Biomedical subjects

P D Blanton

Publications and source records attributed to P D Blanton.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1987

Sex differences in visual information processing following right cerebrovascular accidents.

This study examined whether males and females who had sustained right CVA's but did not show gross asymmetries in processing left- and right-sided visual information would demonstrate visual hemiimperception when tested with more demanding evaluation procedures. Testing involved tasks of reaction time, oral reading and searching for embedded words and figures. Males and females differed in their response patterns for tasks involving searching for embedded target stimuli; specifically, males required greater lengths of time to locate stimuli in left hemispace, while females showed no such pattern of results. This suggests that closer attention must be paid to screening procedures used to detect hemispatial visual imperceptions, particularly among males.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Reliability and validity of the Disability Rating Scale and the Levels of Cognitive Functioning Scale in monitoring recovery from severe head injury.

The Disability Rating Scale (DRS) and the Levels of Cognitive Functioning Scale (LCFS) are both widely used to monitor recovery from head injury, despite the total lack of published research on the reliability and validity of the LCFS, and the fragmented and incomplete reports on these characteristics of the DRS. Forty head-injured inpatients were evaluated with the DRS and LCFS four times weekly throughout their rehabilitation hospitalization. The DRS and LCFS were compared in terms of how consistently ratings could be made by different raters, how stable those ratings were from day to day, their relative correlation with Stover Zeiger (S-Z) ratings collected concurrently at admission, and with S-Z, Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), and Expanded GOS (EGOS) ratings collected concurrently at discharge, and finally in the ability of admission DRS and LCFS scores to predict discharge ratings on the S-Z, GOS, and EGOS. Results suggest that both scales possess significant degrees of test-retest and interrater reliabilities, and of concurrent and predictive validities, but the DRS surpasses the LCFS in nearly every regard. These results offer psychometric justification favoring the use of the DRS for monitoring recovery from head injury.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Behavior modification in physical therapy.

Behavioral techniques reported to improve ambulation skills among physically handicapped persons include both reward and desensitization procedures. This report describes the application of other behavior modification principles to two patients who resisted physical therapy (PT) designed to educate them in the use of orthopedic assistive devices. Peer modeling was used with case 1, a 2 1/2-year-old girl with complete L4 spina bifida who cried frequently when wearing her brace, and refused to walk except with much assistance. Case 2 was a 21-year-old hemiplegic man seen two years after a severe head injury. Initially, severe tantrum behavior accompanied all demands placed on him. Treatment involved a combination of contingent music for being quiet and contingent aversive auditory feedback for yelling. In both cases clinically significant behavioral changes were observed. Results are discussed with respect to the cost effectiveness of behavioral interventions and the interdisciplinary coordination of rehabilitation team members.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Dependent variables in rehabilitation research.

It is important that rehabilitation professionals use appropriate techniques to evaluate their treatments. False, contradictory, diverse, and misleading interpretations can be obtained depending on how dependent variables in treatment outcome research are quantified. This report describes an evaluation of a single-subject investigation that used a push-up timer for teaching pressure relief maneuvers. Results are analyzed four separate ways, and can be taken to support three quite different conclusions. This illustrates that investigators should carefully select procedures of analysis before initiating a study to avoid having to make a post hoc and potentially biased selection of which mode(s) of data analysis and presentation is most appropriate. However, such an a priori selection of analysis does not relieve investigators of the responsibility for analyzing their data from different perspectives and discussing alternate or contradictory interpretations.

Adult↗