Newswise — Full-text articles are available at http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/11/488/contents488.html
Manuscripts featured in this issue include—
Residential treatment for homeless female veterans with psychiatric and substance use disorders: Effect on 1-year clinical outcomes, pg. 891
Researchers estimate that in the United States approximately 30 percent of homeless men and 4 percent of homeless women are veterans. In this observational study of 451 participants in the Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Women Veterans Program, researchers test the importance of addressing the unique health, mental health, and psychosocial needs of women veterans through specialized programs. Study participants were interviewed about their health status every 3 months for 1 year. Participants who received at least 30 days of residential treatment in the 3 months after program entry were then compared with participants who received no residential treatment or less than 30 days of treatment. The study results indicate that homeless women receiving 30 days of residential treatment had better outcomes on employment, social support, housing status, and psychiatric symptoms.
Physical activity in postdeployment Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans using Department of Veterans Affairs services, pg. 901
Previous studies suggest that the veteran population has a greater prevalence of being overweight and obese when compared with nonveterans of all ages. Using data from an online cross-sectional survey of postdeployment Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans, researchers compare the attitudes and physical activities of these veterans during Active Duty and postdeployment. The results show that participants recognize the benefits of regular physical activity but typically shifted from higher-intensity activities during active duty to lower-intensity activities during postdeployment. Participants listed health problems and/or chronic pain as some of the reasons for the changes in physical activity levels.
Prevalence and characteristics of driving difficulties in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation EnduringFreedom combat returnees, pg. 913
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in veterans in the early years after returning from deployment. It is estimated that Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans have a 75 percent greater risk of death from a motor vehicle accident than the general population during the first 5 years following return from deployment. In this study, researchers assessed the prevalence and characteristics of driving difficulties in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), patients with a combined diagnosis of TBI and PTSD, and patients without either diagnosis.
Approximately 93 percent of study participants reported having more difficulties with driving after deployment. Difficulties reported by participants include anger or impatience, lapses in attention, and battlemind driving behaviors. Patients with PTSD experienced the most significant driving impairments.
Retrospective case series of clinical outcomes associated with chiropractic management for veterans with low back pain, pg. 927
This cross-sectional analysis describes the demographic characteristics, chiropractic treatment methods and frequency, and clinical outcomes for the chiropractic treatment of low back pain in a sample of veteran patients. The Department of Veterans Affairs recently added chiropractic services as a treatment option for low back pain. This study furthers the understanding of chiropractic clinical outcomes for veterans.
An objective method for selecting command sources for myoelectrically triggered lower-limb neuroprostheses, pg. 935
Researchers test the suitability of the Discriminability Index (DI) as a metric to evaluate the potential for controlling ambulation with functional electrical stimulation. Scientists used the DI to rank partially paralyzed muscles according to their ability to detect a participant’s intent to step during level overground walking. The results suggest that the DI is a good metric to evaluate potential muscle controls objectively before implementation of a fully implantable functional electrical stimulation system.
Residual limb volume change: Systematic review of measurement and management, pg. 949
This literature review discusses the measurement and management of volume changes in residual limbs of individuals with lower-limb amputation. Residual limb volume change can affect the fit and comfort of a prosthetic socket. The 52 evaluated articles reveal that many techniques for measuring residual limb volume change have been described, but clinical use of these techniques is limited because of an inability to measure in-socket volumes.
Tensile strength and impact resistance properties of materials used in prosthetic check sockets, copolymer sockets, and definitive laminated sockets, pg. 987
This study investigates the effects of fabrication on tensile strength and impact resistance of prosthetic sockets. Using samples of raw material specimens and three types of sockets from various manufacturers, researchers measured the percent elongation of the samples at their breaking point and the energy needed to fully fracture the material at room and freezer temperatures. The tensile strength and impact resistance of the tested conventional check or definitive sockets were shown to depend on the materials used, the form of the raw material, the fabrication process, and the temperature at which the prosthetic is used. A thorough understanding of how these factors affect manufactured sockets may aid the selection of raw materials and fabrication practices, which ultimately will lead to improved socket performance.
Bilateral upper-limb rehabilitation after stroke using a movement-based game controller, pg. 1005
Results from this pilot study suggest that upper-limb motor performance of adults with chronic stroke improves with repetitive, game-assisted bilateral exercises. In the first study of the CyWee Z, a movement-based game controller, researchers tested the effectiveness of the system on 14 participants who trained with the system for 8 to 10 sessions of 45–60 minutes over a 2.5 week period. Researchers rated the motor performance of participants posttraining using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment upper-limb section.
Development of custom measurement system for biomechanical evaluation of independentwheelchair transfers, pg. 1015
Researchers describe reliability testing of a novel system that measures hand reaction forces and displacement angles for the shoulder, elbow, and trunk during sitting-pivot wheelchair transfers. Wheelchair transfers are ranked among the most strenuous wheelchair-related activities known to cause upper-limb pain and overuse injuries. The research findings suggest the system produces both valid and reliable measures of the force and body displacement angles during the lift phase of a wheelchair transfer. The findings also support a minimum of five transfer trials to obtain a stable measure of an individual’s transfer technique.
Kinematic analysis of symmetric axial trunk rotation on dominant hip, pg. 1029
This study evaluates range of motion differences between the dominant and nondominant sides of the lumbar spine and hips during axial rotation in participants while standing. The study results indicate significant differences in range of motion based on age and dominance.
JRRD is a peer-reviewed, scientifically indexed journal providing comprehensive coverage of all rehabilitation disciplines. It provides researchers and other rehabilitation professionals with the ideal venue for publishing original research papers for exposure to a global audience. For more information about JRRD, please visit www.rehab.research.va.gov/jrrd.
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