Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The Community-Oriented Programs Environment Scale (COPES), Form I, which asks clients about their expectations of an ideal treatment environment, was administered to 51 dropouts and 151 completers who began a four-week inpatient programme for alcoholics. A discriminant analysis did not reveal significant differences between dropouts and completers on the COPES subscales. It was concluded that this instrument may not be a useful early predictor of dropouts. Estimations of expectation disconfirmation were derived for each client by calculating the difference between the client's subscale scores on Form I of the COPES and the therapist's subscale scores on Form R of the COPES (which asks about perceptions of the real treatment environment). Comparison of dropouts and completers in terms of these difference scores indicated that this information was also not useful for the early prediction of dropouts. The results are related to previous findings in the literature on client expectations and dropping out of treatment. The potential utility of conventional approaches to the prediction of dropouts is questioned. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Masters of Science - Msc (Physiotherapy) / Rehabilitation services have been described as being necessary to maximize patient independence in order to enable them to participate fully in their communities. The Aim of the study was based on the problem statement and the research question, this study aims at exploring rehabilitation professionals' views on the experiences of patients with physical disabilities accessing CHCs in the Western. The objectives of the study were to explore the views of rehabilitation professionals regarding experiences by patients accessing rehabilitation services at the Community Health Centres (CHCs) in the Western Cape and to reach health experts consensus on how rehabilitation services should be provided at the CHCs based on the outcomes of objective 1. Methodology: This study used an exploratory design that used qualitative methods for data collection (workshops and focus group discussions (FGDs) and a Delphi study. The study was conducted at purposively selected CHCs in the Western Cape. The population in this study included all rehabilitation professionals who provide rehabilitation services in the CHCs, who were invited to participate in the study. Data collection: In the qualitative and the Delphi study, data was collected through workshops, focus group discussions and emails respectively. Data analysis: The workshops and the FGDs were audio recorded and then transcribed verbatim for content analysis.

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Thesis (MHlthSc(OccTh))--University of South Australia, 1998

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1973. / Vita. Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

In rodent models of motor cortical stroke, skill learning with the non-paretic forelimb worsens rehabilitation outcomes of the paretic forelimb. The neural basis of this effect is not fully understood. A possible mechanism for this effect is activity-dependent synaptic competition between projections from remaining regions of the ipsi- and contralesional motor cortex, specifically from the ipsilesional rostral forelimb area (RFA) and the contralesional caudal forelimb area (CFA). Previous studies have found that this effect is negated by callosal transections or inhibition of the contralesional cortex, suggesting that the contralesional hemisphere plays a key role. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of differential forelimb experience on the cortical plasticity of callosal projections from the contralesional CFA, which is known to contribute to the reinnervation of peri-lesion cortex. Since axonal sprouting is activity dependent, one would expect animals trained with the non-paretic forelimb to have an increase in axonal fibers and bouton densities from the contralesional CFA. Adult male Long-Evans rats were trained to proficiency using their dominant (for reaching) forelimb on the single-pellet-retrieval skilled reaching task. Animals subsequently received unilateral cortical ischemic lesions in the CFA of the hemisphere contralateral to the trained forelimb. On post-infarct day five, rats began 15 days of reach training either with their non-paretic forelimb (NPT), their paretic forelimb (rehabilitation training, RT), or no-training control procedures (CTRL). On post-infarct day 23 all animals received an injection of biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the contralesional CFA to label callosal projections from the spared hemisphere into peri-infarct motor cortex. Contrary to the hypothesis, results indicate no significant differences in axonal fiber or synaptic bouton densities across any of the groups within any of the examined regions of peri-lesion cortex. This suggests that the mechanism behind the detrimental effects of NPT on the paretic limb does not involve a net change in densities of neural connections from the contralesional CFA. Future research should explore possible changes in the structure of synapses or variations in relative densities of excitatory and inhibitory post-synaptic cells as possible contributors to the neural basis of the deleterious effect of NPT. / text

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