Grunnleggende ferdigheter og læringsmiljø : Et utdrag av analysene av Elevundersøkelsen 2014

-Denne rapporten er et utdrag av den årlige hovedrapporten hvor resultatene fra Elevundersøkelsen blir analysert inngående. Problemstillingene i hovedrapporten vil delvis variere fra år til år og de ulike årlige problemstillinger og temaområder fastsettes i samråd med Utdanningsdirektoratet. For Elevundersøkelsen 2014 er det et særlig fokus på skolers arbeid med grunnleggende ferdigheter i lesing og regning. Problemstillingen fra Elevundersøkelsen 2014 som følges opp i denne rapporten er: Hvilke sammenhenger ser vi mellom elevens læringsmiljø, skolens arbeid med grunnleggende ferdigheter i lesing og/eller regning og selvrapporterte karakterresultater i Elevundersøkelsen? Problemstillingen belyses både kvantitativt gjennom analyse av data fra Elevundersøkelsen 2014 og gjennom kvalitative casestudier blant et utvalg skoler

Development and Reliability of a Clinician-rated Instrument to Evaluate Function in Individuals with Shoulder Pain: A Preliminary Study

Background and Purpose Subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) is a common and disabling condition in the population. Interventions are often evaluated with patient-rated outcome measures. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple clinician-rated measure to detect difficulties in the execution of movement-related tasks among patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. Method The steps in the scale development included a review of the clinical literature of shoulder pain to identify condition-specific questionnaires, pilot testing, clinical testing and scale construction. Twenty-one eligible items from thirteen questionnaires were extracted and included in a pilot test. All items were scored on a five-point ordinal scale ranging from 1 (no difficulty) to 5 (cannot perform). Fourteen items were excluded after pilot testing because of difficulties in standardization or other practical considerations. The remaining seven items were included in a clinical test-retest study with outpatients at a hospital. Of these, four were excluded because of psychometric reasons. From the remaining three items, a measure named Shoulder Activity Scale (summed score ranging from 3 to 15) was developed. Results A total of 33 men and 30 women were included in the clinical study; age range 27–80 years. The intraclass correlation coefficient results for inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.80 (95% CI = 0.51–0.90) and 0.74 (95% CI = 0.58–0.84), respectively. The standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change were 1.19 and 3.32, respectively. The scale was linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health second level categories lifting and carrying objects (d430), dressing (d540), hand and arm use (d445) and control of voluntary movement (b760). Conclusion The Shoulder Activity Scale showed acceptable reliability in a sample of outpatients at a hospital, rated by clinicians experienced in shoulder rehabilitation. The validity of the scale should be investigated in future studies before application to common practice. © 2013 The Authors. Physiotherapy Research International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Reliability and validity of the Norwegian version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome

Background: Patient-rated outcome measures (PROMs) are an important part of clinical decision-making in rehabilitation of patients with shoulder pain. The Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire was designed to measure physical disability and symptoms in patients with musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity and is one the most commonly used outcome measures for patients with shoulder pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Norwegian version of the DASH in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. Methods: Sixty-three patients diagnosed with shoulder impingement syndrome at an orthopaedic outpatient clinic were included in the study. Internal consistency of the DASH was evaluated by the Cronbach’s alpha and item-to-total correlations. Test-retest reliability was analyzed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and limits of agreement (LoA) according to the Bland Altman method. Standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimally detectable change (MDC) were calculated for the total DASH score. Construct validity was evaluated by testing six a priori hypotheses for the Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the DASH and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and a Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Results: Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha of the DASH was 0.93 and item-to-total correlations ranged from 0.36 to 0.81. ICC was 0.89. The 95 percent LoA was calculated to be between −11.9 and 14.1. SEM was 4.7 and MDC 13.1. Construct validity: Eighty-three percent of the a priori hypotheses of correlation were confirmed. The DASH showed a high positive correlation of 0.75 with the SPADI, a negative moderate correlation of −0.48 to −0.62 with physical functioning, bodily pain and physical component summary of the SF-36 and a moderate positive correlation of 0.58 with the NPRS. DASH correlated higher with the physical component summary than with the mental component summary of the SF-36. Conclusions: The Norwegian version of the DASH is a reliable and valid outcome measure for patients with shoulder impingement syndrom

Measurement properties of the high-level mobility assessment tool for mild traumatic brain injury

Background. The High-Level Mobility Assessment Tool (HiMAT) was developed to quantify balance and mobility problems after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Measurement properties of the HiMAT have not been tested in the mild TBI (MTBI) population. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the HiMAT in a sample of the MTBI population. Design. A cohort, pretest-posttest, comparison study was conducted. Methods. Ninety-two patients (69% men, 31% women) with a mean age of 37.1 years (SD 13.8) and a mean Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14.7 (SD 0.7) were recruited from Oslo University Hospital. All patients were tested with the HiMAT (range of scores 0 [worst] to 54 [best]) at 3 months postinjury. Fifty-one patients were retested at 6 months. A subgroup of 25 patients was selected for the reliability testing. Balance function reported on the Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire was chosen as a criterion and anchor. Criterion-related validity was studied with correlation analysis. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used for assessing interrater and intrarater reliability. Minimal detectable change (MDC) for the HiMAT was estimated. Responsiveness was assessed with receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. Results. The mean HiMAT sum score was 46.2 (95% confidence interval 44.4 to 48.1). The HiMAT had a ceiling effect of 22.8%. The correlation between HiMAT scores and self-reported balance problems was large (r .63, P .001). Interrater and intrarater reliability of the HiMAT sum score was high (interrater ICC .99, intrarater ICC .95). The MDC was 3 to 4 points. Responsiveness was good, and the HiMAT discriminated well between patients with self-perceived improved balance function versus unchanged balance function (area under the curve 0.86). Limitations. The small sample size, a ceiling effect, and lack of a gold standard were limitations of the study. Conclusions. The HiMAT demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties for patients with MTBI. The HiMAT can be used as an outcome measure of balance and mobility problems in patients with MTB

Demand, Control and Support at Work Among Sick-Listed Patients with Neck or Back Pain: A Prospective Study

Purpose The main aim of this study was to assess changes in perceived demand, control and support at work of neck and back pain patients over 1 year. We also hypothesised that perceived changes in demand, control and support at work were associated with clinical improvement, reduced fear-avoidance beliefs and successful return to work. Methods Four hundred and five sick-listed patients referred to secondary care with neck or back pain were originally included in an interventional study. Of these, two hundred and twenty-six patients reported perceived psychosocial work factors at both baseline and 1-year follow-up, and they were later included in this prospective study. Changes in demand, control and support dimensions were measured by a total of nine variables. Results At the group level, no significant differences were found among the measured subscales. At the individual level, the regression analyses showed that decreases in fear-avoidance beliefs about work were consistently related to decreases in demand and increases in control, whereas decreases in disability, anxiety and depression were related to increases in support subscales. Conclusions The perception of demand, control and support appear to be stable over 1 year in patients with neck and back pain, despite marked improvement in pain and disability. Disability, anxiety, depression and fear-avoidance beliefs about work were significantly associated with the perception of the work environment, whereas neck and back pain were not. The published version is available at link.springer.co

Change in pain, disability and influence of fear-avoidance in a work-focused intervention on neck and back pain: a randomized controlled trial

Background Neck and back pain are among the most common causes of prolonged disability, and development of interventions with effect on pain, disability and return to work is important. Reduction of fear avoidance might be one mechanism behind improvement after interventions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in pain and disability at the 12-month follow-up of patients with neck and back pain treated with a work-focused intervention compared to patients treated with standard interventions, and the influence of improvement fear avoidance beliefs during the interventions on pain, disability and return to work at 12-month follow-up. Methods 413 employed patients with back or neck pain referred to secondary care, and sick-listed between 4 weeks and 12 months, were randomized to a work-focused rehabilitation or control interventions. Follow-up was conducted 4 and 12 months after inclusion. The groups were compared (independent sample t-test) regarding differences in disability scores (Oswestry disability index/neck disability index) and pain (numeric rating scale) from baseline to 12-month follow-up. Changes in fear avoidance beliefs (FABQ) from baseline to 4 month follow-up were calculated, and the association between this change and return to work, pain and disability at 12 months were tested in stepwise multiple logistic regression models. Results Pain and, disability scores decreased to in both the work-focused and control intervention to 12-month follow-up, and there were no significant differences between the groups. FABQ decreased similarly in both groups to 4 month follow-up. The logistic regression model revealed an association between a reduced FABQ work score at 4 months and return to work within one year (adjusted OR 3.60, 95% CI 1.19 to 10.88). Reduced FABQ physical activity score at 4 months was associated with decreased disability after 12 months (adjusted OR (3.65. 95% CI 1.43 to 9.28). Conclusions Short work-focused rehabilitation had the same effect on pain and disability as control interventions. Reduction in FABQ-W score after treatment seems to be an important predictor for return to work in both groups

Neuromuscular control of heel strike in running and walking: Does footwear midsole stiffness play a role? - A PCA approach to analyzing EMG waveforms

The current study had two main purposes. The first aim was to determine whether the findings from a previous study that found waveforms that could be related to mechanisms for feedback and feed-forward muscle activation in walking, by applying Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on the Electromyography (EMG) signals from muscles controlling the knee, could be reproduced in a second independent dataset. Furthermore, it was investigated if similar waveforms also could be found in muscles controlling the ankle joint, and that they would play a role in controlling the heel strike not only in walking but also in running. The second aim was to get a better understanding of how the neuromuscular system adapts to specific heel strike conditions. This was done by systematical change the cushioning properties of a running shoe. It was hypothesized that the different shoe conditions would affect to what extend the characteristic feedback or feed-forward patterns would contribute to the muscle activation amplitude. The study was conducted by having ten subjects walk and run with five different running shoes with different cushioning properties. EMG signals from muscles controlling the knee and ankle joint were collected while the subjects were walking and running. A PCA was conducted on the collected EMG signals, providing Principal Components (PCs) showing characteristic waveforms. Furthermore the effect of each shoe on these waveforms was found by statistical analysis. The results from this study showed that waveforms that can be related to feedback and feed-forward muscle activation were found in the knee extensors both for running and walking. Waveforms that can be related to patterns of feedback and feed-forward muscle activation were not found for the knee flexors or for muscles controlling the ankle joint, neither for walking or running. Regarding the shoe effect, there were found no shoe effect on a group level that contributed to a systematic change in the waveforms. When looking for a shoe effect on an individual level the results suggests suggest that in walking, subject-specific adaptation to shoe sole stiffness seemed to take place in a significant fraction of the subjects. Indicating that there is an adaptation to shoes with different cushioning properties, but this adaptation takes place on an individual level and not in a common way for everyone. For running this individual adaptation was not seen in the same degree

Health-related Quality of Life 12 months after severe traumatic brain injury: A prospective nationwide cohort study

OBJECTIVE: To assess health-related quality of life in individuals with severe traumatic brain injury at 12 months post-injury, applying the Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) instrument, and to study the relationship between injury-related factors, post-injury functioning and health-related quality of life. Design/subjects: The study is part of a prospective, Norwegian multicentre study of adults (≥ 16 years old) with severe traumatic brain injury, as defined by a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3–8 during the first 24 h post-injury. A total of 126 patients were included. METHODS: Socio-demographic data and injury severity variables were collected. Functioning at 3 and 12 months was assessed with the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE), the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the Rivermead Post-concussion Questionnaire (RPQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Hierarchical regression analysis was applied. RESULTS: Mean QOLIBRI score was 68.5 (standard deviation = 18.8). Predictors of the QOLIBRI in the final regression model were: employment status (p = 0.05), GOSE (p = 0.05), RPQ (p < 0.001) and HADS (p < 0.001). The adjusted R2 showed that the model explained 64.0% of the variance in the QOLIBRI score. CONCLUSION: Symptom pressure and global functioning in the sub-acute phase of traumatic brain injury and psychological distress in the post-acute phase are important for health-related quality of life at 12 months post-injury. These domains should be the focus in rehabilitation aiming to improve health-related quality of life in patients with severe traumatic brain injury

A functional Segregation along the Hippocampal Anterior-posterior Axis

PhD i medisinsk teknologiPhD in Medical Technolog

Numerical Analysis of the Dynamic Behaviour of Railway Catenary Systems in Accordance with Norwegian Conditions

The dynamic behaviour of the railway catenary system is of great importance as the speed of the train increases. The aim for this study was to make a numerical model of the catenary system in three dimensions to be able to investigate what should be done with existing catenary systems in Norway to increase the train speed. In Norway there is a high ratio of curves with small radius, thus it is very important to include three dimensions. Abaqus has been used to obtain the numerical model. Both static and dynamic analyses have been done on this model. The results from the analyses have been compared with measurements, and this has shown that the model is able to describe the dynamic behaviour of the catenary system with sufficient accuracy. In future work it is recommended to look especially into how the contact interaction between the contact wire and the pantograph is modelled