Occupational Therapy News and Research

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Detroit-area residents plead guilty in connection with health care fraud schemes

Detroit-area residents Baskaran Thangarasan, Sandeep Aggarwal and Wayne Smith pleaded guilty this week for their roles in connection with several Detroit-area health care fraud schemes, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Terrence I. Berg, Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena of the FBI's Detroit Field Office and Daniel Levinson, Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today.

14 Dec 2009

Kennedy Krieger Institute opens new center for individuals with muscle disorders

Kennedy Krieger Institute announced today the opening of the new Center for Genetic Muscle Disorders that will improve and expand services to individuals with muscle disorders such as muscular dystrophy and congenital myopathy in the Baltimore/Washington region and across the nation. The Center provides expert clinical care to children and adults with these disorders, and offers leading research programs both in the clinical and laboratory setting.

9 Dec 2009

Benchmark Physical Therapy selects Dynatronics as sole-source vendor

Dynatronics Corporation announced it has signed a sole-source vendor agreement to provide therapy equipment and rehab supplies to Benchmark Physical Therapy with 65 clinics located in Tennessee and Georgia.

5 Dec 2009

CVS/pharmacy kicks off its fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's annual campaign

CVS/pharmacy kicks off its annual in store fundraiser for the sixth year to support the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Thanks and Giving campaign, beginning this Sunday and running through December 12. CVS/pharmacy store colleagues will encourage customers to add $1 to their purchase at the register to support the lifesaving research of St. Jude, one of the world's premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases.

20 Nov 2009

MU occupational therapy professor says recovery from brain injuries can last a lifetime

Until recently, scientists believed that, following a stroke, a patient had about six months to regain any lost function. After that, patients would be forced to compensate for the lost function by focusing on their remaining abilities. Although this belief has been refuted, a University of Missouri occupational therapy professor believes that the current health system is still not giving patients enough time to recover and underestimating what the human brain can do given the right conditions.

18 Nov 2009

Patients with disabilities or LEP often perceived that their physicians did not listen to them, find researchers

According to the Institute of Medicine, more than 90 million Americans suffer from low health literacy-, a mismatch between patients' abilities to understand healthcare information and providers' abilities to communicate complex medical information in an understandable manner.

31 Oct 2009

Tips for reducing neck and back injuries

With school underway, attention is focused on backpack safety. But carrying heavy bags, briefcases, computers, luggage and even handbags can affect anyone.

30 Oct 2009

Practical changes in school infrastructure can provide better environments for disabled students

NJIT Research Architect B. Lynn Hutchings believes that by making a few practical, effective and relatively inexpensive changes to school buildings, they can become better environments for students with severe physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities.

21 Oct 2009

NICoE to study how brain works after sustaining combat-related injury using Elekta Neuromag

Projected to open in mid 2010, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) is a facility dedicated to the study and care of military personnel and veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychological health issues. Using Elekta Neuromag®, an advanced magnetoencephalography (MEG) device, NICoE plans to shed light on how the brain works after sustaining combat-related injury.

From Elekta 15 Oct 2009

Researchers to investigate an existing drug for speedy recovery of stroke patients

New research will determine whether an inexpensive drug called L-dopa, widely used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, could also help thousands of stroke patients regain mobility and independence.

14 Oct 2009

Brain injuries in Ontario's construction industry are highest in August and October

August may be the cruellest month for brain injuries in Ontario's construction industry, but a new study shows October is not far behind.

7 Oct 2009

Travel Force Staffing's rehabilitation jobs search tool for healthcare professionals

Leading travel therapy recruitment firm, Travel Force Staffing, provides specialized allied healthcare staffing services to hospitals, clinics, managed care and skilled nursing facilities nationwide.

22 Sep 2009

Excessive physical strain in dementia care linked to communication problems

Excessive physical strain in dementia care is not so much related to equipment or the resident's body weight as it is due to communication problems and misunderstandings. This is shown in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

15 Sep 2009

Dresner Partners advises CCHHS in its partnership with HHG

Dresner Partners, a FINRA-registered, middle-market investment bank, and IMAP member firm, announced today that it advised Care Collaborative Home Health Services, Inc. (CCHHS) in its recent strategic partnership with Home Health Group, LLC (HHG), a holding company focused on investments in the home health industry.

14 Sep 2009

Detroit area physical therapist involved in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program

Detroit area physical therapist Jay Jha, 45, pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program of approximately $18.3 million, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Terrence I. Berg of the Eastern District of Michigan and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced.

27 Aug 2009

Progressive resistance strength training for improving physical function in seniors

Progressive resistance strength training not only helps older adults become stronger but also makes their everyday life easier, a Cochrane Review suggests.

7 Jul 2009

Nintendo Wii may help treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease that impairs motor skills. Dr. Herz theorized that the popular computer game console, which simulates various sports and activities, could improve coordination, reflexes and other movement-related skills, but he found additional benefits as well.

12 Jun 2009

Study looks at public attitudes toward early detection of dementia across different health-care systems

A new study has found that in spite of their universal health care system which facilitates access to free dementia care, older adults in the United Kingdom are less willing to undergo dementia screening than their counterparts in the U.S. because the Britons perceive greater societal stigma from diagnosis of the disease than do Americans.

19 Jan 2009

Electrical stimulation of the brain offers hope for Parkinson's sufferers

Electrical stimulation of the brain -- a treatment in which a pacemaker-like device sends pulses to electrodes implanted in the brain -- is riskier than drug therapy but may hold significant benefits for those with Parkinson's disease who no longer respond well to medication alone.

14 Jan 2009

New drug being tested for Fragile X syndrome

A pilot trial of an oral drug therapy called fenobam has shown promising initial results and could be a potential new treatment option for adult patients with Fragile X syndrome (FXS).

6 Jan 2009