Document Type

Thesis - NSU Access Only

Title

Physical Therapists' Application of Functional Balance Tests on Patients Who Have Suffered Traumatic Brain Injury

Authors

Scott N. Colling, Nova Southeastern University

Degree Name

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

Department

College of Health Care Sciences - Physical Therapy Department

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1998

Publisher

Nova Southeastern University

NSUWorks Citation

Scott N. Colling. 1998. Physical Therapists' Application of Functional Balance Tests on Patients Who Have Suffered Traumatic Brain Injury. Master's thesis. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Health Care Sciences - Physical Therapy Department. (103)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_pt_stuetd/103.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate therapists' application of functional balance tests on Traumatic Brain Injured (TBI) patients in a rehabilitative setting. Also, to find out how and why they modify these tests, and to investigate what areas of functional balance therapists are unable to measure.

Subjects: A selected sample of 366 therapists who practiced in the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona.

Methods: The survey was sent via mail to 366 physical therapists working in a neurological rehabilitation setting. The usable surveys returned was 109, yielding a 33% return rate. The data were analyzed using SPSS software and Pearson correlation coefficient, frequencies and Chi-square.

Results: Tinetti POMA and Berg Balance Scale were two of the most common functional balance tests used by the therapists. The majority (80%) of the forty-four therapists who modified the tests, did so from 1 to 50% of the time. Chi-Square analysis revealed significant differences in therapists' satisfaction of applied tests and the amount of literature supporting those tests.

Conclusions: The results may suggest inability to accurately measure cognitive components in relation to functional balance. This may lead to further research of applied tests on TBI patients and/or development of tests designed to measure higher levels (i.e. cognitive) aspects of functional balance.

Disciplines

Physical Therapy