Physiotherapy - Research Publications

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    Periodic limb movements in tetraplegia
    Peters, AEJ ; van Silfhout, L ; Graco, M ; Schembri, R ; Thijssen, D ; Berlowitz, DJ (TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2018)
    OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of Periodic Limb Movements during Sleep (PLMS) in patients with tetraplegia, controlling for obstructive sleep apnea. To explore whether demographic and injury characteristics affect PLMS. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohorts. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: One hundred seventy-three participants with acute (<12 months) and 92 with chronic (>12 months) tetraplegia who underwent full overnight diagnostic sleep studies. INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOME MEASURES: Two hundred sixty-two sleep study recordings were included. A randomly selected subgroup of 21 studies was assessed for PLM during wakefulness. Data were analysed according to the current American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines. RESULTS: Of the participants, 41.6% (43(15.7) years and 14.9% female) had a motor and sensory complete lesion. Sleep was poor with both OSA (87.8% with apnea hypopnoea index ≥ 5) and PLMS (58.4% with PLMS per hour PLMSI > 15) highly prevalent. There was no difference in the PLMSI between those with OSA (36.3(39.8)) or without (42.2(37.7), P = 0.42). PLMS were evident during REM and NREM sleep in all of the 153 patients with PLMSI > 15. All 21 participants in the subgroup of studies analysed for the PLM during quiet wakefulness, exhibited limb movements. None of the modelled variables (injury completeness, gender, OSA severity or time since injury) significantly predicted a PLMSI > 15 (P = 0.343). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study confirms the high prevalence of PLM in tetraplegia and the presence of leg movements in NREM and REM sleep along with wakefulness after controlling for OSA. No associations between the presence of PLMS and patient characteristics or injury specific aspects were found.
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    Relationship between autonomic cardiovascular control and obstructive sleep apnoea in persons with spinal cord injury: a retrospective study.
    Fang, X ; Goh, MY ; O'Callaghan, C ; Berlowitz, D (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2018)
    STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is an association between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and blood pressure (BP) pattern or heart rate variability (HRV) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: A state-based spinal cord service in Victoria, Australia. METHODS: We identified 42 subjects who had ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) within 6 months of a diagnostic sleep study at Austin Hospital between 2009 and 2014. Markers for autonomic function, including circadian BP pattern and HRV were extracted from the ABPM study database. Apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI), arousals/hour and oxygen desaturation index were extracted from the sleep study database. Subjects with a nocturnal systolic BP dipping more than 10% of daytime value were defined as dippers, between 10 and 0% were non-dippers and those with a higher night than day systolic BP were reverse dippers. Severity of OSA is classified as non-OSA (AHI < 5), mild (AHI 5-15), moderate (AHI 15-30) and severe (AHI > 30). RESULTS: Subjects (n = 42) were predominantly male (85.7%), aged 44 ± 15.4 (mean ± SD), with a BMI of 24.4 ± 5.7 (mean ± SD) and mainly tetraplegic (92.9%). There was no difference in AHI, oxygen desaturation index or arousals/hour between dippers, non-dippers and reverse dippers. None of the HRV parameters differed between dippers, non-dippers and reverse dippers. No differences were found in 24 h, night-time, daytime or nocturnal dip in BP between subjects with non-OSA, mild, moderate and severe OSA. CONCLUSION: We found no relationship between BP pattern or HRV and the severity of OSA in persons with SCI.
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    Expanding traditional tendon-based techniques with nerve transfers for the restoration of upper limb function in tetraplegia: a prospective case series
    van Zyl, N ; Hill, B ; Cooper, C ; Hahn, J ; Galea, MP (ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 2019-08-17)
    BACKGROUND: Loss of upper extremity function after cervical spinal cord injury greatly affects independence, including social, vocational, and community engagement. Nerve transfer surgery offers an exciting new option for the reanimation of upper limb function in tetraplegia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of nerve transfer surgery used for the reanimation of upper limb function in tetraplegia. METHODS: In this prospective case series, we consecutively recruited people of any age with early (<18 months post-injury) cervical spinal cord injury of motor level C5 and below, who had been referred to a single centre for upper extremity reanimation and were deemed suitable for nerve transfer. All participants underwent single or multiple nerve transfers in one or both upper limbs, sometimes combined with tendon transfers, for restoration of elbow extension, grasp, pinch, and hand opening. Participants were assessed at 12 months and 24 months post-surgery. Primary outcome measures were the action research arm test (ARAT), grasp release test (GRT), and spinal cord independence measure (SCIM). FINDINGS: Between April 14, 2014, and Nov 22, 2018, we recruited 16 participants (27 limbs) with traumatic spinal cord injury, among whom 59 nerve transfers were done. In ten participants (12 limbs), nerve transfers were combined with tendon transfers. 24-month follow-up data were unavailable for three patients (five limbs). At 24 months, significant improvements from baseline in median ARAT total score (34·0 [IQR 24·0-38·3] at 24 months vs 16·5 [12·0-22·0] at baseline, p<0·0001) and GRT total score (125·2 [65·1-154·4] vs 35·0 [21·0-52·3], p<0·0001) were observed. Mean total SCIM score and mobility in the room and toilet SCIM score improved by more than the minimal detectable change and the minimal clinically important difference, and the mean self-care SCIM score improved by more than the minimal detectable change between baseline and 24 months. Median Medical Research Council strength grades were 3 (IQR 2-3) for triceps and 4 (IQR 4-4) for digital extensor muscles after 24 months. Mean grasp strength at 24 months was 3·2 kg (SD 1·5) in participants who underwent distal nerve transfers (n=5), 2·8 kg (3·2) in those who had proximal nerve transfers (n=9), and 3·9 kg (2·4) in those who had tendon transfers (n=8). There were six adverse events related to the surgery, none of which had any ongoing functional consequences. INTERPRETATION: Early nerve transfer surgery is a safe and effective addition to surgical techniques for upper limb reanimation in tetraplegia. Nerve transfers can lead to significant functional improvement and can be successfully combined with tendon transfers to maximise functional benefits. FUNDING: Institute for Safety, Compensation, and Recovery Research (Australia).
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    Effectiveness of an online self-management tool, OPERAS (an On-demand Program to EmpoweR Active Self-management), for people with rheumatoid arthritis: a research protocol
    Tam, J ; Lacaille, D ; Liu-Ambrose, T ; Shaw, C ; Xie, H ; Backman, CL ; Esdaile, JM ; Miller, K ; Petrella, R ; Li, LC (BMC, 2019-12-11)
    BACKGROUND: Active self-management is a process where patients are fully engaged in managing their health in daily life by having access to contextualized health data and tailored guidance to support a healthy lifestyle. This study aims to determine whether an e-health intervention that incorporates symptom/disease activity monitoring and physical activity counselling can improve self-management ability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The 'Empowering active self-management of arthritis: Raising the bar with OPERAS (an On-demand Program to EmpoweR Active Self-management)' project is a randomized controlled trial that uses a delayed control design. One hundred thirty-four participants with RA will be randomly assigned to start the intervention either immediately (immediate group) or 6 months later (delayed group). The intervention involves (1) use of a Fitbit-compatible web app to record and monitor their RA disease activity, symptoms, and time spent on physical activity and a Fitbit; (2) group education and individual counselling by a physiotherapist (PT); and (3) six phone calls with a PT. The primary outcome measure is self-management ability measured by the Patient Activation Measure. Secondary outcome measures include disease status, fatigue, pain, depressive symptoms, and characteristics of habitual behavior and also time spent in physical activity and sedentary activity with a wearable multi-sensor device (SenseWear Mini). After the 6-month intervention, we will interview a sample of participants to examine their experiences with the intervention. DISCUSSION: The results of this study will help to determine whether this technology-enhanced self-management intervention improves self-management ability and health outcomes for people living with RA. A limitation of this study is that participants will need to self-report their symptoms, disease status, and treatment use through questionnaires on the OPERAS web app. The user-friendly interface, reminder emails from the research staff, and tailored guidance from PTs will encourage participants to actively engage with the app. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Date of last update in ClinicalTrials.gov: January 2, 2019. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03404245.
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    Objective classification and scoring of movement deficiencies in patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
    Richter, C ; King, E ; Strike, S ; Franklyn-Miller, A ; Bergamini, E (PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 2019-07-23)
    Motion analysis systems are widely employed to identify movement deficiencies-e.g. patterns that potentially increase the risk of injury or inhibit performance. However, findings across studies are often conflicting in respect to what a movement deficiency is or the magnitude of association to a specific injury. This study tests the information content within movement data using a data driven framework that was taught to classify movement data into the classes: NORM, ACLOP and ACLNO OP, without the input of expert knowledge. The NORM class was presented by 62 subjects (124 NORM limbs), while 156 subjects with ACL reconstruction represented the ACLOP and ACLNO OP class (156 limbs each class). Movement data from jumping, hopping and change of direction exercises were examined, using a variety of machine learning techniques. A stratified shuffle split cross-validation was used to obtain a measure of expected accuracy for each step within the analysis. Classification accuracies (from best performing classifiers) ranged from 52 to 81%, using up to 5 features. The exercise with the highest classification accuracy was the double leg drop jump (DLDJ; 81%), the highest classification accuracy when considering only the NORM class was observed in the single leg hop (81%), while the DLDJ demonstrated the highest classification accuracy when considering only for the ACLOP and ACLNO OP class (84%). These classification accuracies demonstrate that biomechanical data contains valuable information and that it is possible to differentiate normal from rehabilitating movement patterns. Further, findings highlight that a few features contain most of the information, that it is important to seek to understand what a classification model has learned, that symmetry measures are important, that exercises capture different qualities and that not all subjects within a normative cohort utilise 'true' normative movement patterns (only 27 to 71%).
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    Physical Therapists' Perceptions of Telephone- and Internet Video-Mediated Service Models for Exercise Management of People With Osteoarthritis
    Lawford, BJ ; Bennell, KL ; Kasza, J ; Hinman, RS (WILEY, 2018-03)
    OBJECTIVE: To investigate physical therapists' perceptions of, and willingness to use, telephone- and internet-mediated service models for exercise therapy for people with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis. METHODS: This study used an internet-based survey of Australian physical therapists, comprising 3 sections: 1 on demographic information and 2 with 16 positively framed perception statements about delivering exercise via telephone and video over the internet, for people with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis. Levels of agreement with each statement were evaluated. Logistic regression models were used to determine therapist characteristics influencing interest in delivering telerehabilitation. RESULTS: A total of 217 therapists spanning metropolitan, regional, rural, and remote Australia completed the survey. For telephone-delivered care, there was consensus agreement that it would not violate patient privacy (81% agreed/strongly agreed) and would save patient's time (76%), but there was less than majority agreement for 10 statements. There was consensus agreement that video-delivered care would save a patient's time (82%), be convenient for patients (80%), and not violate patient privacy (75%). Most agreed with all other perception statements about video-delivered care, except for liking no physical contact (14%). Low confidence using internet video technologies, and inexperience with telerehabilitation, were significantly associated with reduced interest in delivering telephone and/or video-based services. CONCLUSION: Physical therapists agree that telerehabilitation offers time-saving and privacy advantages for people with osteoarthritis and perceive video-delivered care more favorably than telephone-delivered services. However, most do not like the lack of physical contact with either service model. These findings may inform the implementation of telerehabilitation osteoarthritis services and the training needs of clinicians involved in delivering care.
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    Frontal plane hip joint loading according to pain severity in people with hip osteoarthritis
    Hall, M ; Allison, K ; Wrigley, TV ; Metcalf, BR ; Pua, Y-H ; Van Ginckel, A ; Bennell, KL (WILEY, 2018-06)
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    Internet Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Depression in Older Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
    O'moore, KA ; Newby, JM ; Andrews, G ; Hunter, DJ ; Bennell, K ; Smith, J ; Williams, AD (WILEY, 2018-01)
    OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of an internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) program for depression in older adults with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee and comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial in 69 adults (ages ≥50 years) meeting criteria for MDD and OA of the knee with 1-week postintervention (week 11) and 3-month followup (week 24) end points. Patients were allocated to either a 10-week iCBT program for depression added to treatment as usual (TAU) or to a TAU control group. Primary outcomes were depression symptoms (9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]) and psychological distress (Kessler-10 [K-10]). Secondary outcomes included arthritis self-efficacy (Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale [ASES]), OA pain, stiffness, physical function (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]), and physical and mental health (Short Form 12-Item health survey physical component and mental component summaries). Depression status was assessed by blinded diagnostic interview (the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) at intake and followup. RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analyses indicated between-group superiority of iCBT over TAU on the primary outcomes (PHQ-9: Hedges g = 1.01, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.47, 1.54; K-10: Hedges g = 0.75, 95% CI 0.23, 1.28), at postintervention and 3-month followup (PHQ-9: Hedges g = 0.90, 95% CI 0.36, 1.44; K-10: Hedges g = 0.94, 95% CI 0.41, 1.48), and on secondary OA-specific measures (ASES: Hedges g = -0.81, 95% CI -0.29, -1.33; WOMAC: Hedges g = 0.56-0.65, 95% CI 0.04, 1.18) at the 3-month followup. The majority of iCBT participants (84%) no longer met diagnostic criteria at 3-month followup. CONCLUSION: Results support the efficacy of an iCBT program (requiring no face-to-face contact) for depression in individuals with comorbid depression and OA of the knee. Importantly, the benefits of the program extended beyond reduced depressive symptoms and distress to include increased self-efficacy and improved pain, stiffness, and physical function at followup.
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    Magnetic resonance imaging of the upper airway in patients with quadriplegia and obstructive sleep apnea
    O'donoghue, FJ ; Meaklim, H ; Bilston, L ; Hatt, A ; Connelly, A ; Jackson, G ; Farquharson, S ; Sutherland, K ; Cistulli, PA ; Brown, DJ ; Berlowitz, DJ (WILEY, 2018-08)
    The aim of this study was to investigate upper airway anatomy in quadriplegics with obstructive sleep apnea. Fifty subjects were recruited from three hospitals in Australia: people with quadriplegia due to spinal cord injury and obstructive sleep apnea (n = 11), able-bodied people with obstructive sleep apnea (n = 18), and healthy, able-bodied controls (n = 19). All underwent 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging of their upper airway. A subgroup (n = 34) received a topical vasoconstrictor, phenylephrine and post-phenylephrine magnetic resonance imaging. Mixed-model analysis indicated no significant differences in total airway lumen volume between the three groups (P = 0.086). Spinal cord injury-obstructive sleep apnea subjects had a significantly larger volume of soft palate (P = 0.020) and retroglossal lateral pharyngeal walls (P = 0.043) than able-bodied controls. Able-bodied-obstructive sleep apnea subjects had a smaller mandible volume than spinal cord injury-obstructive sleep apnea subjects and able-bodied control subjects (P = 0.036). No differences were seen in airway length between groups when controlling for height (P = 0.055). There was a marginal increase in velopharyngeal volume across groups post-phenylephrine (P = 0.050), and post hoc testing indicated the difference was confined to the able-bodied-obstructive sleep apnea group (P < 0.001). No other upper airway structures showed significant changes with phenylephrine administration. In conclusion, people with obstructive sleep apnea and quadriplegia do not have a structurally smaller airway than able-bodied subjects. They did, however, have greater volumes of soft palate and lateral pharyngeal walls, possibly due to greater neck fat deposition. The acute response to upper airway topical vasoconstriction was not enhanced in those with obstructive sleep apnea and quadriplegia. Changes in upper airway anatomy likely contribute to the high incidence in obstructive sleep apnea in quadriplegic subjects.