Exercises Improve Multisensory Reweighting in Fall-Prone Older Adults.

Background And Purpose: Multisensory reweighting (MSR) deficits in older adults contribute to fall risk. Sensory-challenge balance exercises may have value for addressing the MSR deficits in fall-prone older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sensory-challenge balance exercises on MSR and clinical balance measures in fall-prone older adults.

Participation restriction, not fear of falling, predicts actual balance and mobility abilities in rural community-dwelling older adults.

Background And Purpose: Fear of falling (FOF) has been correlated with an increased risk for falls, self-restriction of physical activity, and subsequent decrease in quality of life in older adults. The relationship between perceived FOF, participation restriction, and balance and mobility abilities is unclear, as results from prior studies are inconsistent. Few studies have used the Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly (SAFE) as a standard measure of FOF, although this survey provides both a measure of FOF and participation restriction.

The dynamics of visual reweighting in healthy and fall-prone older adults.

Multisensory reweighting (MSR) is an adaptive process that prioritizes the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory inputs to provide the most reliable information for postural stability when environmental conditions change. This process is thought to degrade with increasing age and to be particularly deficient in fall-prone versus healthy older adults. In the present study, the authors investigate the dynamics of sensory reweighting, which is not well-understood at any age.

Multisensory reweighting of vision and touch is intact in healthy and fall-prone older adults.

Unexplained falls in older adults are thought to arise from subtle deficits in multiple components of the postural control system, including peripheral sensory loss and central sensory processing. One commonly proposed central sensory processing deficit is a decline in the adaptive use of changing or conflicting sensory inputs for estimating body dynamics, i.e.