In-Home Delivery of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy via Virtual Reality Gaming

Purpose: People with chronic hemiparesis are frequently dissatisfied with the recovery of their hand and arm, yet many lack access to effective treatments. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CI therapy) effectively increases arm function and spontaneous use in persons with chronic hemiparesis. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and measure safety and outcomes of an in-home model of delivering CI therapy using a custom, avatar-based virtual reality game. Methods: Seventeen individuals with chronic hemiparesis participated in this pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design study. The 10-day intervention had three components: 1) high-repetition motor practice using virtual reality gaming; 2) constraint of the stronger arm via a padded restraint mitt; and 3) a transfer package to reinforce arm use. Feasibility of the intervention was evaluated through comparison to traditional CI therapy and through participants’ subjective responses. The primary outcome measures were the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity Log quality of movement scale (MAL-QOM). Results: On average, participants completed 17.2 ± 8 hours and 19,436 repetitions of motor practice. No adverse events were reported. Of 7 feasibility criteria, 4 were met. WMFT rate and MAL-QOM increased, with effect size (Cohen’s d) of 1.5 and 1.1, respectively. Conclusions: This model of delivering CI therapy using a custom, avatar-based virtual reality game was feasible, well received, and showed preliminary evidence of being a safe intervention to use in the home for persons with chronic hemiparesis

Lanthorn, vol. 39, no. 16, December 2, 2004

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State\u27s student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present

Developing Guiding Principles for Technology-Based Rehabilitation Program by Engaging People With Motor Incomplete Tetraplegia

Background: Technology-aided rehabilitation is well established in the field of neurologic rehabilitation. Despite the widespread availability, the development of technology-based interventions that incorporate perspectives of the people who will use them is lacking. Objectives: This qualitative study aims to understand how people with chronic motor incomplete cervical spinal cord injury view rehabilitation technology to improve upper extremity function and neuromuscular recovery to inform future intervention development. Methods: Seven participants with chronic upper extremity impairment due to spinal cord injury/dysfunction trialed five rehabilitation technology devices. After a 30-45 min trial for each device, participants engaged in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were analyzed using a qualitative approach to explore the experience using and understand features that support motivation to use of rehabilitation technology. Results: Qualitative analysis revealed three major themes: (1) devices must be flexible to meet diverse needs; (2) intervention protocols must be individualized to address unique needs and contexts of users; (3) intervention protocols should be developed and updated by a skilled clinician. These themes and subthemes were used to describe guiding principles to inform future intervention design. Conclusion: The experiences of people with cervical spinal cord injury can be elicited as part of the intervention design process to systematically develop protocols for future feasibility trials. The findings from this study can be used to inform the development of technology-aided rehabilitation programs to improve upper extremity function in people with chronic motor incomplete tetraplegia. Clinical trials registration number: NCT04000256

Lanthorn, vol. 44, no. 57, April 15, 2010

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State\u27s student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present

GVSU Press Releases, 2016

A compilation of press releases for the year 2016 submitted by University Communications (formerly News & Information Services) to news agencies concerning the people, places, and events related to Grand Valley State University

Lanthorn, vol. 39, no. 14, November 18, 2004

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State\u27s student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present

Grand Valley Magazine, vol. 9, no. 2 Fall 2009

Grand Valley Magazine is a quarterly publication about Grand Valley State University produced by University Communications since 2001.https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gv_magazine/1027/thumbnail.jp

Acute Effects of Post-Activation Potentiation on Increasing Bat Velocity in Competitive Baseball Players: A Case Series

Purpose/Hypothesis: Hitting a baseball is widely considered as one of the most difficult motor tasks in sports. It requires quick decision-making and coordinated activation of key muscles to produce a precise and rapid swing. Higher bat velocity has been shown to be associated with offensive performance of baseball players, as greater bat velocities permit more time to be spent analyzing a pitch and can lead to greater outcomes when a ball is hit in play. Baseball players and coaches have traditionally sought on-deck routines to temporarily enhance bat velocity before an at-bat, primarily swinging a weight bat. However, this method has been shown to be ineffective at increasing bat velocity in previous studies. This case series primarily explored the effects of a post-activation potentiation inducing warmup (PAP) procedure on bat velocity and secondarily explored whether upper- or lower-body strength has implications on the effect seen. Case Descriptions: Six high-school male baseball position players completed a dynamic warm- up then were randomly assigned to an order of warmup interventions consisting of either standard bat swings (SBS) or PAP inducing maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVC). After each intervention and following a ten-minute washout period in between interventions, the bat velocity of ten subsequent swings was recorded. Participants’ maximal 1-repetition back squat and bench press were tested for computation of relative strength. Outcomes: Bat velocity was highly variable between the players and across the ten swings for each intervention. Four players demonstrated higher bat velocity following the PAP intervention. There was no clear trend regarding whether stronger individuals, as evident through bench press and back squat performance, contributed to the change in bat velocity following the PAP intervention. Conclusion: Utilizing MVCs to induce a PAP effect may be an effective means of increasing bat velocity prior to an at-bat, although this is largely individualistic. It is unclear whether strength has a role in inducing the PAP effect from MVCs

Lanthorn, vol. 49, no. 32, January 5, 2015

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State\u27s student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present. The Lanthorn, Vol. 49 No. 33 is missing