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Objectives: Adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) are often sedentary, increasing their risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Leisure-time Physical Activity (LTPA) is physical activity completed during recreation time for enjoyment. We aimed to quantify LTPA in people ≥45 years with SCI and to explore its relationship with participants' characteristics. Methods: This is a secondary analysis on a subset of the Australian International SCI Survey in participants ≥45 years, at least 12 months post-injury. We described levels of LTPA and used multivariable regressions to estimate the associations between participant characteristics and LTPA. Results: Of 1,281 participants (mean age: 62.7 years, mean time since injury: 18.7 years; 74% males) 44% reported no participation in LTPA. The average LTPA participation was 197 (SD 352) minutes per week (median: 50). Females (β = -62.3, 95% CI [-112.9, -11.7]), and participants with non-traumatic injuries (β = -105.2, 95% CI [-165.9, -44.6]) performed less LTPA. Time since injury was not associated with moderate-to-heavy LTPA (LR: Probability > F = 0.785). Conclusion: LTPA promotion in the SCI population ≥45 years focusing on females and non-traumatic injuries is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging technologies such as robotics and virtual reality (VR) are being trialled and implemented into physiotherapy practice. As emerging technologies compete for market share, trials on emerging technologies are at risk of spin. For consumers to make informed decisions about whether to use a new technology, trials should accurately portray the results. If spin is present, outcomes may not be comparable to the results reported when interventions are implemented clinically. To determine the amount and type of spin in abstracts of physiotherapy clinical trials that use robotic or VR interventions. A secondary objective is to determine the agreement between raters, both experienced and inexperienced, using an existing 7-item checklist with updated item definitions. We will perform two meta-research reviews on a random set of 100 robotics (study 1) and 100 VR (study 2) trials, from any year, indexed in the PEDro database. Using the updated spin checklist, the abstract of each trial will be assessed in corroboration with full-text. The total spin score and proportion of studies with spin for each item will be reported. Agreement between experienced and inexperienced raters will be determined using kappa statistics. Rater confidence in rating each item will be collected. We will identify if spin is present in robotics and VR literature and evaluate if the spin checklist can be confidently and consistently used by raters. We hope this research will facilitate best-practice reporting of research findings so emerging technologies will be implemented with realistic expectation of clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In some hospitals, patients exhibit significant heterogeneity of function at admission and discharge. The current study aims to assess if concurrent usage of the Early Functional Assessment (EFA) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM®) is warranted and practical in rehabilitation centers with diverse patient groups and outcomes. Methods: This retrospective study examined a data set of all patients with concurrent EFA and FIM scores admitted to a single rehabilitation center (4076 scores from 1251 patients). The patients had acquired brain injury of multiple etiologies and a range of severities. Results: The EFA scale was more able to characterize the function of lower functioning patients according to the FIM while the FIM scale was more able to characterize the function of higher functioning patients according to the EFA. This was highlighted by 21% of assessments with the lowest FIM score (18) having corresponding EFA scores of 22-76 and 27% of assessments with the highest EFA score (>90) having corresponding FIM scores of 38-126. Conclusions: In rehabilitation centers with diverse patient groups and outcomes, the FIM and EFA scale could be used to characterize the heterogeneity of function in patients with acquired brain injury. The EFA/FIM scale could be used concurrently in certain patients providing a more complete view of patients throughout the rehabilitation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to investigate trial-by-trial response characteristics in the short-latency stretch reflex (SSR). Fourteen dorsiflexion stretches were applied to the ankle joint with a pre-contracted soleus muscle on two days. The magnitude and variability of trial-by-trial responses of the SSR were assessed. The SSR was log-normally distributed and variance heterogeneous between subjects. For some subjects, the magnitude and variance differed between days and stretches. As velocity increased, variance heterogeneity tended to decrease and response magnitude increased. The current study demonstrates the need to assess trial-by-trial response characteristics and not averaged curves. Moreover, it provides an analysis of SSR characteristics accounting for log-normally distributed and variance heterogeneous trial-by-trial responses.