70,582 research outputs found
Rehabilitation for Disabled People: A âSickâ Joke?
This paper argues that the relationship between disability and rehabilitation is best explained in terms of three distinct but related definitions of disability. The first is the orthodox âindividualisticâ medical definition; the second, is the more liberal âinter-relationalâ account and; the third, is the âradicalâ socio/political interpretation commonly referred to as the âsocial model of disabilityâ. By adopting the latter it is suggested that ârehabilitationâ for people with ascribed impairments and labelled âdisabledâ is extremely limited in what it can achieve, due to the ongoing cultural bias against this increasingly large section of the population, and the effective de-politicisation of disability and related issues by politicians, policy makers and academics. It concludes with a brief focus on alternative strategies generated by disabled people and their organisations
Synopsis of an engineering solution for a painful problem Phantom Limb Pain
This paper is synopsis of a recently proposed solution for treating patients who suffer from Phantom Limb Pain (PLP). The underpinning approach of this research and development project is based on an extension of âmirror boxâ therapy which has had some promising results in pain reduction. An outline of an immersive individually tailored environment giving the patient a virtually realised limb presence, as a means to pain reduction is provided. The virtual 3D holographic environment is meant to produce immersive, engaging and creative environments and tasks to encourage and maintain patientsâ interest, an important aspect in two of the more challenging populations under consideration (over-60s and war veterans). The system is hoped to reduce PLP by more than 3 points on an 11 point Visual Analog Scale (VAS), when a score less than 3 could be attributed to distraction alone
Using interpretative phenomenological analysis to inform physiotherapy practice: An introduction with reference to the lived experience of cerebellar ataxia
The attached file is a pre-published version of the full and final paper which can be found at the link below.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Qualitative research methods that focus on the lived experience of people with health conditions are relatively
underutilised in physiotherapy research. This article aims to introduce interpretative phenomenological analysis
(IPA), a research methodology oriented toward exploring and understanding the experience of a particular
phenomenon (e.g., living with spinal cord injury or chronic pain, or being the carer of someone with a particular
health condition). Researchers using IPA try to find out how people make sense of their experiences and the
meanings they attach to them. The findings from IPA research are highly nuanced and offer a fine grained
understanding that can be used to contextualise existing quantitative research, to inform understanding of novel
or underresearched topics or, in their own right, to provoke a reappraisal of what is considered known about
a specified phenomenon. We advocate IPA as a useful and accessible approach to qualitative research that
can be used in the clinical setting to inform physiotherapy practice and the development of services from the
perspective of individuals with particular health conditions.This article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund
Wearable Computing for Health and Fitness: Exploring the Relationship between Data and Human Behaviour
Health and fitness wearable technology has recently advanced, making it
easier for an individual to monitor their behaviours. Previously self generated
data interacts with the user to motivate positive behaviour change, but issues
arise when relating this to long term mention of wearable devices. Previous
studies within this area are discussed. We also consider a new approach where
data is used to support instead of motivate, through monitoring and logging to
encourage reflection. Based on issues highlighted, we then make recommendations
on the direction in which future work could be most beneficial
Rehabilitative devices for a top-down approach
In recent years, neurorehabilitation has moved from a "bottom-up" to a "top down" approach. This change has also involved the technological devices developed for motor and cognitive rehabilitation. It implies that during a task or during therapeutic exercises, new "top-down" approaches are being used to stimulate the brain in a more direct way to elicit plasticity-mediated motor re-learning. This is opposed to "Bottom up" approaches, which act at the physical level and attempt to bring about changes at the level of the central neural system. Areas covered: In the present unsystematic review, we present the most promising innovative technological devices that can effectively support rehabilitation based on a top-down approach, according to the most recent neuroscientific and neurocognitive findings. In particular, we explore if and how the use of new technological devices comprising serious exergames, virtual reality, robots, brain computer interfaces, rhythmic music and biofeedback devices might provide a top-down based approach. Expert commentary: Motor and cognitive systems are strongly harnessed in humans and thus cannot be separated in neurorehabilitation. Recently developed technologies in motor-cognitive rehabilitation might have a greater positive effect than conventional therapies
Mindfulness-based interventions for young offenders: a scoping review
Youth offending is a problem worldwide. Young people in the criminal justice system have frequently experienced adverse childhood circumstances, mental health problems, difficulties regulating emotions and poor quality of life. Mindfulness-based interventions can help people manage problems resulting from these experiences, but their usefulness for youth offending populations is not clear. This review evaluated existing evidence for mindfulness-based interventions among such populations. To be included, each study used an intervention with at least one of the three core components of mindfulness-based stress reduction (breath awareness, body awareness, mindful movement) that was delivered to young people in prison or community rehabilitation programs. No restrictions were placed on methods used. Thirteen studies were included: three randomized controlled trials, one controlled trial, three pre-post study designs, three mixed-methods approaches and three qualitative studies. Pooled numbers (nâ=â842) comprised 99% males aged between 14 and 23. Interventions varied so it was not possible to identify an optimal approach in terms of content, dose or intensity. Studies found some improvement in various measures of mental health, self-regulation, problematic behaviour, substance use, quality of life and criminal propensity. In those studies measuring mindfulness, changes did not reach statistical significance. Qualitative studies reported participants feeling less stressed, better able to concentrate, manage emotions and behaviour, improved social skills and that the interventions were acceptable. Generally low study quality limits the generalizability of these findings. Greater clarity on intervention components and robust mixed-methods evaluation would improve clarity of reporting and better guide future youth offending prevention programs
Plasticity and awareness of bodily distortion
Knowledge of the body is filtered by perceptual information, recalibrated through predominantly innate stored information, and neurally mediated by direct sensory motor information. Despite multiple sources, the immediate prediction, construction, and evaluation of oneâs body are distorted. The origins of such distortions are unclear. In this review, we consider three possible sources of awareness that inform body distortion. First, the precision in the body metric may be based on the sight and positioning sense of a particular body segment. This view provides information on the dual nature of body representation, the reliability of a conscious body image, and implicit alterations in the metrics and positional correspondence of body parts. Second, body awareness may reflect an innate organizational experience of unity and continuity in the brain, with no strong isomorphism to body morphology. Third, body awareness may be based on efferent/afferent neural signals, suggesting that major body distortions may result from changes in neural sensorimotor experiences. All these views can be supported empirically, suggesting that body awareness is synthesized from multimodal integration and the temporal constancy of multiple body representations. For each of these views, we briefly discuss abnormalities and therapeutic strategies for correcting the bodily distortions in various clinical disorder
Developing an Intervention Toolbox for the Common Health Problems in the Workplace
Development of the Health â Work Toolbox is described. The toolbox aims to reduce the workplace impact of common health problems (musculoskeletal, mental health, and stress complaints) by focusing on tackling work-relevant symptoms. Based on biopsychosocial principles this toolbox supplements current approaches by occupying the zone between primary prevention and healthcare. It provides a set of evidence-informed principles and processes (knowledge + tools) for tackling work-relevant common health problems. The toolbox comprises a proactive element aimed at empowering line managers to create good jobs, and a âjust in timeâ responsive element for supporting individuals struggling with a work-relevant health problem. The key intention is helping people with common health problems to maintain work participation. The extensive conceptual and practical development process, including a comprehensive evidence review, produced a functional prototype toolbox that is evidence based and flexible in its use. End-user feedback was mostly positive. Moving the prototype to a fully-fledged internet resource requires specialist design expertise. The Health â Work Toolbox appears to have potential to contribute to the goal of augmenting existing primary prevention strategies and healthcare delivery by providing a more comprehensive workplace approach to constraining sickness absence
Proceedings of the Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference (SPARC) 2011
These proceedings bring together a selection of papers from the 2011 Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference(SPARC). It includes papers from PhD students in the arts and social sciences, business, computing, science and engineering, education, environment, built environment and health sciences. Contributions from Salford researchers are published here alongside papers from students at the Universities of Anglia Ruskin, Birmingham City, Chester,De Montfort, Exeter, Leeds, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores and Manchester
The Boy Who Grew a New Brain: Understanding this Miracle from a Neuro-Quantum Perspective
In this paper, we present a case of a boy â Noah Wall, who till today surprises the world of neuroscience with his
will to grow his brain and survive. The case presented in this study sets a stepping stone in understanding the
advent of the will to make a choice, from a neuro-quantum mechanics interpretation. We propose that besides our
internal states of choices (neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, cell differentiation, etc.) we also relate with external states
of choices (love, compassion, empathy, emotions, etc.) that contributes to its emergence. Quantum uncertainty
seems to support the existence of a fundamental property based on which the universe functions; which means that
even the nothing of free space has a small chance of containing something. Outcomes are not determined by prior
or random events but by consciousness that gives rise to these outcomes. This provides us a lead into
understanding the existence of the will and the origin of choice when we look deeper into the realms of the
implausible interpretations of quantum mechanics. Free will is the ability for the mind to choose between possible
outcomes. Willful power is therefore not only a psychological intervention but also a biological and quantum
intervention, where we have the capacity to make choices about what direction we will take, making a change to
the systematic functioning of our body
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