Papers by Siobhan Schabrun
Spine, Jan 17, 2015
Cross-sectional design. Here we aimed to determine whether motor cortical reorganisation in LBP c... more Cross-sectional design. Here we aimed to determine whether motor cortical reorganisation in LBP can be identified using non-invasive surface electromyographic (EMG) recordings of back muscles at different lumbar levels, and whether cortical reorganisation is related to clinical features of LBP. Reorganisation of motor regions of the brain may contribute to altered motor control, pain and disability, in chronic LBP. However, data have been limited by the need for invasive recordings of back muscle myoelectric activity. The relationship between altered cortical organisation and clinical features of LBP remains unclear. In 27 individuals with recurrent, non-specific LBP and 23 painfree controls, we mapped the motor cortical representation of the paraspinal muscles using transcranial magnetic stimulation in conjunction with non-invasive surface EMG recordings at L3 and L5 levels. Clinical measures of pain severity, location and duration were made. The results demonstrate a loss of discr...
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Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2015
Study Design Clinical test validation. Objectives Preliminary study of concurrent and discriminan... more Study Design Clinical test validation. Objectives Preliminary study of concurrent and discriminant validity of a clinical test of thoracolumbar dissociation. Background Control deficits of back muscles and trunk movement are common in chronic/recurrent low back pain (LBP). A reliable clinical test to rate a person's ability to dissociate lumbopelvic movement from the thoracolumbar region has been described. This test rates performance quality of five key aspects against criterion standards. Methods Concurrent validity was examined by comparison of clinical test scores (overall score and each individual criterion) against spine kinematics. Discriminant validity was evaluated by comparison of scores between pain-free controls and LBP. A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated to determine the optimal cut-off or score to differentiate between good and poor performers. Results Concurrent validity was supported by the significant correlation between the total score and motion of T5 relative to S1 (p<.05). Scores for some (4 correlations of 14 measures), but not all individual criteria were correlated with the kinematic features that each was expected to reflect. Discriminant validity was supported by higher test scores for pain-free controls than LBP after 2 minutes of training (p = .045). Scores <5.5 were more prevalent in the LBP group (pre-training - LBP 72% vs. control 35%, p = .008; post training 48% vs. 16%, p = .018). Conclusions This preliminary study of concurrent and discriminant validity of the test provides a foundation to further investigate its utility to characterise thoracolumbar movement patterns in individuals with LBP. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, Epub 9 Jul 2015. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.5590.
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Neuroscience
Background : Integration of information between multiple cortical regions is thought to underpin ... more Background : Integration of information between multiple cortical regions is thought to underpin the experience of pain. Yet studies tend to focus on pain related changes in discrete cortical regions. Although altered processing in primary motor (M1) and sensory cortex (S1) is implicated in pain, the temporal relationship between these regions is unknown and may provide insight into the interaction between them. Methods: We used recordings of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate the temporal relationship between altered excitability of primary sensory cortex and corticomotor output during and after muscle pain induced by hypertonic saline infusion into the right first dorsal interosseous (FDI). SEPs and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded in twelve healthy individuals. Results: Participants reported an average pain intensity of 5.4 (0.5) on a 10 cm visual analogue scale. The area of the N(20)-P(25)-N(33) complex o...
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Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991), Jan 21, 2015
Primary motor cortical (M1) adaptation has not been investigated in the transition to sustained m... more Primary motor cortical (M1) adaptation has not been investigated in the transition to sustained muscle pain. Daily injection of nerve growth factor (NGF) induces hyperalgesia reminiscent of musculoskeletal pain and provides a novel model to study M1 in response to progressively developing muscle soreness. Twelve healthy individuals were injected with NGF into right extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) on Days 0 and 2 and with hypertonic saline on Day 4. Quantitative sensory and motor testing and assessment of M1 organization and function using transcranial magnetic stimulation were performed prior to injection on Days 0, 2, and 4 and again on Day 14. Pain and disability increased at Day 2 and increased further at Day 4. Reorganization of M1 was evident at Day 4 and was characterized by increased map excitability. These changes were accompanied by reduced intracortical inhibition and increased intracortical facilitation. Interhemispheric inhibition was reduced from the "affecte...
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PloS one, 2014
There are concerns about the safety of texting while walking. Although evidence of negative effec... more There are concerns about the safety of texting while walking. Although evidence of negative effects of mobile phone use on gait is scarce, cognitive distraction, altered mechanical demands, and the reduced visual field associated with texting are likely to have an impact. In 26 healthy individuals we examined the effect of mobile phone use on gait. Individuals walked at a comfortable pace in a straight line over a distance of ∼8.5 m while; 1) walking without the use of a phone, 2) reading text on a mobile phone, or 3) typing text on a mobile phone. Gait performance was evaluated using a three-dimensional movement analysis system. In comparison with normal waking, when participants read or wrote text messages they walked with: greater absolute lateral foot position from one stride to the next; slower speed; greater rotation range of motion (ROM) of the head with respect to global space; the head held in a flexed position; more in-phase motion of the thorax and head in all planes, les...
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Manual therapy, 2014
LBP is often associated with changes in motor control. Some subgroups of LBP have been argued to ... more LBP is often associated with changes in motor control. Some subgroups of LBP have been argued to have a compromised ability to dissociate lumbopelvic movement from that of the thoracolumbar junction. Clinical methods to evaluate this task may aid identification of this LBP subgroup and determine the utility of this information to guide clinical interventions. The study aimed to develop a clinical test to assess the ability to dissociate lumbopelvic movement from that of the thoracolumbar junction, and to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of the test in individuals with and without low back pain (LBP) when performed by experienced and novice therapists. A clinical scale was developed to characterise quality of performance of lumbopelvic motion with limited motion at the thoracolumbar junction. Inter-tester repeatability was measured in three experiments. Test outcomes for pain-free controls were compared between three assessors with different amounts of clinical experience. Test s...
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Journal of allied health, 2014
The purpose of this study was to present the application of a logic model in depicting the underl... more The purpose of this study was to present the application of a logic model in depicting the underlying theory of an undergraduate research scheme for occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech pathology university students in Queensland, Australia. Data gathered from key written documents on the goals and intended operation of the research incubator scheme were used to create a draft (unverified) logic model. The major components of the logic model were inputs and resources, activities/outputs, and outcomes (immediate/learning, intermediate/action, and longer term/impacts). Although immediate and intermediate outcomes chiefly pertained to students' participation in honours programs, longer-term outcomes (impacts) concerned their subsequent participation in research higher-degree programs and engagement in research careers. Program logic provided an effective means of clarifying program objectives and the mechanisms by which the research incubator scheme was designed to achie...
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Papers by Siobhan Schabrun