[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the learning experiences of occupational science on students. Focus group interviews were conducted with five students who had studied occupational science. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using the Steps for Coding and Theorization (SCAT) method. The results indicate that learning occupational science gave the students knowledge of occupation, the opportunity to reflect on themselves as occupational beings, the chance to realize the importance of a client-centered perspective, and it contributed to correcting a perception that was biased toward paternalism.

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The Capabilities of Upper Extremity Test (CUE-T) is a detailed upper extremity function evaluation specialized for CSCI. The purpose of this research was to verify the clinical usefulness of CUE-T in Japan. The subjects were 19 CSCI patients. In the first study we examined the correlation between CUE-T and the general evaluation method. In the second study we visualized and analyzed the changes over time in CUE-T, and general upper extremity evaluation method in 4 CSCI patients. In the first study CUE-T and the general evaluation method were Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.7 or higher (p<.01), while in the second study CUE-T detected detail changes in upper limb function in all cases. The results indicate good validity of CUE-T in Japan and its sensitivity to changes.

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We have been interested in a posture with the Arm-supported Forward-leaning Position (Arm-FP) during defecation. Variations in posture which are both clinically comfortable and facilitate breathing have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in postures between Forward-leaning Position (FP) and Arm-FP. To achieve this, the indices of posture and the respiratory movements were compared to clarify the comfort of Arm-FP. The subjects were 19 healthy young adult males. Two postures were compared for forward tilt angle (spine, trunk, pelvis, and thigh), buttocks height and loading rate, thoracic kyphosis index, and amount of change in chest wall movement at deep breathing (upper, lower thoracic, and abdominal ventilation volumes). A three-dimensional motion analysis system incorporating four force plates was used. A surface electromyography system was also used to measure the trunk muscle activity. As a result, Arm-FP showed significantly higher values than FP in buttock height, upper thoracic inspiratory volume, lower thoracic expiratory volume, and abdominal tidal volume. Arm-FP showed significantly lower values than EP in forward tilt angles (upper spine, trunk, pelvis), thoracic kyphosis index, buttock loading rate, and the abdominal trunk muscle activity. It was suggested that Arm-FP is a posture that reduces the spine kyphosis and improves respiratory movement by improving arm support.

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This study investigated 202 patients with USN (unilateral spatial neglect) due to cerebral infarction and hemorrhage. The line bisection, line cancellation, letter cancellation, and star cancellation tasks of the Behavioral Inattention Test were examined by placing the task sheets involved into upper, middle, and lower rows. It was found that only the line bisection task was associated with a neglect of the lower left side. Other cancellation tasks with visual search content evoked no difference in the neglect of the left sides of the upper, middle, and lower rows in patients, and showed that spatial recognition in a vertical direction was possible. It was noted that the frontal lobe lesion group could overcome USN by identifying the differences between the upper and lower rows on the line bisection task. Based on these findings, bringing a target closer to a task that has intense visual search features, such as the line bisection task, and guiding the target in a vertical direction in the search for content on a cancellation task may promote an awareness of the neglected space.

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This study investigates the impact of behavioral restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on poor self-rated health (SRH) among community-dwelling older adults. The participants were older adults who lived in Ayase City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and the baseline and the follow-up surveys were conducted in December 2019 and July 2020, respectively. We investigated changes in SRH for the healthy group between the baseline survey and the follow-up survey, separating the healthy group of SRH ─ as recorded in the baseline survey ─ into two groups. “Group A” and “Group B” consisted of those who maintained healthy SRH practices and those whose SRH practices declined after the follow-up period, respectively. 330 participants who responded to both surveys were included in the analysis, and Group A and Group B had 75.2% and 7.3%, respectively. We conducted a logistic regression analysis to examine the association of changes on independent variables with dependent variables as the changes in SRH practices (Group A and Group B). Logistic regression analysis showed a decline in physical function, and a state of depression influenced Group B’s changes in SRH practices. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Occupational Therapists have to encourage older adults to challenge their mental and physical functionality in daily life in order to prevent a decline in SRH practices.

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In the present study, we examined changes in the daily life performance among recipients of autologous and allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplants. We prospectively measured the FIM and FAI during hospital admission and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after discharge. Our results demonstrated a ceiling effect in FIM after discharge for both autologous and allogenic transplant recipients. FAI significantly increased among allogenic transplant recipients 24 weeks after discharge compared to 4 weeks, while there was no significant difference in FAI among autologous transplant recipients after discharge. These findings indicate the need to monitor IADL in occupational therapy during admission, listen to life narratives, roles, and environment, etc. before illness, and examine movement instruction and compensation methods according to the state of the patient. Finally, there should be a follow up on both autologous and allogenic transplant recipients after discharge.

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To identify the characteristics of consultations originating from rehabilitation professionals cooperating with special needs schools for children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities, we conducted a nationwide survey of special needs schools using a questionnaire with 27 items and 6 categories of independent activities. The results showed the significance of interprofessional cooperation among rehabilitation professionals and their collaboration with schoolteachers. In addition, the main specialties of each professional were basic motor functions for physical therapists, occupational performance for occupational therapists, and verbal communication for speech-language-hearing therapists. Finally, from the point view of medical institutions, occupational therapists were expected to act as coordinators between physical therapists, speech-language-hearing therapists, and schoolteachers.

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When providing clinical training guidance, it is necessary to have knowledge that includes teaching methods. However, many OTs lack sufficient experience and thus feel anxious. Hence, in this study, clinical training guidance using communication classifications (types) was conducted to ascertain the characteristics of students to whom guidance was being provided, and later, an investigation into whether this was effective in changing their degree of satisfaction and mood. The subjects were 22 students undergoing clinical training at this hospital. Effectiveness was measured by degree of satisfaction using the visual analog scale (VAS), and mood assessments were performed using the mood inventory scale (MI). Assessments were conducted at the start, during, and at the end of the training. The MI results indicated no significant differences, and the scores were maintained. The VAS results showed significant differences between the assessment points, especially at the final stage. This means that as the training progressed, the students were able to participate in a good psychological state, which suggests that the use of types is helpful in clinical training.

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Jaccoud’s arthropathy with systemic lupus erythematosus causes hand deformities which are characterized by loose soft tissue;furthermore, deformity often recures after surgery. We describe the prudent rehabilitation for a case who underwent soft tissue reconstruction surgery. Post-op OT included protecting the reconstructed soft tissue, Jaccoud’s arthropathy exercises, and utilizing a splint longer than that used for rheumatoid arthritis. The patient also used a splint for thumb buttonhole deformity and was given guidance on preventing recurrence through misusing of hands. Six months after the surgery, there was no deformity, and the subject could live comfortably. Functional exercise that emphasizes the protection of reconstructed tissue is required for the treatment of this disease. In addition, orthotic therapy, and exercises for activities of daily living to correct misuse are also important to prevent recurrence of deformity.

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An elderly woman with acute aortic dissection Stanford type A with pseudo lumen opening was treated conservatively and had elevated blood pressure with BPSD. The patient had difficulty dressing and toileting and was unable to speak due to dementia. The elderly version of the Leisure Activity Enjoyment scale, which is used to promote narration of past enjoyment, indicated her ability to recall past enjoyment, thus leading her to converse, and a disappearance of her anxious expression. To decrease BPSD we offered the “enjoyment of a sense of accomplishment” and the “enjoyment of expanding thoughts to the present.” Her knitting led her to acquire dressing and toileting movements without strain. Thus, BPSD improved, and she was able to perform dressing and toilet activities without strain by talking to others and was able to return to her life in the group home.

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During training, students recognize the difficulty of dealing with subjects and instructors and acknowledge the need to develop skills to manage responses beforehand. This study focused on self-efficacy as a factor that enables flexible coping behavior. A lesson was designed to improve self-efficacy in clinical evaluation practices, and its effects were examined. Participation modeling and self-instruction scenarios were used, and the actions needed to meet the lesson objectives were displayed so that they could be implemented by the students. The results show that the lesson affected “the feeling of efficacy in understanding and assisting those surveyed” and “the feeling of efficacy in maintaining the relationship with instructors.” Furthermore, the students became most confident in coping with a clinical evaluation practice in the final lesson. This suggests that the lesson designed in this study improves students’ self-efficacy in clinical evaluation practice.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify the compensatory methods used for activities of daily living (ADL) in a Bálint syndrome patient. The patient was a woman in her 80s who was admitted to an acute hospital due to left occipital lobe hemorrhage. Although there was no change in the severity of Bálint syndrome during hospitalization, the patient could participate in selfcare activities after 4 weeks from the onset. The visual cues and somatosensory information from the nondominant hand seemed to be utilized in the selfcare activities. Our case report suggests that the practice involving compensatory sensory information at the early stage of Bálint syndrome may be effective to regain ADL.

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In this study, we intervened in a case of severe upper limb dysfunction in chronic stroke patients using day-care rehabilitation by combining botulinum therapy with task-oriented exercises and a transfer package similar to constraint-induced movement therapy (CI therapy). After one year of 20-minute interventions twice a week, the motor function, frequency of use, and degree of spasticity of the paralyzed hand improved beyond the measurement error. In addition, the amount of botulinum therapy administered decreased, and the interval between injections increased. The results suggest that appropriate interventions, even at a low frequency, can improve severe upper limb paralysis in the chronic phase.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify how the occupational performance of people with and without locomotive syndrome (Locomo) changes over time, and to demonstrate the significance of occupational therapists’ intervention for Locomo. A follow-up survey was conducted on 25 participants (16 in the Locomo group and 9 in the non-Locomo group). The results indicated that SOPI control, satisfaction, leisure activities, productive activities, and total scores were significantly lower in the follow-up survey than in the initial survey only in the Locomo group (p<0.05). Occupational therapy focuses on occupation. Therefore, poor performance of tasks due to Locomo is an issue that occupational therapists should focus on. The results suggest that occupational therapists intervene in Locomo.

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