Research Update
Research Assistant and Physiotherapist, Denise Wigerius (left) with Faculty member, Dr. Gail Dechman (right) at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Munich, Germany from September 6-10, 2014.
By: Derek Rutherford, PT
BScKin, BScPT, MSc, PhD
The research environment in the School of Physiotherapy is becoming increasingly more vibrant as we move forward initiatives to support Physiotherapy research in the Maritime Provinces. This summer capped a significant step stone for future success in Physiotherapy research at Dalhousie University. Research Day (June 4th, 2014) was a celebration of work prepared by our Entry Level to Practice MSc students as they successfully defended their research proposals; their ideas on moving our profession forward through an evidence based foundation. An unprecedented number of Rehabilitation Research students successfully defended their MSc theses, and we have enrolled four new MSc Rehabilitation Research students, three of which received a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship for their training. In addition, renovations have begun on the musculoskeletal research environment in the School of Physiotherapy and your faculty have been awarded numerous research grants, published papers and presented at conferences both locally and around the world. Below you will find the high lights of these accomplishments.
SUCCESSFUL MSC. REHABILITATION RESEARCH THESIS DEFENCES
Dan Trudel, Physiotherapist
Thesis Title: "Comparing Trunk Neuromuscular Measures to a Clinical Battery of Tests in a Recovered Low Back Injured Population"
Supervisor: Dr. Cheryl Hubley-Kozey
Ron Bishop Thesis Title: "Exploring the Sensorimotor Network using Functional Connectivity and Graph Theory"
Supervisor: Dr. Shaun Boe
Saleh Aloriani
Thesis Title: "A New Toolkit for Measuring Spasticity: A Pilot Study Investigating the Validity and Reliability of the BioTone System for Patients Post-Stroke"
Supervisor: Dr. Marilyn MacKay-Lyons
Alicia Gionfriddo Thesis Title: "Quantifying the Patterns of Functional Connectivity with the Brain during Imagined and Overt Movement of a Functional Task in Non-Disabled Systems"
Supervisor: Dr. Shaun Boe
Ishika Sharma (Boe, MacKay-Lyons)
Thesis Title: "Devising a Modified Flanker Test to Obtain Event Related Brain Potentials for the Assessment of Attention"
Supervisor: Dr. Marilyn MacKay-Lyons, Dr. Shaun Boe
Andrea Murphy, Physiotherapist
Thesis Title: "Assessment of the Community-Dwelling Senior for Fall Prevention: An Analysis of Agreement between Two Common Protocols of the Timed Up and Go Test"
Supervisor: Dr. Marie Earl
UPDATES ON THE JOINT ACTION RESEARCH LABORATORY
In January 2014, Dr. Derek Rutherford was awarded the John R Evans Leadership award from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to purchase research equipment for a new musculoskeletal research laboratory in the School of Physiotherapy. This award also involved contributions from the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust and Industry partners. School of Physiotherapy Alumni, the School of Physiotherapy, the Faculty of Health Professions, and Dalhousie University have contributed to costs associated with renovations to the 3rd floor of the Forrest building. Together, these funds amount to well over half a million dollars; supporting the growth of physiotherapy related research at Dalhousie University. We are very happy to have renovations begin and look forward to expanding our research capacity at the School of Physiotherapy for the future.
GRANTS RECEIVED
Boe, S., Eskes, G., Bardouille, T. Technology transfer of a brain-computer interface to a low-cost, portable commercial platform
Funding Source: Capital Health Research Fund
Price, S., Reeves, S., Almost, J., Andrews, C., Bainbridge, L., Davies, H., Harman, K., Khalili, H., Matte, M. Exploring Early Interprofessional Socialization Within the Health Professions: Setting the Stage for Collaborative Practice.
Funding Source: Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Institute for Health Services and Policy Research.
Rutherford, DJ., Wong, I., Stanish, WD. Knee joint responses to walking surface perturbations: Insight on maintaining knee joint stability in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.
Funding Source: Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation
Rutherford, DJ., Hubley-Kozey, CL., Wong, I., Stanish, WD., Gillis, C., Mitchell, M. The effect of knee joint swelling on gait mechanics and muscle activation characteristics in moderate knee osteoarthritis.
Funding Source: Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation
PUBLICATIONS
Timothy Jason, Kerry R. McGannon, Chris M. Blanchard, Daniel Rainham & Gail Dechman (2014): A systematic gender-based review of physical activity correlates in coronary heart disease patients. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/1750984X.2014.932425
Osterling K, MacFadyen K, Gilbert R, and Dechman G: The effects of high intensity exercise during pulmonary rehabilitation on ventilatory parameters in people with moderate to severe stable COPD: a systematic review. International Journal of COPD; (Accepted for Publication).
Kraeutner S, Gionfriddo A, Bardouille, T, Boe S. Motor imagery-based brain activity parallels that of motor execution: evidence from magnetic source imaging of cortical oscillations. Brain Research; (Accepted for publication).
Fleet A, MacKay-Lyons M, Page S, Boe S. Modified constraint-induced movement therapy for upper extremity recovery post stroke: What is the evidence? Top Stroke Rehabil 2014; 21:319-31.
Rutherford, D.J., Hubley-Kozey, C.L. Three dimensional motion analysis: Relevant concepts in physiotherapy movement dysfunction. Journal of Novel Physiotherapies 2014; 2:214.
Rutherford, D.J. Intra-articular pressures and joint mechanics: Should we pay attention to effusion in knee osteoarthritis? Medical Hypothesis 2014; 83:292-295.
Rutherford, D.J., Hurley, S., Hubley-Kozey, C.L. Sit-to-stand transfer mechanics in healthy older adults: A comprehensive investigation of a portable lifting – seat device. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology 2014; 22: 1-8.
Harman, K., Keating, E., Mayes, S., Walsh, J., MacCallum, S. Insomnia in clients with chronic, work-related musculoskeletal pain in a work recovery rehabilitation program WORK 48; 185-192.
Harman, K., MacRae, M., Vallis, M., Bassett, R. Working with people to make changes. A behavioural change approach used in CLBP rehabilitation. Physiotherapy Canada 66(1) 82-90.
Harman, K., MacRae, M., Vallis, M. The development and testing of a Checklist to study behaviour change techniques used in a treatment programme for Canadian Armed Forces members with chronic non-specific low back pain. Physiotherapy Canada 66(3) 313-321.
PRESENTATIONS
7th World Congress of Biomechanics, Boston MA, July 6-11, 2014
Hurley, S., Rutherford, D.J., Hubley-Kozey, C.L. The effect of seat height and age on sit-to-stand transfer biomechanics and muscle activation.
European Respiratory Society International Congress that was held in Munich, Germany, Sept 6-10.
Dechman, G., Hernandez P., Wigerius, D. Recovery of the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) following an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD).
The 19th International Conference on Biomagnetism, Halifax, Canada, August 2014
Story R, Bardouille T, Boe S (2014). Learning to learn to teach: Evaluating machine learning techniques for optimizing motor imagery neurofeedback.
Solomon J, Boe S, Bardouille T (2014). Intersession Reliability for Somatosensory Cortex Localization: Implications for Pre-Surgical Mapping.
Choi A, Bishop R, Bardouille T, Boe S (2014). Examining the Effects of Within-Session Motor Learning on Brain Activity obtained using MEG.
Gionfriddo A, Kraeutner S, Bardouille T, Boe S (2014). Laterality of motor imagery based brain activity is modulated by real-time neuro-feedback.
Bishop R, Choi A, Bardouille T, Boe S (2014). Assessing the dynamics of brain connectivity: network changes resulting from learning revealed using graph theory.
Kraeutner S, Gionfriddo A, Bardouille T, Boe S (2014). Learning to imagine: brain activity from motor imagery parallels that of motor execution after repeated sessions.
Organization for Human Brain Mapping Annual Meeting; Hamburg, Germany, June 2014
Bardouille T, Stevens T, Boe S, Beyea S (2014). Enhanced Clinical Pre-Surgical MEG Functional Mapping: Reliability and Spatiotemporal Clustering.
Bishop R, Boe S, Bardouille T (2014). Quantifying the sensorimotor network using functional connectivity and graph theory.
Kraeutner S, Gionfriddo A, Bardouille T, Boe S (2014). Motor imagery as a modality of skill acquisition: Source analysis of motor execution and imagery.
Gionfriddo A, Kraeutner S, Bardouille T, Boe S (2014). Laterality of motor imagery based brain activity is modulated by neurofeedback in non-disabled individuals.