Two of our research projects, SCIPPR-D and BrainGroove, use an app-based intervention that was created in partnership with the Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab (The GApp Lab). This week, a couple of our research assistants toured the lab to learn more about the work they are doing.
The GApp Lab is a collaboration between the Center for Medical Innovation, the School of Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE), and the Eccles Health Sciences Library where they are housed. They are a research lab with a goal to bring awareness to the unique solutions that can be achieved through software and gamification. As Project Manager Jesse Ferraro puts it, “One of our main missions is to disrupt current knowledge and push new science.” One of the projects we got to try out during our visit was the virtual trauma room. This is a virtual reality program that can give surgeons an opportunity to practice surgical procedures. A program like this can benefit surgeons in rural areas, allowing them to hone their skills in procedures they only occasionally encounter. Another virtual reality project we tried out was the virtual home visit. This project is being developed for the School of Social Work. Its aims is to help students develop the clinical reasoning they will use in the field when assessing the safety of children's homes. One of the more futuristic projects we learned about is the Drone Commander. This is a drone traffic simulation program that is being developed for UDOT’s Division of Aeronautics. The program runs simulations on three types of drones that will operate simultaneously: medical supply delivery, package delivery, and drone taxis. The program is working to see how many drones can be active, how many skyports are needed, and the logistics if all the drones need to be grounded. In the five years the lab has been running, they have developed over 60 apps, primarily in the areas of medicine and education. Their projects are designed for researchers, instructors, students, medical professionals, and patients. Depending on the project and its funding, the development time for a project ranges from a single semester to two or three years. Their team includes 25-30 graduate students from EAE each semester. If you are interested in learning more about The GApp Lab and their projects, visit https://library.med.utah.edu/publishing/collection/gapp-lab-wrap-kits/.
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University of Utah Health is offering a new stroke support group in Sugar House. We spoke with Pat Goodin, one of the group's facilitators, to learn more.
What is the goal of the stroke support group you are involved with this fall? The goal is to provide support and education to stroke survivors and their caregiver/family members. When does it usually meet? It meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 6pm - 7pm. Where does it take place? September 10th is a special event including a BBQ and discussion of fall and winter adaptive recreation activities available. It will be held at the TRAILS House at 729 Arapeen Drive in Salt Lake City. Beginning in October, the group will take place at the new Sugar House Health Center located at 1280 E. Stringham Avenue in Sugar House (just off I-80 and 1300 East). Who can attend? Any stroke survivor and the people who love them. Why did you decide to get involved with this particular support group? I have always wanted to support survivors and their caregivers. It is so helpful to be with others and see how the interaction assists in recovery. Why should people consider going? To receive the support and friendship of others. As well as to receive ideas for how to make life easier and to get guidance and support from others who have been through this experience. How does it contribute to a healthy and happy life post stroke? Creating a group of supportive friends to support through the ups and downs of surviving a stroke. For additional information call (801) 581-2221. Three of our research assistants attended a TRAILS cycling activity today, where they got to meet participants and learn more about the program. TRAILS (Technology-Recreation-Access-Independence-Lifestyle-Sports) is an outreach program for people with complex physical disabilities. It provides a variety of adaptive recreation opportunities, including cycling, mountain biking, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, swimming, kayaking, sailing, wheelchair tennis, and gym-based wellness. Eric was one of the participants who cycled at Liberty Park today. This is his second season of cycling with TRAILS. As a stroke survivor, he has limited use of his left leg, but with both of his feet clipped onto the pedals of his adaptive bike, he is able to use his right leg to support the left. Eric is a veteran and was able to purchase his own bike with support from the VA. He enjoys cycling outdoors so much that he also completed the National Ability Center’s 18-mile Summit Challenge and two half marathons on his bike. Jade is one of the newer participants in TRAILS, having moved back to Utah earlier this year after 20 years away. Her new healthcare team at the University of Utah Rehabilitation Center told her about the program, and she was keen to sign up. Jade had a T6 spinal cord injury in 2005, so she uses a handcycle that is provided by TRAILS. In addition to cycling, she also joined in swimming and kayaking this summer. Jade is an artist specializing in drawing and wood burning. Although she plans to settle in Helper, Utah, she will be in Salt Lake a few days each week and plans to continue participating in TRAILS activities. TRAILS was founded in 2001 by Jeffrey Rosenbluth, M.D., Medical Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Acute Rehabilitation program at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. The program started small, with just three borrowed handcycles. Today, it has grown to include a staff of four people and up to 100 volunteers each year. The program director is Paralympic gold medalist Tanja Kari. In addition to running activities, TRAILS staff tests new devices that are developed by the Tetradapt Initiative, a nonprofit organization working closely with the University of Utah to build, distribute and support assistive technology products. TRAILS activities take place in the Greater Salt Lake area. Equipment is provided and participation is free. TRAILS encourages family, friends, and caregivers to participate also. To learn more or to RSVP for an activity, call (801) 581-2526 or email [email protected]. Each year, the Departments of Occupational Therapy/Recreational Therapy and Physical Therapy/Athletic Training at the University of Utah host a Stroke Camp. The camp offers stroke survivors an intensive two-week rehabilitation opportunity. For six hours a day, participants work with occupational and physical therapy on tasks and activities that target their individual goals. Depending on the needs and goals of each participant, treatment can address motor function, balance, sensation, or cognition, with the ultimate goal of improving function and participation in activities that are meaningful to that person. One participant, Demitra, was three months shy of retiring from her 36 years as an elementary school teacher when she experienced a stroke. Now, a year and a half later, she is attending Stroke Camp to improve motor control of her right arm and hand. She hopes to regain the ability to use that hand for activities such as brushing her hair, brushing her teeth, and eating. Demitra expressed her excitement about using her right hand to hold her sandwich during lunch that day. As she worked on exercises with her therapist, she said, “I love this place because it gives me hope.” Rob also experienced a stroke a year and a half ago. He traveled from his home in Washington state to participate in the camp this year. Rob was left-hand dominant before his stroke, which affected his left side. Rob would like to have use of both hands when working on projects at home. His therapy includes using a Graded Motor Imagery protocol and motor control activities. He happily demonstrated his hand positioning and technique while opening a drawer. Ryan had a stroke two days before Christmas in 2017 when he was 42 years old. He remembers his arm going numb while he was wrapping a present and then collapsing on the floor. Ryan met one of the Stroke Camp organizers while doing outpatient therapy at the Sugar House Rehabilitation Clinic and participated in Stroke Camp last year. His goal was to be able to run again, and he achieved that goal during camp. He still has weakness in his left leg and paralysis of his left ankle, but he is happy with where he is today. Ryan returned to the camp this year as a volunteer, saying, “I felt like I need to give back. I feel I have a lot to offer as far as relating to stroke survivors.” The camp is run by Heather Hayes, DPT, NCS, Ph.D. and Jeanette Koski, OTD. They are supported this year by two physical therapist neuro residents, a second-year physical therapy student, an occupational therapist, and two third-year occupational therapy students. Katie, an occupational therapist in inpatient rehabilitation, was excited to join the team this year. As she worked with a client who is three years post-stroke, she spoke about the functional progress that can be made years after stroke, especially in meaningful activities. The cost of participating in the camp is $2,500. To learn more, contact Heather Hayes, DPT, NCS, Ph.D. at the University Balance and Mobility Clinic at (801) 587-9161. Six of our dedicated Research Assistants graduated from the University of Utah earlier this month. Their many hours of work was crucial to moving our research forward.
Meghan Berry graduated with a Master of Occupational Therapy degree. She was a Research Assistant for 4 years. As part of the team, Meghan reports learning about the dedication, hard work, and planning it takes to make a research project come to life. She learned that research is a team effort and involves many man-hours to publish the articles and findings that are important for evidence-based practice. A memorable experience for Meghan was traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, with Dr. Terrill to present her project at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine international conference. Meghan has accepted a position as a traveling occupational therapist that she will begin this August. She is excited to bring the knowledge and experiences she had working as an RA to her future career endeavors. Artemis Sefandonakis earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in kinesiology and minor in psychology. She was a Research Assistant for 2 years. Doing weekly check-ins with participants was a memorable part of her RA experience. Artemis got to know one of the couples well and loved it when they sent her a cute photo of them from their vacation one week. It showed them savoring their trip despite illnesses and bad weather. It was inspiring and uplifting to Artemis to see the impact our study was having on them, and it showed her that there is always a positive in every situation. As an RA, Artemis learned how important mental health is to people’s well-being and the influence a person’s mood can have on their partner’s mood. She came to learn how much she loves working in research and with stroke survivors, and she hopes to continue working with them in her future career as an occupational therapist. Artemis will be attending the University of Illinois in Chicago this fall to earn a doctorate in occupational therapy. Gareth Loosle graduated with a Master of Occupational Therapy degree. He was a Research Assistant for 2 years. Gareth is moving to Kalispell, Montana, where he will work with both neurological and hand rehabilitation in an outpatient clinic. He will also be developing a concussion protocol for the clinic. Other RAs who graduated with their Master of Occupational Therapy degree are Kellen Lewis, Sarah Nichelle Card, and Jenna Euteneier. We thank all of our graduated RAs for their dedication and hard work and we wish you the best in your future endeavors. Each spring, the Utah Valley Stroke Association hosts their Strides for Stroke event. This year, a group of our Research Assistants participated in the 5K run. We enjoyed meeting stroke survivors and their families and supporting the mission of UVSA to improve the quality of life and care for stroke survivors in Utah Valley.
After the race, one stroke survivor spoke about the event. He said he likes participating because he gets to meet other people. Another participant attended the event with her husband and son, who are both stroke survivors. She likes the event because it breaks up their routine and gives them an opportunity to talk to other survivors and families. She was proud to support her husband and son in the Stroke Survivor Victory Walk and said, “You may do it differently, but you can still do it.” For Tyler Huish, the Chair of UVSA, events like this are about people meeting their peers, creating relationships, and getting support. He would love to see more people who are impacted by stroke in Utah Valley gain awareness of the opportunities to increase quality of life after stroke. The Utah Valley Stroke Association provides education, resources, and community reintegration for everyone impacted by stroke. They host three other annual events: Strike Out Stroke (bowling), Movie and a Meal, and a summer Pool Party. If you are interested in learning more about their events you can do so through their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UtahValleyStrokeAssociation/. Thank you UVSA for a great day and we will see you again at Strides for Stroke next year! Dr. Terrill developed an early interest in mental health issues in medical populations after seeing both of her grandmothers and later her mother experience strokes. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Washington State University with an emphasis in behavioral medicine. She later specialized in rehabilitation during her clinical residency and research post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Washington. It was during this time that Dr. Terrill witnessed the vital role family plays in their loved one's recovery but the limited support available to family caregivers. This fueled her research interest in promoting wellbeing for individuals and families who are coping with chronic conditions by providing interventions they could easily access. In 2014, Dr. Terrill found an opportunity to pursue her research interests at the University of Utah, Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies, where she created a positive psychology-based intervention for couples coping with stroke. This intervention consisted of short and simple activities the couple could do at home, such as expressing gratitude, practicing acts of kindness, and working toward goals. Dr. Terrill is now the Principal Investigator in multiple studies designed to help individuals and their families foster resilience to promote healthier lives. Below, Dr. Terrill shares more about her professional and personal interests. How did your early findings influence the direction of your current research? I was really interested in why two people who have similar injuries or conditions could respond, or cope, very differently. Physically, for example, the stroke might be very similar, but psychologically and emotionally, the experience is very different from person to person. The family plays a huge role in recovery and rehabilitation and can be a major source of strength or detriment. Being able to harness strengths in relationships can be beneficial for both the stroke survivor and family member. I learn a lot from survivors and family caregivers; they teach me about their experience and what is meaningful to them. It is important to consider this when developing interventions. Is there something you have learned from your research that was surprising to you? How willing people – survivors, family caregivers, and clinicians – are to help us out and their enthusiasm for what we are trying to do. What do you find most challenging and most rewarding about the work you do? Sometimes it’s challenging to have patience because things move relatively slowly from initial development to when you can implement a new intervention. There are a lot of rewarding things – that’s why I do it. Knowing we are doing something that could be beneficial for people with disabilities and their family members is the big idea behind it all. More immediately, we are connecting with the community members and able to provide education and resources to them. You have now done research on couples dealing with stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury. Are there other conditions you would like to include in future studies? We are going to try to be more inclusive of all neurological conditions. Our next project will include people with multiple sclerosis. We are also planning to go beyond couples and include other types of informal caregivers, like parents, adult children, close friends. Switching gears a bit: You were born in Switzerland. Do you ever get back to visit? I try to go back at least once a year because my parents moved back for retirement. What is your top recommendation for tourists when they go to Switzerland? For more touristy things, go to Lucerne for historical sites. For the iconic, there's the Matterhorn and Zermatt. Or for something different head to the southeast for the Italian speaking part of Switzerland and palm trees. My heart is the eastern part of Switzerland, where my family is from, the Grisons area. Whatever you decide to go see, I highly recommend traveling by train. What are your hobbies and interests outside of work? I love the mountains, so I love trail running, hiking, skiing. I love my dog Koda, he’s my running buddy. I also like gardening and I enjoy spending time with my family. To learn more about Dr. Terrill’s journey, you can watch her Vitae 2018 talk here.
Welcome to our blog! We are the uSPRiNG research team at the University of Utah. This blog is a place for you to get to know a little about us and learn about the research we are doing. We look forward to sharing our journey with you.
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