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Biomedical subjects

S R Harris

Publications and source records attributed to S R Harris.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Reduction of colonic motility by intravenous nicardipine in irritable bowel syndrome.

The effect of nicardipine, a new dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, on postprandial colonic motility was assessed in 10 patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Each patient was studied twice receiving intravenously either N saline or nicardipine after a 1000 calorie meal. In the control study there was a significant (p less than 0.01) postprandial increase in the contractile activity of the colon, reaching a peak at approximately 20 minutes. Intravenous nicardipine completely abolished the colonic response, with a significant reduction in the number (p less than 0.005) and amplitude (p less than 0.005) of contractions and of the motility index (p less than 0.025). These results support the need for further studies to evaluate the therapeutic role of nicardipine in the irritable bowel syndrome.

Adult↗

Early detection of cerebral palsy: sensitivity and specificity of two motor assessment tools.

The early detection of cerebral palsy is an important goal of NICU follow-up clinics, and a variety of different neuromotor assessment tools are used to assess its presence. This study aimed to examine retrospectively the sensitivity and specificity of the Bayley Motor Scale and the Movement Assessment of Infants (MAI) in correctly identifying infants at four months' corrected age as either "normal" or "suspect/abnormal." The MAI was more than twice as sensitive as the Bayley Motor Scale at detecting early signs of cerebral palsy. However, the Bayley Motor Scale had fewer "false positives" for cerebral palsy than the MAI. Sensitivity and specificity for these two instruments were compared to those of other neurological assessment tools in previously published studies.

Cerebral Palsy↗

Effects of inhibitive ankle-foot orthoses on standing balance in a child with cerebral palsy. A single-subject design.

A single-subject, alternating treatments design was conducted to evaluate the effects of inhibitive ankle-foot orthoses on standing balance in a 4.5-year-old boy with moderate spastic quadriplegia who had been wearing an initial pair of inhibitive orthoses for one year. Before introducing the subject to a newly fabricated but similarly designed pair of orthoses, we collected baseline data on the duration of standing balance without orthoses during five sessions over a two-week period. The new orthoses then were applied, and we collected data for standing balance for another two weeks (five sessions) under two treatment conditions: with and without orthoses. We also noted qualitative differences in symmetry of stance pattern and ease of maintaining standing balance for both conditions. Improvements were noted in duration of standing balance, symmetry of stance, and ease of maintaining standing balance during the "with-orthoses" condition. Although these results support the efficacy of inhibitive orthoses for children with cerebral palsy, further, systematic, single-subject research is indicated.

Ankle↗

Reliability of observational measures of the Movement Assessment of Infants.

This study was conducted to examine the reliability of the Movement Assessment of Infants (MAI), a recently published neuromotor assessment tool. Interobserver and test-retest reliability data were collected on 27 full-term and 26 preterm 4-month-old infants. Reliability coefficients (Pearson r) were calculated for both the total-risk scores and the section-risk scores on the MAI. The total-risk score was calculated by summing the questionable or abnormal ratings on each of the 65 test items. For each of the four sections of the test, tone, primitive reflexes, automatic reactions, and volitional movement, an individual section-risk score was computed in a similar manner. Fair reliability was demonstrated for the total-risk scores (interobserver: r = .72; test-retest: r = .76). Section-risk score coefficients yielded a wide range of values for both interobserver and test-retest reliabilities (poor to good reliability). These measures provide needed technical data for therapists using this test and will assist the authors of the MAI in their attempts to improve the clinical validity of this assessment tool.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

Predictive validity of the "Movement Assessment of Infants".

Early identification of neuromotor deficits, cerebral palsy or other neurological handicaps, is a focus of concern for neurologists, pediatricians, and developmental therapists. Among infants at risk for developing these handicaps are those with low birthweight, idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome, and early central nervous system insults. The Movement Assessment of infants (MAI), a neuromotor assessment tool, was developed for the purpose of evaluating high-risk infants participating in the University of Washington's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Followup Clinic. The predictive validity of the MAI was evaluated for 246 infants for whom assessments had been completed at four months and for whom at least one set of followup data was available at either one or two years of age. Correlations between the MAI total risk score and all five of the outcome measures at one and two years were highly significant. The clinical relevance of this study in the use of the MAI as an evaluation tool for identifying infants with neuromotor dysfunction is discussed.

Cerebral Palsy↗

Motor assessment tools: their concurrent validity in evaluating children with multiple handicaps.

Three developmental motor assessment tools were administered concurrently to 17 children with severe multiple handicaps in an effort to examine the relationship of developmental age equivalent scores among the 3 tools. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development, a standardized and norm-referenced infant assessment tool, was used as criterion for concurrent validity in evaluating the other 2 tools, the Callier-Azusa Scale and the Fircrest Deaf-Blind Motor Assessment Tool. In spite of variations in quantity and type of behaviors assessed on each of these 3 instruments, highly significant positive correlations were shown between age equivalent scores on the Bayley and those on each of the other 2 tests. These findings support the application of objective, quantifiable measurement tools for determining developmental motor age levels of severely disabled children with multiple handicaps.

Adolescent↗

Comparison of sensory integrative therapy and motor programming.

The relative effects of individualized sensory integrative therapy vs. small group, gross-motor programs were examined with a group of preschool children with mild to moderate motor delays. Children in the sensory integrative therapy group received one-to-one treatment twice weekly. Children in the motor-programming group received intervention four times weekly in small groups of three to four. Both intervention programs were carried out simultaneously for 17 weeks. No significant between group differences were observed in gross-motor gains on the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales or in sensorimotor gains on the Assessment of Sensory Integration in Preschool Children. Results of this study compared to results of similar previous studies were discussed.

Child, Preschool↗

Developing goals and objectives for handicapped children.

With the enactment of Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, public school physical therapists were mandated to participate in the development of an individual education program for each recipient of therapy services. Because each individual education program requires a statement of annual goals, including short-term instructional objectives, school therapists must become familiar with the mechanics of writing appropriate therapy goals and objectives. The purpose of this article is to present techniques for developing both annual therapy goals and short-term, behaviorally written treatment objectives. The components of a behavioral objective are specified, and good and bad examples of pediatric therapy objectives are shown. The importance of collecting data to measure progress toward the achievement of short-term objectives is also discussed.

Child↗

Interpreting results of single-subject research designs.

Although single-subject research design has been discussed at some length in the recent physical therapy and occupational therapy literature, there has been little attempt to describe the procedures used for interpreting the experimental effects of such research. The purpose of this paper is to present the use of two strategies for determining whether changes have occurred as a result of experimental manipulation. The first strategy, visual analysis of graphed data, relies on visual interpretation of changes in data patterns both within and between experimental conditions. The second strategy is the use of statistical procedures such as trend estimation, the Rn statistic, and time series analysis. Finally, the issues of both clinical and statistical significance in interpreting the results of single-subject research are discussed.

Methods↗

Effects of neurodevelopmental therapy on motor performance of infants with Down's syndrome.

A group of 20 infants with Down's syndrome, aged between two months and 21 months, was tested initially on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales. Four treatment objectives were developed for each individual infant, and they were then randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group were given an individual neurodevelopmental therapy program three times a week in their own homes for a period of nine weeks. When the infants were post-tested on the Bayley and Peabody Scales, no significant difference was found between the two groups. However, there was a statistically significant difference in favour of the experimental group in attainment of individual treatment objectives.

Down Syndrome↗

Transdisciplinary therapy model for the infant with Down's syndrome.

Following a discussion of the motor deficits commonly associated with Down's syndrome, a transdisciplinary developmental therapy model is proposed for use with infants with Down's syndrome. The model includes components from various existing intervention programs for infants as well as some current therapeutic appraoches to motor intervention that have not previously been used for patients with Down's syndrome. Specific suggestions for clinical research studies designed to validate the effects of these various treatment techniques are also included.

Child↗

Induction of in vitro differentiation and immunoglobulin synthesis of human leukemic B lymphocytes.

Successful induction of in vitro differentiation and immunoglobulin synthesis of the leukemic lymphocytes was carried out in two cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Few plasma cells and little specific Ig secretion were detected in the cultures of isolated leukemic B cells in either the presence or the absence of autologous T cells. Up to 30% of the leukemic B cells matured to plasma cells, and a 32-fold increase in specific Ig synthesis was observed when T cells from normal individuals were added to the cultures of these leukemic B cells. In one of the two cases, autologous T cells were able to induce greater than 50% of the leukemic B cells to differentiate further to plasma cells in the presence of pokeweed mitogen. This markedly accelerated in vitro differentiation was only achieved with leukemic cells from cases in which there was evidence of slight differentiation in vivo. No evidence could be obtained for excessive suppressor T cells in these patients. However, a T-cell defect in the generation of allogeneic effect helper factors was identified. This defect may be responsible for the reduced rate of leukemic maturation in vivo.

B-Lymphocytes↗