Rehabilitation Research:
School of Physical & Occupational Therapy
McGill University
…from disability to possibility
Context of Rehabilitation Research
• Medical and surgical advancesdramatic decline in mortality
– Survivors of complex health conditions now face chronic health issues
and disabilities
• 7.7% Canadian children have a disability (NICU survivors)
• 300,000 Canadians live with stroke-related impairments
• Increasing vigilance and acumen in the medical diagnosis of
disorders with associated disabilities
– Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, low back pain, chronic
pain syndromes, obesity, depression
• Growing demand for rehabilitation services and
expertise across the lifespan
Importance of Rehabilitation Research
• Growing evidence supporting the effectiveness of:
– health promotion and disability prevention strategies
– targeted identification and therapeutic strategies,
interventions and programs
• Building research capacity and core knowledge
urgently needed to ensure that rehabilitation is
appropriate, scientifically-based, and costeffective in maximizing health and well-being
Rehabilitation Research at the School
Dynamic cycle of rehabilitation research
Population health
Consequences of
disease
Health services
Mechanisms
Knowledge
exchange
Determinants of
health
Clinical interventions
Rehabilitation Rx
…understanding the underlying mechanisms of
disease that limit human functioning and health
• Prenatal/perinatal brain injury using novel
MRI technologies
• Mechanisms of language acquisition and
representation
• Processes of disordered movement and
posture that impact on locomotion,
balance, arm and hand use
• Influence of pain on movement, factors
affecting pain perception
• Recovery and resilience following CNS
injury
…developing novel tools
…technologic innovation
• Assessments:
– Neurologic integrity in the
preterm neonate
– Feeding
– Speech and language skills
– 60-second chair rise
– Health-related quality of life
• New technologies:
– Mechanical ventilators
– Assistive devices for arm
mobility
…effectiveness of targeted rehabilitation
strategies, interventions and programs
• Virtual reality
– Functional mobility
– Alleviate pain
• Motor learning
– Forced-use therapy, feedback
• Treatments to minimize hypertrophic
scarring post-burns
• Aquatherapy for lymphedema
• Recreational physical activities in the
elderly
• Feeding interventions in the NICU
…effectiveness of targeted rehabilitation
strategies, interventions and programs
• Pre-habilitation to
optimize surgical recovery
• Driving rehabilitation
programs
• Cost-effectiveness of
novel early intervention
programs
• Quality of health services
– Factors influencing rehab
service utilization
– Service resource needs to
support independence and
integration
…intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing
integration and quality of life
• Progression and evolution of
disease processes
– Impact on health and functioning
– Determinants
• Outcomes such as:
–
–
–
–
Mobility, feeding
Reintegration to school, work
Participation in leisure
Health-related quality of life
…enhancing the uptake and utilization of
evidence by key stakeholders
• National practice guidelines
– Burns, stroke, low back pain
• KT to address gaps between science and practice:
 e-learning
•
•
•
•
StrokeEngine, SCORE
CPEngine
BurnEngine
Childhood-Disability-LINK
• Professional education
– Mentoring by novice learners
– Enhancing learning in novel settings
– Promoting inter-professional practice
Participants
…fetus to frail elderly
…..Alzheimer’s disease …attention deficit disorder …autism …breast
cancer …burns …cerebral palsy …chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease …chronic pain syndromes …congenital heart defects …fetus
…fibromyalgia …frail elderly …global delay …HIV …lung cancer
…multiple sclerosis …muscular dystrophy …obesity …orthopedic
injuries …Parkinson’s disease …preterm …psychosis …schizophrenia
…specific language impairment …spinal cord injury …stroke …traumatic
brain injury …vestibular dysfunction …whiplash …..
ICU …hospital …rehabilitation centre …work …school …community sites …home
Ontario
Queens U.,
U. Ottawa,
U. Toronto,
U. Windsor
British
Columbia
UBC
Alberta
U. Alberta
Québec
U. Laval,
U. Montréal,
UQÀM,
UQO,
U. Sherbrooke
Manitoba
Manitoba U.
Québec
U.S.A.
Nova
Scotia
Dalhousie U.
California, Delaware,
Florida, Illinois,
Massachusetts,
Missouri,
New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Texas,
Vermont &
Washington DC
Denmark
BC &
Alberta
Belgium
Manitoba
& Ontario
United Kingdom
Germany
Québec
Nova Scotia
The Netherlands
Austria
France
Spain
China
Israël
Italy
Greece
California,
Delaware, Florida,
Illinois,
Massachusetts,
Missouri,
New Jersey,
Pennsylvania,
Texas, Vermont &
Washington DC
Thailand
Australia
Brazil
Benefits to our students
• Research knowledge and expertise are readily integrated
into our professional program curricula
• Research-intensive faculty promotes:
– Evidence-based practice
– Critical thinking
– Lifelong learning
 The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today's
work superbly well.
…William Osler
Benefits to Canadians
• Research efforts directed at unraveling the bio-psychosocial
sources of disability
–
–
–
–
New
New
New
New
discoveries regarding the mechanisms and determinants of disability
tools and technologies for clinical application
treatments and programs to optimize functioning in target populations
vehicles for knowledge exchange and enhanced professional education
 To promote “best practice” that will ensure individuals
with disabling health conditions are autonomous,
employed, socially integrated, and experience a good
quality of life
Rehabilitation Research:
School of Physical & Occupational Therapy
McGill University