May 2014 Research Update

By: Derek Rutherford, PT
BScKin, BScPT, MSc, PhD

Over the past eight months, the School of Physiotherapy has been busy developing the future of our profession. The fall and winter terms were a busy time, as both first and second year students were immersed in learning, and growing as entry-level physiotherapists. The first year students moved through their cardiopulmonary, exercise physiology, anatomy, movement and exercise science and musculoskeletal physiotherapy courses. The second year students first tackled neurophysiology/anatomy and neurotherapeutics, followed by their clinical placements in areas of neurology. They have returned to complete their final course component of Integrated Practice and the coveted Research Day, where student groups will present what they believe to be research proposals that will shape the course of our profession for the future.  But this section is not about highlighting these great developments; it is about the faculty’s involvement in research. We have been busy.

Grant Received

Bardouille, T., Boe, S. Technology transfer of a brain-computer interface to a low-cost, portable commercial platform.

Funding Source: Knowledge Translation and Commercialization - Brain Repair Centre

Latimer, M., Hutt-MacLeod, D., Finley, A., Harman, K., Sheppard, D. Creating a Culturally Relevant Mechanism for Aboriginal Children and Youth to Convey their Pain to Clinicians.

Funding Source: Atlantic Aboriginal Health Research Fund

Latimer, M., Rudderham, S., Finley, A., Harman, K., Hutt-MacLeod, D., Julien, D., MacKinnon, A., Paul, K., Perley-Dutchers, L., Young, S. Seeing Aboriginal Children's Pain-Weaving Stories, Art and Statistics to Create Ways to Reduce the Hurt and Improve Children Wellbeing.

Funding Source:  Canadian Institute for Health Research, Aboriginal Peoples’ Health

Hubley-Kozey, C.L. Mechanisms associated with altering synergistic behaviour of skeletal muscle.

Funding Source: Natural Sciences Engineering Research Council Discovery Grant

Astephen-Wilson, J., Hubley-Kozey C.L., Dunbar, M., Rutherford, D.J., Richardson, G. An Objective Model of Joint and Muscle Function Outcome after Total Knee Arthroplasty Surgery.

Funding Source: Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation

Rutherford, D.J., Moreside, J., Wong, I. Assessment of walking mechanics and muscle activation patterns in individuals with CAM femoralacetabular impingement syndrome: A pilot.

Funding Source: Faculty of Health Professions Research and Development Grant

Rutherford, D.J., Landry, S.C. Knee Bracing: A Review of Literature

Funding Source: Spring Loaded Research Grant

Rutherford, D.J., Moreside J., Wong, I. Assessment of Walking Mechanics and Muscle Activation Patterns in Individuals with Hip Osteoarthritis – a pilot study

Funding Source: Capital Health Research Fund

Rutherford, D.J. Joint Action Research Laboratory: A biomechanical approach to musculoskeletal rehabilitation

Funding Source: John R Evans Leaders Fund – Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust

Dechman, G. The Reliability and Validity of the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test in People with Obesity.

Funding Source: Faculty of Health Professions Research and Development Grant

Publications

Moreside, J.M., Quirk, D.A., Hubley-Kozey, C.L. Temporal patterns of the trunk muscles remain altered in a low back-injured population despite subjective reports of recovery. Arch Phys Med Rehabil:95(4):686-698, 2014

Rutherford, D.J., Hubley-Kozey, C. L., Stanish, W. D. Hip Abductor Function in individuals with medial knee osteoarthritis: Implications for medial compartment loading during gait. In Press 2014. Clinical Biomechanics. 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2014.03.009

Harman, K., MacRae, M., Vallis, M. Behaviour change techniques used by physiotherapists:  A study of a treatment program for Canadian Forces military members with chronic non-specific low back pain. In Press 2014. Physiotherapy Canada

Hubley-Kozey, C.L., Moreside J.M., Quirk. D.A.  Trunk neuromuscular pattern alterations during a controlled functional task in a low back injured group deemed ready to resume regular activities.  WORK, 47(1):87-100, 2014

Conference Proceedings

Wideman, T., Harman, K., Pearson, N.  Addressing and overcoming physical activity barriers for individuals with musculoskeletal pain in the primary care setting. Canadian Pain Society Meetings. Quebec City, Canada, May 2014

Crump L., LaChapelle, D.L., Higgins, N.C., Harman, K., & Hadjistavropoulos, T. Impact of Responsibility Attributions and Patient Gender on Nurses’ and Nursing Students’ Emotional Responses and Willingness to Help Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain. Canadian Pain Society Meetings. Quebec City, Canada, May 2014.

Hurley, S., Rutherford, D.J., Hubley-Kozey, C.L. The effect of age and seat height on sit-to-stand transfer biomechanics and muscle activation. World Congress of Biomechanics. Boston, USA, July 2014.

Hubley-Kozey,, C.L., Ikeda, D., Kamat, A., Astephen Wilson, J., Stanish W.D. Muscle strength and knee joint biomechanical differences between sexes and osteoarthritis severity. Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Paris, France, April 2014.

Hatfield, G., Astephen Wilson, J., Dunbar, M., Stanish, W., Hubley-Kozey, C.L. Three dimensional lower limb biomechanics during gait predict progression to total knee arthroplasty. Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Paris, France, April 2014.

Hubley-Kozey, C.L., Costello, K.E., Hatfield, G.L., Astephen-Wilson, J., Stanish, W. Baseline three dimensional knee joint biomechanics and muscle activation patterns differ between those with moderate knee OA who have radiographic progression versus those that do not. Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Paris, France, April 2014.

Quirk, D.A., Hubley-Kozey, C.L. Age-related Changes in Trunk Neuromuscular Activation Patterns During a Controlled Functional Transfer Task. World Congress of Biomechanics. Boston, USA, July 2014.

Bishop R., Boe S., Bardouille T. Quantifying the Sensorimotor Network Using Functional Connectivity and Graph Theory. Organization for Human Brain Mapping Annual Meeting. Hamburg, Germany June 2014.

Kraeutner, S., Gionfriddo, A., Bardouille, T., Boe, S., Motor imagery as a modality of skill acquisition: Source analysis of motor execution and imagery.  Organization for Human Brain Mapping Annual Meeting. Hamburg, Germany, June 2014.

Gionfriddo, A Kraeutner, S Bardouille, T Boe, S. Laterality of motor imagery based brain activity is modulated by neurofeedback in non-disabled individuals.  Organization for Human Brain Mapping Annual Meeting. Hamburg, Germany, June 2014.

Bardouille, T., Stevens, T., Boe, S., Beyea, S. Enhanced Clinical Pre-Surgical MEG Functional Mapping: Reliability and Spatiotemporal Clustering. Organization for Human Brain Mapping Annual Meeting. Hamburg, Germany, June 2014.