Learning and Study Strategies of Students in the First Year of an Entry-Level Physical Therapist Program.

Introduction: The learning and study strategies of entry-level physical therapist (PT) students may not be as effective as those needed for success in an entry-level PT education program. The Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, third edition (LASSI) is a reliable tool to assess learning and study strategies. The purpose of this study was to assess the learning and study strategies of first-year PT students and if the strategies change over the first year.

A multisite cross-sectional study of intercultural competencies in doctor of physical therapy students.

Background: Physical therapists (PTs) work in diverse communities with individuals whose identities and beliefs may differ significantly from their own. Academic institutions must include intentional curriculum aimed at graduating PTs who can skillfully navigate intercultural encounters. Being prepared to engage with difference and demonstrate skills related to intercultural competencies (ICC) will prepare entry-level PTs to provide individualized, high-quality care.

National biomechanics day in India - Lessons learned from a collaborative approach.

National Biomechanics Day (NBD) is an educational outreach event aimed at raising awareness of the field of biomechanics among high school students. NBD celebrations growing internationally acted as a catalyst for us to conduct the event in India, where STEM-based education is emphasized. With a truly global collaborative effort and perhaps historically for the first time, virtual and in-person NBD events were successfully conducted in India.

Normal gait speed varies by age and sex but not by geographical region: a systematic review.

Questions: What are comfortable gait speed values for apparently healthy adults? How do these differ by age group, sex and geographical region?

Design: Systematic review of observational studies with meta-analysis.

Participants: Apparently healthy, community-dwelling adults who have undergone measurement of comfortable gait speed.

Search Method: Potentially relevant studies were identified in four databases.

Assessing cultural competence: a comparison of two measures and their utility in global learning experiences within healthcare education.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between two measures of cultural competence (CC), one more widely used, the other designed for healthcare students. It was hypothesized that there would be strong correlations allowing educators to forgo one measure for the other based on utility, resources, and sustainability.

Design: Exploratory, cross sectional design SETTING: One US Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) academic program.

Clinical Measures of Adolescent Softball Players With and Without Upper-Extremity Pain: A Preliminary Study.

Context: Upper-extremity (UE) pain is a concern among softball adolescent athletes. However, research on preseason screening of demographic characteristics and clinical measures among those with and without UE pain among adolescent softball athletes is underreported. This study sought to present functional outcomes and clinical measures of shoulder and hip complex flexibility, range of motion (ROM), and strength in adolescent softball athletes with and without UE pain.

Influence of wheelchair type on Wheelchair Propulsion Test performance in community-dwelling, adult wheelchair users1.

Background: The clinimetric properties of the Wheelchair Propulsion Test (WPT) have not been developed thoroughly.

Objective: To determine inter-rater reliability and reference values for the Wheelchair Propulsion Test (WPT) for active wheelchair users and to compare WPT performance between various types of manual wheelchairs at different paces.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study.

Quantifying national biomechanics day's impact on student perceptions toward biomechanics: A multisite pilot study.

National Biomechanics Day (NBD) is an international celebration of biomechanics that seeks to increase the awareness and appreciation of biomechanics among the high school community. Initial research supports the positive effects of NBD on students' attitudes toward the field of biomechanics; however, quantitative evidence remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in high school students' perceptions toward biomechanics after participating in NBD events to better understand the impact of NBD.

Can Backward Walking Speed Reserve Discriminate Older Adults at High Fall Risk?

The authors examine whether community-dwelling older adults at high fall risk have lower backward walking speed reserve (WSR) than their healthy counterparts. Twenty-one healthy older adults and 20 older adults at high fall risk performed five trials of forward walking at a self-selected and maximal pace. In addition, all participants walked backward at a self-selected pace, and 15 participants from each group walked backward at a maximal pace.

Overuse Injury, Substance Use, and Resilience in Collegiate Female Athlete.

Background: Overuse injury is a common stressor experienced by female collegiate athletes and is often underreported. In response, athletes may develop negative coping skills such as substance use. Alternatively, resilience is a modifiable trait that may positively influence response to musculoskeletal injuries and substance use.

Use of Backward Walking Speed to Screen Dynamic Balance and Mobility Deficits in Older Adults Living Independently in the Community.

Background And Purpose: Older adults who live independently in the community are higher functioning and routinely ambulate in the community. Unrestricted community ambulation increases the likelihood of encountering precarious situations challenging balance. Sufficient dynamic balance is necessary to avoid falls.

Gait Assessment in College Athletes: Do Concussion History, Symptoms, Gender, and Type of Sport Matter?

Context: Though previous research has focused on examining the effects of concussion history using a dual-task paradigm, the influence of factors like symptoms (unrelated to concussion), gender, and type of sport on gait in college athletes is unknown.

Objective: To examine the effect of concussion history, symptoms, gender, and type of sport (noncontact/limited contact/contact) individually on gait among college athletes.

Design: Exploratory cross-sectional study.

Site-specific Concurrent Validity of the ActiGraph GT9X Link in the Estimation of Activity-related Skeletal Loading.

Purpose: The aims of this project were twofold: 1) to assess the concurrent validity of raw accelerometer outputs with ground reaction forces (GRF) and loading rates (LR) calculated from force plate across a range of simulated habitual PA and 2) to identify the optimal wear site among the ankle, hip, and wrist with the strongest relationships between accelerometer and force plate and/or skeletal outcomes.

Methods: Thirty healthy young adults (23.0 ± 4.

Shoulder Range of Motion and Strength Characteristics in Circus Acrobats.

Objectives: To begin to establish normative data for shoulder range of motion (ROM) and strength in the circus acrobats and to compare these values based on age, sex, hand dominance, and acrobatic subgroup.

Methods: Active (AROM) and passive (PROM) of the full shoulder complex and PROM of the isolated glenohumeral joint were measured in 193 circus acrobats using standardized techniques for anterior elevation (flexion), posterior elevation (extension), lateral elevation (abduction), and external and internal rotation. Shoulder strength was measured using a hand-held dynamometer in all planes of motion.

Comparison of forward and backward gait characteristics between those with and without a history of breast cancer.

Background: Decreased muscular strength and poorer postural stability impact the physical function of breast cancer survivors (BCS) and increases their risk of falls. Gait assessment, particularly in the backward direction, is often used as an indicator of fall risk in several populations. However this information is unknown in BCS.

Functional rehabilitation of a person with transfemoral amputation through guided motor imagery: a case study.

: Motor imagery (MI) is a mental technique, absent of physical movement, to foster movement patterns and relieve pain via a training model enacting the brain before the body. This case study assessed MI's efficacy in decreasing phantom limb pain and attaining functional gait and balance after lower extremity amputation. : The participant was a 71-year-old female with a transfemoral amputation seven years prior.

Turn Characteristics During Gait Differ With and Without a Cognitive Demand Among College Athletes.

Context: Sports often involve complex movement patterns, such as turning. Although cognitive load effects on gait patterns are well known, little is known on how it affects biomechanics of turning gait among athletes. Such information could help evaluate how concussion affects turning gait required for daily living and sports.

Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test in healthy women 50-79 years old.

The Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test (LQ-YBT), a measure of dynamic balance used in young adults, has not been adequately studied in older women. We determined the reliability, normative values, and relationships to other balance measures for LQ-YBT in women aged 50-79 years. Interrater reliability was strong, and test-retest reliability was moderate to strong.

Vibrotactile Feedback Alters Dynamics Of Static Postural Control In Persons With Parkinson's Disease But Not Older Adults At High Fall Risk.

Background: Aging and Parkinson's disease are often associated with impaired postural control. Providing extrinsic feedback via vibrotactile sensation could supplement intrinsic feedback to maintain postural control.

Research Question: We investigated the postural control response to vibrotactile feedback provided at the trunk during challenging stance conditions in older adults at high fall risk and individuals with Parkinson's disease compared to healthy older adults.

Functional measures show improvements after a home exercise program following supervised balance training in older adults with elevated fall risk.

Supervised balance training shows immediate benefit for older adults at fall risk. The long-term effectiveness of such training can be enhanced by implementing a safe and simple home exercise program (HEP). We investigated the effects of a12-week unsupervised HEP following supervised clinic-based balance training on functional mobility, balance, fall risk, and gait.

Concurrent Validity of the Zeno Walkway for Measuring Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Older Adults.

Background And Purpose: Previous studies have shown that older adults at high fall risk exhibit altered spatiotemporal gait parameters such as lesser gait speed, shorter step length, and greater step width compared with their healthy counterparts. Measurement of these gait parameters for older adults can play a pivotal role in clinical evaluation. While the GAITRite walkway has been previously validated and used extensively for research purposes, the Zeno walkway validity has not been established.

Dynamics of Stride Interval Characteristics during Continuous Stairmill Climbing.

It has been shown that statistical persistence in stride intervals characteristics exist during walking, running and cycling and were speed-dependent among healthy young adults. The purpose of this study was to determine if such statistical persistence in stride time interval, stride length and stride speed also exists during self-paced continuous stairmill climbing and if the strength is dependent on stepping rate. Stride time, stride length, and stride speed were collected from nine healthy participants during 3 min of stairmill climbing at 100, 110, and 120% of their preferred stepping rate (PSR) and 5 min of treadmill walking at preferred walking speed (PWS).

The effects of exergaming and treadmill training on gait, balance, and cognition in a person with Parkinson's disease: A case study.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly impairs posture, gait, and cognition. Exercise in the form of aerobic activity as well as exergaming may improve motor ability and cognition in persons with PD. Exergaming and treadmill training can be a practical form of exercise within the home; however, there is minimal research on this combined multimodal intervention for persons with PD.

The effects of unstable surface balance training on postural sway, stability, functional ability and flexibility in women.

Background: This study examined the effects of balance training routine, using both sides utilized balance trainer (BOSU) and aerobic step (STEP) on postural sway and functional ability in middle-aged women.

Methods: Twenty-seven females participated in the study, age 40.6±12.

Evidence of a conservative gait strategy in athletes with a history of concussions.

Background: A history of 3 or more concussions is frequently associated with numerous short- and long-term neuropathologies. Impairments in postural control are a known acute consequence of concussion; however, limited evidence exists on the effects of multiple concussions on gait. The purpose of this study was to assess gait stepping characteristics in collegiate aged student-athletes based on concussion history.