bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of Tendon Transfer Surgery and Occupational Therapy in a Child With Tetraplegia Secondary to Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Mulcahey M. J. , Smith Brian T. , Betz Randal R. , Weiss Albert A. 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Objective. Tendon transfer surgery to augment hand function lost to spinal cord injury (SCI) has gained acceptance as a rehabilitation option for adults but has yet to be fully explored in children. In this study, hand function and performance of activities of daily living in an 11-year-old child with an SCI were evaluated before and after surgical transfers of the brachioradialis to the flexor pollices longus and the extensor carpi radialis longus to the flexor digitorum profundus.
Method. With the use of a single-subject AB design, repeated measures of pinch force, the Jebsen Test of Hand Function for Children and the Grasp and Release Test were obtained before tendon transfer surgery and at 2 ½, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Activities of daily living were assessed with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the Common Object Test (COT) before surgery and 12 months after surgery.
Results. Each assessment revealed a significant improvement in hand function after surgery. Pinch force was measurable only after tendon transfers and increased throughout the first year. By two standard deviation analyses, after surgery there were significantly more task completions for all Grasp and Release Test objects, and task completion times were shorter for the light and heavy objects of the Jebsen Test of Hand Function for Children. FIM results showed that self-catheterization and Cutting food were possible only after surgery, and results of the COT revealed new unilateral and bilateral abilities that facilitated the client’s independence in writing, eating, applying toothpaste, and brushing teeth.
Conclusion. This single-subject study demonstrates the benefits of tendon transfers for active grasp in a child with an SCI.
Normative Data for Grip Strength of Elderly Men and Women
Authors: Desrosiers Johanne , Bravo Gina , Hébert Réjean , Dutil Élisabeth 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Objectives. Grip strength is an important prerequisite for good performance of the upper limb, hence it is important to evaluate it correctly. However, one of the main difficulties in evaluating the grip strength of elderly patients is the absence of valid norms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop normative data for maximum grip strength of persons aged 60 years and older.
Method. The grip strength of 360 subjects aged 60 years and older, randomly recruited by age and gender strata, was evaluated with the Jamar dynamometer and the Martin vigorimeter according to the protocol of the American Society of Hand Therapists.
Results. Grip strength diminishes curvilinearly with age, and men are consistently stronger than women. The data are presented by the means, standard deviations, and range, and as predictive equations obtained by regression analysis. In addition to age and gender, hand circumference and body height proved to be the best indicators of grip strength for this population of elderly subjects.
Conclusion. The random recruitment of subjects, the high participation rate in the study, and the comparability of the subjects who agreed to participate and those who refused give this study the high external validity that is essential to any norm study. The predictive equations will help occupational therapists to better estimate the expected grip strength of elderly patients than they could if using only age and gender.
Sexual Orientation: Its Relevance to Occupational Science and the Practice of Occupational Therapy
Authors: Jackson Jeanne 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
This article examines how sexual orientation may be relevant to the study of occupations and the practice of occupational therapy. It is suggested that a lesbian, gay, or bisexual orientation may influence the occupations in which a person engages, the symbolic interpretation of those occupations, and the environmental contingencies of those occupations, and thus is an appropriate topic for occupational scientists to address. With the use of clinical reasoning studies and literature on authentic occupational therapy, it is argued that a person’s lesbian, gay, or bisexual orientation may be relevant to the therapeutic process if therapists are to truly achieve an intersubjective understanding of the patient’s world and create an environment in which the patient is able to live a meaningful life. Given this argument as a foundation, the article explores why sexual orientation may be overlooked in some of the theoretical perspectives that guide practice. The narrative perspective on identity is introduced as one potentially valuable way that occupational therapy researchers and practitioners may understand sexual orientation and its relationship to occupation. Specifically it is suggested that sexual orientation may be understood, in part, as a symbolic theme of meaning that informs values and convictions that may then be expressed in one’s choice of occupations.
Impact of Spinal Cord Injury on the Life Roles of Women
Authors: Quigley M. Claire 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
This qualitative study was conducted to explore and describe the role experience of five women whose lives were disrupted by a traumatic spinal cord injury and who later returned to their communities after completing intensive rehabilitation programs. In-depth interviews and participant observations were used to examine the experiences of these women. The findings exemplify how the women’s use of adaptation and negotiation and the development of a new role as self-advocate facilitated the reestablishment of their life roles. As the women’s occupational roles were redefined, the processes of adaptation and negotiation were evident in three aspects of their lives: daily routines, relationships, and environment. Through their new role of self-advocate, architectural and attitudinal barriers were negotiated and adapted so that roles could be explored. These findings indicate that community reentry involves the ongoing process of negotiation and adaptation of life roles. The use of life histories during the rehabilitation phase is suggested as a way for therapists to develop meaningful treatment plans that stimulate patients’ adaptation process and ultimately enhance community reentry.
The Profession’s Image, 1917–1925, Part II: Occupational Therapy as Represented by the Profession
Authors: Ambrosi Elizabeth , Schwartz Kathleen Barker 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
This second part of a two-part article examines the representation of occupational therapy during its formative years, 1917–1925. It focuses on the image of the profession as it was described in the early professional journals and compares this image with that projected by the media (as described in Part I). Both the media and professional literature presented a similar image of occupational therapy: that of a profession that offered the promise of returning persons with disabilities to useful occupation within society. In today’s health care system, where every profession espouses the goal of returning patients to full functioning, it is important to remember that in 1917 only one profession held that goal. The portrayal in the media and in the professional literature of occupational therapy at that time confirms this image.
Providing Low Vision Rehabilitation Services With Occupational Therapy and Ophthalmology: A Program Description
Authors: Warren Mary 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
This article describes a low vision rehabilitation program operating within a hospital-based outpatient rehabilitation clinic. The program uses a team approach combining ophthalmology and occupational therapy services. Patients are referred to the program by their primary care physician for a low vision evaluation completed jointly by the ophthalmologist and occupational therapist .The ophthalmology portion of the evaluation includes assessment of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity function, and macular perimetry with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The occupational therapy evaluation focuses on assessing the functional limitations experienced by the patient due to the vision loss and determining how the patient is best able to use remaining vision to complete daily activities. Occupational therapy treatment emphasizes training the patient to use remaining vision as efficiently and effectively as possible to complete daily activities and includes training in use of optical devices. Because of the specialized nature of the service provided, additional postgraduate preparation is needed to enable occupational therapists to provide effective low vision rehabilitation.
Effects of a Skiing Experience on Adolescents With Limb Deficiencies: An Occupational Adaptation Perspective
Authors: Pasek Paula Berg , Schkade Janette K. 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Objective. Effects of a 6-day snow skiing trip on 14 adolescents with limb deficiencies were explored. The purpose was to determine whether components of mastery and self-esteem could be identified.
Method. Participant observation data collection methods included videotape, interviews, daily progress notes by ski instructors, and a 1-month posttrip questionnaire. Data were analyzed for evidence of efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction to self and others (properties of relative mastery described in occupational adaptation.) Skier reports of positive effects were analyzed for indications of an impact on self-esteem. Three occupational therapists who have extensive experience working with adolescents also reviewed videotapes and written information.
Results. The therapists acknowledged the presence of skill mastery as an important component of skiers’ positive self-evaluation. They also commented that evidence of preexisting self-esteem and social aspects of the trip were as likely to produce positive effects as mastery of skiing.
Conclusion. Research method considerations (use of participant observation for hypothesis testing) preclude definitive interpretation of a link between skill mastery and self-esteem. Short-term positive effects of the skiing experience reported by questionnaire were present 1 month after the trip. Long-term effects should be studied.
Grip Strength and Finger Dexterity Across Five Styles of Commercial Wrist Orthoses
Authors: Stern Erica B. 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Objective. Five styles of commercial static wrist extensor orthoses were compared to determine whether any style, or styles, afforded better power grip strength or finger dexterity. Because wrist extensor orthoses are intended for use during functional tasks, their influence on hand function is of great importance.
Method. Twenty-three right-hand-dominant women without upper extremity dysfunction participated in this crossover study. Dominant-hand finger dexterity and power grip strength were evaluated while wearing each of five commercial orthoses–Kendall–Futuro #33® (Futuro), AliMed Freedom Long® (AliMed Long), AliMed Freedom Short® (AliMed Short), Smith & Nephew Rolyan D-Ring® (Rolyan), and LMB Wrist Rest® (LMB) –and while using the dominant hand without an orthosis (free hand). Finger dexterity was assessed with the unimanual subtest of the Purdue Pegboard. Grip strength was assessed with a Jamar® hydraulic dynamometer.
Results. Four of the study orthoses (Futuro, AliMed Short, Rolyan, and LMB) afforded finger dexterity that did not differ significantly from that of the free hand. The AliMed Long orthosis slowed finger speed when compared with the speeds afforded by both the LMB orthosis and the free hand.
The Rolyan orthosis permitted a power grip strength that was not significantly different from the free hand. The other four commercial orthoses reduced grip strength when compared with the strength observed when wearing a Rolyan orthosis and when gripping with a free hand.
Conclusion. The five styles of commercial orthoses affect power grip and finger dexterity differently. When power grip or finger dexterity are priorities, differences among the orthoses furnish grounds for initial suggestions, although medical needs and patient preference should be the overriding factors in the final selection of an orthosis.
A Pet Therapy Intervention With Geriatric Psychiatry Inpatients
Authors: Zisselman Marc H. , Rovner Barry W. , Shmuely Yochi , Ferrie Patricia 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pet therapy on geriatric psychiatry inpatients. A demonstrable impact could lead to more Widespread or targeted use of animal companionship programs for hospitalized older persons.
Method. The study design was a randomized, parallel-group control treatment trial with pretreatment and posttreatment measures. Fifty-eight subjects with chronic age-related disabilities who were patients of the Wills Eye Hospital Geriatric Psychiatry Unit were assigned to a pet therapy intervention group or an exercise control group for 1 hr a day for 5 consecutive days. Every subject was blindly evaluated with the Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects (MOSES) before and after the intervention week.
Results. No Significant differences in MOSES scores were found between or within groups before and after the interventions. There was a nonsignificant tendency for subjects who received the pet intervention to have less irritable behavior after treatment. However, women with dementia who received either pet therapy or exercise intervention had improved irritable behavior scores after treatment.
Conclusion. This pilot study demonstrates the need for further research on animal-assisted interventions with hospitalized elderly persons. Differential improvement in women with dementia also requires further investigation.
Fine Motor Outcomes in Preschool Children Who Receive Occupational Therapy Services
Authors: Case-Smith Jane 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Objective. This study examined preschool children’s acquisition of fine motor skills and functional performance when occupational therapy services are included as part of the educational program. It also investigated the relationships among fine motor skills and functional performance in self-care, mobility, and social function.
Method. Twenty-six preschool children who received weekly occupational therapy were studied. Measurements of their in-hand manipulation, tool use, eye–hand coordination, grasping strength, and functional performance in self-care, mobility, and social function were taken at the beginning and end of the school year.
Results. Raw and scaled scores showed significant improvements in all skill areas; standard scores showed slight improvement in eye–hand coordination and mobility function. Correlations of the motor skill tests with the functional performance scales using year-end data revealed significant correlations for in-hand manipulation, eye–hand coordination, and grasping strength with self-care function and mobility.
Conclusions. The results demonstrate the level of change that occurs in fine motor skill and self-care, mobility, and social function during the course of the school year for preschoolers with moderate fine motor delays. The relationships found in the year-end testing imply that performance in underlying fine motor skills as the focus of occupational therapy intervention is associated with self-care and mobility function.
The Resource Utilization Groups System of Nursing Home Reimbursement Policies: Influences on Occupational Therapy Practice
Authors: Thomesen Maura 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Objective. This study explored the effects of federal and state reimbursement mechanisms on occupational therapy practice in the nursing home setting, specifically, the selection and scheduling of patients for treatment programs, the content of the therapy provided, and the documentation requirements.
Method. A questionnaire developed for the study was mailed to the chief occupational therapist in each of the 171 nursing homes located in New York city. Descriptive data on the research variables were collected from 83 respondents.
Results. Government regulation and reimbursement mechanisms specifically affected therapists’ treatment decisions and patient programming and scheduling in the nursing home setting. Survey results described the clinical impact of the resource utilization groups (RUGs) data collection periods. Negative effects were seen in a substantial incidence of withholding therapies from patients and the decline in the use of some traditional occupational therapy treatments. Positive effects included an increase in staff and equipment and therapists’ improved documentation skills.
Conclusion. Occupational therapy practitioners in the nursing home setting need to find ways to live with the realities of government reimbursement without compromising professionalism or clinical judgment. Documentation is the key to assuring that patients receive the therapy they need. Therapists should be aware of the regulations, document accordingly, and review those cases that were denied reimbursement to learn of documentation errors.
The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills Applied Cross-Culturally to the Japanese
Authors: Goto Sawako , Fisher Anne G. , Mayberry Wanda L. 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Objectives. The purposes of this study were to examine the cross-cultural validity of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) as well as the reliability of raters from different cultures.
Method. Six trained raters from diverse cultural backgrounds scored 10 Japanese subjects’ performances on familiar and culturally relevant tasks of their own choosing.
Results. Results indicated high cross-cultural validity and interrater reliability for the AMPS, as indicated by goodness of fit of subjects and raters via the many-faceted Rasch measurement model. The relative rater severity was also evaluated cross-culturally by the standardized difference (z). The Japanese rater and one of the three American raters varied significantly in severity between their scoring of Japanese subjects versus European subjects.
Conclusion. The results support the hypothesis that the AMPS can be used as a cross cultural instrumental activities of daily living assessment. Further study is needed to clarify the issue of possible cultural bias in rater severity.
Occupational Therapy Students’ Perspectives on Occupation as an Agent That Promotes Healthful Lifestyles
Authors: Dermody Jennifer L. , Volkens Patrice Power , Heater Stephen L. 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Objectives. This study was conducted to determine occupational therapy students’ perspectives on occupation as an agent that promotes healthful lifestyles, what factors influence these perspectives, and the extent to which formal classroom instruction in occupation as a health-promoting agent influenced their perspective transformation.
Method. Through a precourse and postcourse survey, weekly log sheets, and audiotaped class discussions, data regarding attitudes and beliefs about health promotion were collected from 23 occupational therapy master’s students enrolled in the course Wellness Through Occupation. The data were analyzed with a priori concept coding to determine whether perspective transformation occurred as a result of formal classroom instruction.
Results. Participants indicated that family values, previous formal and informal instruction, and personal experience were the major factors that influenced their perspectives on occupation as an agent that promotes a healthful lifestyle. The results demonstrated that participants had a perspective transformation, which is the first step in the behavioral change process.
Conclusion. Formal classroom instruction can be a factor in promoting healthful lifestyles through occupation. Such instruction can be an important step in empowering people to take responsibility for their own health.
Life Histories in Occupational Therapy Clinical Practice
Authors: Frank Gelya 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
This article defines and compares several narrative methods used to describe and interpret patients’ lives. The biographical methods presented are case histories, life-charts, life histories, life stories, assisted autobiography, hermeneutic case reconstruction, therapeutic emplotment, volitional narratives, and occupational storytelling and story making. Emphasis is placed the clinician as a collaborator and interpreter of the patient’s life through ongoing interactions and dialogue.
Alma: Coping With Culture, Poverty, and Disability
Authors: Blanche Erna Imperatore 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
This article raises questions about the ways culture affects the nature of health care services. By examining the life story of Alma, a Central American woman who has a daughter with disabilities; her interactions with health care providers; and my own assumptions about cultural differences, I note the impact of cultural differences on coping and adaptation in Alma and in the health care system when working with poor, non-English–speaking clients.
Transformative Narratives: From Victimic to Agentic Life Plots
Authors: Polkinghorne Donald E. 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Basic to occupational engagement is a person’s personal power to author choices. Impairment in functioning moves some clients from an agentic identity of self to a victimic identity. The change in identity causes previously self-directed clients to adopt a passive and acquiescent stance toward their lives. The recovery of occupational functioning includes the restoration of the person’s sense of agency. Recent developments in self theory emphasize the self as a process rather than a substance or thing. Narrative is the discourse mode most able to express identity as a process. Victimic identity is manifest in a self-story in which protagonists have lost power to affect change in their lives; agentic identity is manifest in self-stories of active agency. A study of clients’ rehabilitation by Cochran and Laub found that clients’ change from victimic to agentic identity moves through four phases: incompleteness, positioning, actualizing, and completion.
The Value of Studying Occupation: An Example With Primate Play
Authors: Wood Wendy 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the value of a constraint-free study of occupation to occupational therapy. Constraint-free study refers to interdisciplinary scholarly inquiry that seeks to generate a deep understanding of how important occupations influence adaptation and health. Drawing on knowledge from animal behavior, anthropology, evolutionary biology, psychology, and primatology, primate play is discussed. Such knowledge enhances understanding of therapeutic play contexts and of play’s integrative impact on occupational performance. Moreover, a robust understanding of vital occupations, such as play, empowers practitioners, thereby reducing the profession’s vulnerability to external forces that diminish its economic and political position in the health care market. Precedents within and outside occupational therapy are described whereby control over the acquisition of basic knowledge has proven to be beneficial. It is concluded that both occupational therapy and occupational science will strongly benefit from their shared commitment to understanding the complexities of occupation.
The Use of the Edema Bar for the Treatment of Burn Patients
Authors: Rock Kim , Costigan Marguerite 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
The edema bar is a new device that therapists can add to their repertoire of treatment approaches for burn patients. This article looks at the challenges therapists encounter while working with burn patients and describes the edema bar’s design, its application to the burn rehabilitation process, and the multidisciplinary approach to its use.