Somatosensation Differences in Older Adults with and Without Diabetes, and by Age Group.

The purpose of this study was to determine differences in somatosensation between older adults with and without type 2 diabetes among three age groups (60s, 70s, and 80s). We recruited 67 adults with type 2 diabetes and 67 age-matched adults without diabetes, aged 60-85. Data were collected using measures in Somatosensory Domain of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Toolbox. We found significant differences in the total scores of five tests examining kinesthesia, tactile sensation, and stereognosis among the three age groups. For all significant differences, the nondiabetes group and those in their 60s and 70s had better functioning than the diabetes group and those in their 80s. The NIH Toolbox-Somatosensory Tools used in this study may be more suitable to discriminate among age groups rather than diagnostic groups.

Instrumental activities of daily living performance and role satisfaction in people with and without mild cognitive impairment: a pilot project.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated differences in observed performance of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and self-reported satisfaction with social role performance between people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI) and age- and gender-matched control participants. METHOD: We measured observed performance of 14 IADLs using the Independence, Safety, and Adequacy domains of the Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills (PASS) and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems (PROMIS) to examine satisfaction with social role performance. RESULTS: Total PASS scores were significantly lower in participants with a-MCI (median=40.6) than in control participants (median=44.2; p=.006). Adequacy scores were also significantly lower. No significant differences were found between groups on the PROMIS measures. CONCLUSION: IADL differences between groups were related more to errors in adequacy than to safety and independence. Occupational therapy practitioners can play a key role in the diagnosis and treatment of subtle IADL deficits in people with MCI.

Wheelchair Transfer Simulations to Enhance Procedural Skills and Clinical Reasoning.

OBJECTIVE: We describe an educational intervention that involved simulation scenarios of medically complex patients to teach transfer training and promote clinical reasoning. METHOD: Scenarios were developed with practitioner input that described (1) a patient who was acutely ill, (2) a critical medical management event that occurred during a bed-to-wheelchair transfer of the patient, and (3) an occupational need. Transfer training, using the scenarios, occurred in a high-technology laboratory with SimMan(®) and a mock hospital suite. Evaluation was based on student performance and perceptions of simulation effectiveness. RESULTS: On average, students completed 66%-88% of the transfer items correctly. Student performance suggested that the simulation scenarios were more difficult than practitioners rated them. Students rated the simulation scenarios as effective teaching tools. CONCLUSION: Scenario use in simulations for transfer training makes a positive curricular contribution to teaching procedural skills and clinical reasoning simultaneously.

Simulation Strategies to Teach Patient Transfers: Self-Efficacy by Strategy.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effects of transfer training-after training in the classroom and in the high-technology simulation laboratory (WISER Center)-on students' perceptions of their self-efficacy for knowledge, skill, and safety in executing dependent transfers. METHOD: After classroom training, occupational therapy students were randomized to three teaching groups on the basis of the amount of participation and observation opportunities provided at the WISER Center-observation dominant, participation dominant, and participation only. RESULTS: The participation-dominant group reported an increase in knowledge self-efficacy over time compared with the observation-dominant and participation-only groups. Over time, self-efficacy ratings increased for all students, regardless of group. CONCLUSION: Simulation scenarios implemented at the WISER Center provided a useful adjunct to classroom training in transfer skills. Both participatory and observational experiences contributed to the development of students' perceptions of their ability to manage acutely ill and medically complex patients.

Developing complex interventions: lessons learned from a pilot study examining strategy training in acute stroke rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility of a strategy training clinical trial in a small group of adults with stroke-related cognitive impairments in inpatient rehabilitation, and to explore the impact of strategy training on disability. DESIGN: Non-randomized two-group intervention pilot study. SETTING: Two inpatient rehabilitation units within an academic health centre. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals with a primary diagnosis of acute stroke, who were admitted to inpatient rehabilitation and demonstrated cognitive impairments were included. Individuals with severe aphasia; dementia; major depressive disorder, bipolar, or psychotic disorder; recent drug or alcohol abuse; and anticipated length of stay less than five days were excluded. INTERVENTION: Participants received strategy training or an attention control session in addition to usual rehabilitation care. Sessions in both groups were 30-40 minutes daily, five days per week, for the duration of inpatient rehabilitation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed feasibility through participants' recruitment and retention; research intervention session number and duration; participants' comprehension and engagement; intervention fidelity; and participants' satisfaction. We assessed disability at study admission, inpatient rehabilitation discharge, 3 and 6 months using the Functional Independence Measure. RESULTS: Participants in both groups (5 per group) received the assigned intervention (>92% planned sessions; >94% fidelity) and completed follow-up testing. Strategy training participants in this small sample demonstrated significantly less disability at six months (M (SE) = 117 (3)) than attention control participants (M(SE) = 96 (14); t 8 = 7.87, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible and acceptable to administer both intervention protocols as an adjunct to acute inpatient rehabilitation, and strategy training shows promise for reducing disability.

Activities and adaptation in late-life depression: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE. We sought to understand activity choices of older adults when they were depressed. METHOD. Each community-dwelling participant (n = 27) completed one semistructured interview while in recovery for at least 3 mo. but less than 7 mo. Transcripts were coded to identify relevant themes. RESULTS. Six themes emerged that explained activities participants continued while depressed, and four themes described activities they stopped. CONCLUSION. Older adults maintained many instrumental activities of daily living while depressed, and some actively adapted activities so they could continue them. Some intentionally stopped activities to direct limited energy to their highest priority activities. To guide effective intervention, it is critical for occupational therapy practitioners to complete a client-centered qualitative assessment to understand what and, most important, why activities are continued or stopped. Each theme for activities continued and activities stopped lends itself to intervention strategies.

The validity and reliability of the Arabic Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile.

In this study, we report the translation process, validity, and reliability of the Arabic Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile (IT_SP). A multistep approach was implemented to ensure the accuracy and equivalency of the Arabic and original English IT_SP. Factor analysis indicated that item loadings for over 50% of the items on the Arabic version were identical to the English version; all but three items had logical loadings. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between scores on the Arabic and English versions reported by parents who were bilingual were >.90 supporting bilingual validity. Alpha coefficients for each section varied from .40 to .74, which was within the range of the English version (.17 to .86), and were thus similar. ICCs between scores for repeated assessments varied from .81 to .99 supporting test-retest reliability. The results support the validity and reliability of the Arabic IT_SP.

Primary outcomes for resuscitation science studies: a consensus statement from the American Heart Association.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The guidelines presented in this consensus statement are intended to serve researchers, clinicians, reviewers, and regulators in the selection of the most appropriate primary outcome for a clinical trial of cardiac arrest therapies. The American Heart Association guidelines for the treatment of cardiac arrest depend on high-quality clinical trials, which depend on the selection of a meaningful primary outcome. Because this selection process has been the subject of much controversy, a consensus conference was convened with national and international experts, the National Institutes of Health, and the US Food and Drug Administration. METHODS: The Research Working Group of the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee nominated subject leaders, conference attendees, and writing group members on the basis of their expertise in clinical trials and a diverse perspective of cardiovascular and neurological outcomes (see the online-only Data Supplement). Approval was obtained from the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee and the American Heart Association Manuscript Oversight Committee. Preconference position papers were circulated for review; the conference was held; and postconference consensus documents were circulated for review and comments were invited from experts, conference attendees, and writing group members. Discussions focused on (1) when after cardiac arrest the measurement time point should occur; (2) what cardiovascular, neurological, and other physiology should be assessed; and (3) the costs associated with various end points. The final document underwent extensive revision and peer review by the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee, the American Heart Association Science Advisory and Coordinating Committee, and oversight committees. RESULTS: There was consensus that no single primary outcome is appropriate for all studies of cardiac arrest. The best outcome measure is the pairing of a time point and physiological condition that will best answer the question under study. Conference participants were asked to assign an outcome to each of 4 hypothetical cases; however, there was not complete agreement on an ideal outcome measure even after extensive discussion and debate. There was general consensus that it is appropriate for earlier studies to enroll fewer patients and to use earlier time points such as return of spontaneous circulation, simple "alive versus dead," hospital mortality, or a hemodynamic parameter. For larger studies, a longer time point after arrest should be considered because neurological assessments fluctuate for at least 90 days after arrest. For large trials designed to have a major impact on public health policy, longer-term end points such as 90 days coupled with neurocognitive and quality-of-life assessments should be considered, as should the additional costs of this approach. For studies that will require regulatory oversight, early discussions with regulatory agencies are strongly advised. For neurological assessment of post-cardiac arrest patients, researchers may wish to use the Cerebral Performance Categories or modified Rankin Scale for global outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is no single recommended outcome measure for trials of cardiac arrest care, the simple Cerebral Performance Categories or modified Rankin Scale after 90 days provides a reasonable outcome parameter for many trials. The lack of an easy-to-administer neurological functional outcome measure that is well validated in post-cardiac arrest patients is a major limitation to the field and should be a high priority for future development.

Outcomes of a multicomponent physical activity program for sedentary, community-dwelling older adults.

This single-group repeated-measures pilot study evaluated the effects of a 10-wk, multicomponent, best-practice exercise program on physical activity, performance of activities of daily living (ADLs), physical performance, and depression in community-dwelling older adults from low-income households (N = 15). Comparison of pretest and posttest scores using a one-tailed paired-samples t test showed improvement (p < .05) for 2 of 3 ADL domains on the Activity Measure-Post Acute Care and for 6 physical-performance measures of the Senior Fitness Test. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant main effects for 3 of 8 physical activity measures using the Yale Physical Activity Scale. Retention rate was 78.9%, and the adherence rate for group sessions was 89.7%. Results suggest that participation in a multicomponent, best-practice physical activity program may positively affect sedentary, community-dwelling older adults' physical activity, ADL performance, and physical performance.

The feasibility of meta-cognitive strategy training in acute inpatient stroke rehabilitation: case report.

Meta-cognitive strategy training may be used to augment inpatient rehabilitation to promote active engagement and subsequent benefit for individuals with cognitive impairments after stroke. We examined the feasibility of administering a form of meta-cognitive strategy training, Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP), during inpatient rehabilitation. We trained an individual with cognitive impairments after right hemisphere stroke to identify performance problems, set self-selected goals, develop plans to address goals, and evaluate performance improvements. To assess feasibility, we examined the number of meta-cognitive training sessions attended, the number of self-selected goals, and changes in goal-related performance. We also examined changes in rehabilitation engagement and disability. The participant used the meta-cognitive strategy to set eight goals addressing physically oriented, instrumental, and work-related activities. Mean improvement in Canadian Occupational Performance Measure Performance Scale scores was 6.1. Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation Scale scores (measuring rehabilitation engagement) improved from 3.2 at admission to 4.9 at discharge. Functional Independence Measure scores (measuring disability) improved from 68 at admission, to 97 at discharge. Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills scores improved from 1.1 at admission to 2.9 at discharge. The results indicate that meta-cognitive strategy training was feasible during inpatient rehabilitation and warrants further evaluation to determine its effectiveness.

The Portuguese Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills Measure: Validity and Reliability.

Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills (PASS) is a performance-based scale developed in the United States. Because of cultural differences, a Portuguese version was developed, then validated in the Portuguese population and tested ensuring reliability. The objective of this study was to create and test psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of PASS. A linguistic validation on older adults with physical/cognitive disabilities enabled us to validate P-PASS. Some original tasks were changed. Data were analyzed by PASS constructs (independence-safety adequacy), age, and gender. Construct validity (known-group analyses, factor analyses), with 98 individuals yielded excellent results. Reliability between two observers for 30 participants yielded almost perfect agreement for all three constructs. Independence scores were highest, followed by safety and adequacy. Men presented greater independence, as well as participants <60 years. We obtained results comparable with the original version. Conclusion. P-PASS is valid and reliable for the Portuguese population, enabling effective assessment of function and measurement of health outcomes.

Disability in late-life major depression: patterns of self-reported task abilities, task habits, and observed task performance.

This article describes patterns of concordance/discordance between self-reported abilities ("can do") and habits ("does do") and observed task performance of daily living tasks in three groups of older adults: late life depression with mild cognitive impairment (n=53), late life depression without mild cognitive impairment (n=64), and non-depressed, cognitively normal controls (n=31). Self-reported data were gathered by interview in participants' homes, followed by observation of task performance. Significant differences in the patterns of response were found between controls and respondents with both late life depression and mild cognitive impairment for the cognitive instrumental activities, and between the two depressed groups and controls for the physical instrumental activities. For both sets of activities, controls exhibited the greatest overestimation of task performance. No differences were found among the groups for the less complex functional mobility and personal care tasks. However, for the more complex instrumental activities, concordance was close to, or less than, chance. The findings led us to conclude that when performance testing is not feasible, self-reports of functional status that focus on habits may be more accurate than those that focus on abilities.

Telerehabilitation wheeled mobility and seating assessments compared with in person.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the equivalency of wheeled mobility and seating assessments delivered under 2 conditions: in person (IP) at a local clinic and via Telerehabilitation at remotely located clinics. DESIGN: The study used a prospective, multicenter controlled nonrandomized design to investigate wheeled mobility and seating assessments. SETTING: Five wheelchair clinics in Western Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N=98) in need of new wheeled mobility and seating were recruited and consented for IP assessments at the Center for Assistive Technology (n=50) and Telerehabilitation (n=48) assessments at remotely located clinics. INTERVENTIONS: The telerehabilitation condition used a custom videoconferencing system to connect a wheeled mobility and seating expert at the University of Pittsburgh's Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Telerehabilitation to a remote clinic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Study findings were based on the level of function the participants showed with their new wheeled mobility and seating devices as measured by using the Functioning Everyday with a Wheelchair (FEW) outcome tool. RESULTS: The results revealed no significant differences between the FEW pretest average or item scores for the 2 conditions or the FEW posttest average or item scores except for the FEW transportation item. The average FEW and FEW item scores reached the established clinically relevant pretest-posttest difference of 1.85, and the change scores were significantly different. The difference between FEW means based on posttest confidence intervals indicated that telerehabilitation was equally effective as IP rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: An expert practitioner located at least 125 miles away from each of the remote sites used a secured videoconferencing system to consult from a geographic distance on wheeled mobility and seating evaluations via telerehabilitation. Compared with participants receiving standard IP care, the telerehabilitation treatment condition was equally effective on all but 1 outcome.

Cognitive and affective predictors of rehabilitation participation after stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between cognitive and affective impairments and rehabilitation participation during stroke rehabilitation. DESIGN: Secondary analyses of stroke patients who received acetylcholinesterase inhibitors during inpatient rehabilitation. SETTING: University-affiliated inpatient rehabilitation facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=44) admitted to inpatient stroke rehabilitation with impairment in attention, memory, or executive functions. INTERVENTIONS: Secondary analysis of patients receiving inpatient stroke rehabilitation care plus random assignment to one of two acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or no drug at rehabilitation admission. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlations between measures of cognitive (Digit Span, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Executive Interview) and affective impairments (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Apathy Evaluation Scale) and participation (Pittsburgh Rehabilitation and Participation Scale) were examined. Significant correlates of participation were examined in a linear multiple regression model. RESULTS: Executive functions and depressive symptoms were significant correlates of participation. After controlling for baseline disability, executive functions predicted participation, but depressive symptoms did not (F(4,32)=9.35; R(2)=.54, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings are an important first step toward understanding potentially modifiable clinical factors that contribute to rehabilitation participation and overall functional status after rehabilitation. A better understanding of cognitive impairment and rehabilitation participation may be used to develop strategies for improving functional outcomes after stroke.

Measuring stroke survivors' functional status independence: five perspectives.

An understandable measure to describe disabilities after stroke is important for clinical practice; practitioners often use multiple measures that contain different scoring systems and scales to rate activities of daily living (ADL) independence. We compared the construct of independence in five measures used with stroke survivors. The measures evaluated independence of the stroke survivors somewhat differently. The Rasch analysis Partial Credit Model converted items from these measures to a single metric, yielding an item difficulty hierarchy of all items from the measures. Data from the measures should be interpreted carefully because other concepts or constructs in addition to ADL independence are included in some of the measures. Rasch diagnostics regarding construct validity and reliability of the combined measures also indicated that these measures are not interchangeable. Although the items of the combined ADL measures were unidimensional, they measured independence from multiple perspectives, and the scale of the combined measures was not linear.

A Review of the Short Form Health Survey-Version 2.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Short Form Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2) is a commonly used measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The purpose of this study was to review research articles that used the SF-12v2 survey for three age groups: adolescents, young to middle-aged adults, and middle to older-aged adults. METHODS: EBSCO, CINAHL, and Ovid Journal databases were searched, and 12 articles were identified. RESULTS: We found that the SF-12v2 was used with diverse age groups. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from 0.60 to 0.87, which support the internal consistency and reliability. The convergent validity of the SF-12v2 was supported in some studies. CONCLUSIONS: The current line of evidence indicated that the SF-12v2 is easy to use, reliable, and valid. Future research needs to evaluate the population health status and HRQOL changes over time.

Neurological and functional status following cardiac arrest: method and tool utility.

INTRODUCTION: Assessing the neurological and disability status of cardiac arrest (CA) survivors is important for evaluating the outcomes of resuscitation interventions. The Cerebral Performance Category (CPC)--the standard outcome measurement after CA--has been criticized for its poorly defined, subjective criteria, lack of information regarding its psychometric properties, and poor relationships with long-term measures of disability and quality of life (QOL). This study examined the relationships among the CPC and measures of global disability and QOL at discharge from the hospital and at 1 month after CA. METHODS: Twenty-one CA survivors participated in the study. A medical chart review was conducted at the time of discharge to determine CPC and Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores, while 1-month in-person interview was conducted to collect mRS and Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) scores. Data collected during the interview were used to determine follow-up CPC scores. RESULTS: The strength of relationships among measures at discharge and 1 month ranged between fair to good. An examination of scatter plots revealed substantial variability and a wide distribution of chart review and 1-month mRS and HUI3 scores within each CPC category. CPC scores obtained through chart review were significantly better than the CPC 1-month scores, thus overestimating the participants' cognitive and disability status 1 month later. CONCLUSION: When compared to disability and quality of life measures, it is apparent that the CPC has limited ability to discriminate between mild and moderate brain injury. The validity of using the chart review method for obtaining scores is questionable.

Extensive brainstem ischemia on neuroimaging does not preclude meaningful recovery from locked-in syndrome: two cases of endovascularly managed basilar thrombosis.

We report 2 patients with angiographically demonstrated basilar artery thrombosis who received emergent intra-arterial thrombolysis with successful recanalization of the basilar artery. In the ensuing weeks after the procedure, both patients were in a locked-in state and had sustained large bilateral regions of pontine ischemia on brain imaging. Following aggressive supportive care and rehabilitation, outcomes obtained prospectively revealed that both patients made a remarkable recovery, becoming fully independent with Barthel scores of 20 and modified Rankin scores of 2.

Efficacy of a fabricated customized splint and tendon and nerve gliding exercises for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of a neutral wrist and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) splint with a wrist cock-up splint, with and without exercises, for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). DESIGN: A 2x2x3 randomized factorial design with 3 main factors: splint (neutral wrist and MCP and wrist cock-up), exercise (exercises, no exercise), and time (baseline, 4wk, 8wk). SETTING: Subjects were evaluated in an outpatient hand therapy clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-one subjects with mild to moderate CTS; 51 subjects completed the study. INTERVENTIONS: There were 4 groups: the neutral wrist and MCP group and the neutral wrist and MCP-exercise group received fabricated customized splints that supported the wrist and MCP joints; the wrist cock-up group and the wrist cock-up-exercise group received wrist cock-up splints. The neutral wrist and MCP-exercise and wrist cock-up-exercise groups also received tendon and nerve gliding exercises and were instructed to perform exercises 3 times a day. All subjects were instructed to wear the assigned splint every night for 4 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We used the CTS Symptom Severity Scale (SSS) and the Functional Status Scale (FSS) to assess CTS symptoms and functional status. RESULTS: Analysis of variance showed a significant main effect for splint and time on the SSS (P<.001, P=.014) and FSS (P<.001, P=.029), respectively. There were no interaction effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results validate the use of wrist splints for the treatment of CTS, and suggest that a splint that supports the wrist and MCP joints in neutral may be more effective than a wrist cock-up splint.

Influence of the environment on activity performance in older women with heart failure.

PURPOSE: To examine the influence of the environment on activity performance in older women with heart failure living in the community. METHOD: The cross-sectional study included 55 older women with heart failure. Differences in activity performance collected through performance observation in the clinic and home were analysed with repeated measures ANOVAs and paired samples t-tests. RESULTS: Overall, the influence of the environment in the clinic was neutral for activity independence, and disabling for activity safety and activity adequacy at the global level. At the domain level, functional mobility and personal care were more independent but equally safe and adequate in the clinic compared to the home, cognitively-oriented instrumental activities were less independent, safe and adequate in the clinic compared to the home, and physically-oriented instrumental activities were equally independent, but less safe and adequate in the clinic compared to the home. At the activity level, 6 activities were positively influenced by the environment in the clinic and 13 activities were negatively influenced. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the influence of the environment can be neutral, enabling, or disabling depending on the global scores or level of analysis being considered.