A Neuro Physio Podcast

Dr Ashan Weerakoddy is an APA titled Neurological Physiotherapist with a PhD in Implementation Science in stroke rehab and a Graduate Diploma in Neurological Rehabilitation. Ashan’s PhD focussed on the implementation of Constraint Induced Movement Therapy across seven sites of a Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) Early Supported Discharge (ESD) service. He talks extensively about the implementation aspects of this large project, what we can learn from his work for any quality improvement initiative, and important aspects of effective CIMT. Ashan now runs his own mobile neuro physio business Cortex Rehab in Perth, Australia. He talks to us about this move along with his passion for community based neuro rehab. 1.31 Career pathway 5.10 Working in the NT 10.10 Falling in love with community work 16.10 PhD inception 24.03 CIMT implementation project 31.26 Methodological rigour vs pragmatism implementing the intervention 38.40 TDF framework 41.40 CIMT misconceptions 48.31 CIMT courses in Aus and USA 49.38 Ashan’s blog 52.40 Ashan’s private work 56.50 CIMT vs other UL therapy options 58.55 Post-show debriefLinks & resources Ashan's Linked In Neurological Physiotherapy Perth | Mobile Neuro Rehab | Cortex Neuro Rehab Ashan’s blog  Researchgate for PhD studies UAB CIMT course Ashan’s CIMT course Stroke Ed CIMT course UAB studies - transfer package impact on grey matter:Method for enhancing real-world use of a more-affected arm in chronic stroke: The Transfer Package of CI Therapy Remodeling the brain: plastic structural brain changes produced by different motor therapies after strokeLike our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.

Haseel Bhatt is a neurological physiotherapist, researcher and adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and completed graduate studies at the Movement Disorders Research and Rehabilitation centre in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada before studying physiotherapy. His primary research focus has been in Functional Movement Disorders and freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease and he now runs his own practice Neurology Rehab in the Durham Region, Ontario.Haseel regularly posts evidence-based educational content on his Instagram page @parkinsonsphysiotherapyWe cover his unique career pathway, why he developed his social media page, the latest in evidence-based Parkinson’s management including how to assess for targeted intervention. We also discuss the right time and care for FND, anxiety as a cause of freezing of gait, visuo-motor issues in PD and burnout in neuro physio.  Let us know what you think!1.45 Career pathway 7.10 Transitioning from research to clinical 13.05 Social media as an allied health professional  18.40 FND - Evidence-based physio on social media, rehab readiness26.00 Haseel’s approach to explaining FND  29.05 What are we missing in physio for Parkinson’s? 36.05 eye movements in Parkinson’s 44.55 Body systems assessment in Parkinson’s 52.51 Burnout in neuro physio Resources/links: Haseel’s physiotherapy practice website  https://neurologyrehab.com/ Instagram: @parkinsonsphysiotherapyHaseel's Courses FND PT/OT 2-Day Course Waitlist (clinician-focused): https://neurologyrehab.kit.com/2bb52170b8Self-Paced FOG Course (for caregivers and patients with PD-FOG): https://courses.neurologyrehab.com/courses/freezing-courseArticles Haseel discussed in the episode:Exercise & physiotherapy efficacy for Parkinson's Nature Reviews Neurology updated reviewAnxiety & Neuropsychiatric Symptoms (Non-Pharmacological Approaches) Anxiety is associated with freezing of gait and attentional set-shifting in Parkinson's disease Does anxiety cause freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease?  Factors Influencing Triage to Rehabilitation in Functional Movement Disorder Integrated model of care for functional movement disorder: targeting brain, mind and body  Eye Training & Gait Stability Functional Dystonia Rehabilitation Doorway Sampling & FreezingTracy Tan's work on PD gaze in cluttered environments (graduate thesis)Eghotez Martens on illuminated doorways and freezing - second most freezing when only seeing the doorframe illuminatedLab findings on doorway sampling during dual-task (when FOG is most vulnerable)Mini BESTest International Consortium for Freezing of Gait – Updated definition of FOG   Ky Wynne Journal of Physiotherapy - Burnout in physiotherapy article  Like our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.A Neuro Physio | FacebookA Neuro Physio Podcast (@aneurophysio) / XLinkedInLike our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.

Professor Janice Eng, OC, is a University Killam Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of British Colombia Department of Physical Therapy. Janice is currently the co-director of the Centre for Aging SMART at Vancouver Coastal Health. Her work includes the GRASP upper limb program, the FAME fitness and mobility program, robotic exoskeleton research and her most recent Walk n’ Watch multi-site trial. Having published over 300 peer-reviewed journal articles, we discuss how her work is focussed on how to effectively and safely deliver high doses of therapy in complex healthcare environments, and make sure it is implemented widely in clinical practice.20 sec Career Pathway 2min 45 sec Filling the evidence gap in neuro  5min 33sec Managing control groups in clinical trials 8min 54sec Capturing meaningful improvements with outcome measures 13min 28sec Importance of sufficiently funded trials 15min 40sec Success of Janice’s trials changing practice across the world 20min 29sec Resistance from clinicians about repetitive, task-specific & independent practice  24min 28 sec GRASP program 26 55sec FAME program 29.17 sec Walk n’Watch 32.52 Who benefits from feedback on performance, clinicians or patients? 36.00 Avoiding boredom doing reps 39.14 Gender issues in rehab trials Links & ResourcesREACH scale for Everyday Arm-use in the Community and Home extremity REACH | Neurorehabilitation Research Program Rating of Everyday Arm-Use in the Community and Home (REACH) Scale for Capturing Affected Arm-Use after Stroke: Development, Reliability, and Validity - PMC Full article: A biomechanical analysis of the effectiveness of the Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Program (GRASP) for chronic stroke rehabilitation - Movement quality (speed, smoothness) improved in GRASP GRASP – GRASP | Neurorehabilitation Research Program FAME - FAME – Fitness and Mobility Exercise Program – A Group Exercise Program for People after Stroke Walk ‘n Watch Walk ‘n Watch | Neurorehabilitation Research Program Safety and effectiveness of the Walk ‘n Watch structured, progressive exercise protocol delivered by physical therapists for inpatient stroke rehabilitation in Canada: a phase 3, multisite, pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised controlled trial - ScienceDirectLike our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.Like our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.

Dr Vivienne Travlos is a Respiratory Physiotherapist at the MND Association of Western Australia and Principal Physio at Breathe Physio. She has a PhD, MSc of (Management of hildhood Disability) a GradCert in university teaching. This episode is all you want to know about neuro respiratory. We chat neuromuscular disorders, respiratory pathophysiology and disease, night respiration, airway clearance, assessment and measurement, intervention according to severity. Also heard answers to listeners questions - evidence base, physio role across the complex disability continuum of care.2.03 Welcome & Career Pathway8.59 PhD – Adolescents with NMD physical health & mental wellbeing12.59 What are neuromuscular disorders? What resp issues occur?18.25 Night respiration issues21.49 NIV26.15 Lung volume recruitment31.00 Airway clearance39.46 EBP in neuro respiratory43.19 Key outcome measures49.22 Lung tissue integrity52.49 Future proofing1.00.44 ReflectionLinks & ResourcesEmail: [email protected]: A vital part of MND multi-disciplinary careViviennes' LinkedInVivienne's phd papers/ research gateNeuro Respiratory Physiotherapy Academy (Jac Agostinello)MND Western AustraliaMND VictoriaLike our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.

A/Prof Simone Dorsch is a lecturer in neurological physiotherapy at Australian Catholic University in Sydney and a Director at the StrokEd collaboration. Simone holds a Masters of Health Science (Neurological Physiotherapy) and a PhD in increasing strength after stroke from University of Sydney. We spend time talking about strength training after stroke, dose and intensity of practice, courses offered by Stroke Ed including the Upper Limb Stroke Rehab Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) that ran for the first time in June 2024.There’s chats about empowerment in rehab, the family role, personalising practise and what interventions we should and shouldn’t be using. 0 Intro23.00 Current roles & career45.00 MOOC UL stroke rehab14.45 Stroke Ed courses17.50 Coaching21.10 How much to ‘talk’ as a physio24.20 Empowerment & engagement29.05 Strength training32.45 Clinical reasoning framework of TST35.10 What interventions we should be doing38.30 Teaching how to practice - how not to scare people off41.30 Hands-on approaches44.30 Personalising practise53.20 Family empowerment57.10 Definition of Bobath in studiesLinksSimone’s ACU profile Simone’s X Simone’s phd papers/ research gateLinkedIn Stroke Ed websiteCaitlin reed episode link Other StrokeEd presenters episodes:Dr Annie McCluskey Dr Kate Scrivener ResourcesArticles discussed in episode:Xu Wen Eng 2014 Factors Affecting the Ability of the Stroke Survivor to Drive Their Own Recovery outside of Therapy during Inpatient Stroke RehabilitationBobath Systematic reviews: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S183695532030103X'https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1836955322001151Like our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.

We are chatting with James McQuillan one of the Australian Steelers – the Aussie wheelchair rugby team. Not just that but an Australian Steeler who has had an incredible journey from recreational sportsman to national representative in just over 11 months. In this episode James shares his story, the injury that led him to having a SCI, how he came to be part of the Steelers, and all about Wheelchair Rugby as a sport. He also tells us about being an elite sportsman, his SCI rehab journey, nerve & tendon transfer surgeries to get more function in his upper limbs and some tips for working with people with SCI. Enjoy!2.00 Intro2.34 sec Bio6.44 Wheelchair Rugby11.48 Classification13.05 Getting into para sport17.53 Equipment required17.54 Fitness for elite wheelchair rugby & SCI21.46 Role in Aussie Steelers 25.55 Nerve transfer & Tendon transfer surgeries30.31 Rehab – knowledge, motivation, prioritising36.12 What rehab clinicians did well 45.12 ReflectionResourcesForged In Steel - Australian Steelers documentaryParalympics media release SCI PT guidelines sciptguide.comParalympics websiteshttps://www.9now.com.au/paralympic-games-paris-2024https://www.paralympic.org.au/https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-gamesAustin Health Nerve  & tendon transfer teamLinksInstagram @jamesmcquillan5James' LinkedInANZ Smashing through barriersParis 2024 ProfileLike our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.

Dr Jess Nolan recently completed her PhD on Lateropulsion. Jess is a physio from Perth, Australia. Her credentials include BSc (Physio) - Curtin Uni, Grad Dip (Neuro Rehab) – UWA, member of ANZSO Emerging Stroke Clinician Scientist Committee, and Physio Working Party for the Stroke Foundation Living Guidelines. Jess worked as a senior physio, a physio coordinator of stroke services and is now at Curtin University in a teaching & research role.  This episode is all about Jess’ PhD journey and results. Lots of lateropulsion clinical application in this one. 2.00 sec Intro2.28 Career pathway/Interest in Lateropulsion8.45 What is lateropulsion? Can it be mild?13.20 Prevalence14.05 Outcome Measures18.29 Verticality22.38 Assessing SVV – bucket method23.00 PhD results - LOS needs, ANSNAP LOS predication accuracy, 1 year outcomes37.10 Unknown pathophysiology of lateropulsion40.20 Other components of lateropulsion – SPV – graviception, vestib impairment43.35 Treatment49.22 Fear of falling50.45 Education53.01 Treatment 2.056.28 What’s next for this work1.04.17 Erin & Matt's reflectionArticles discussed in episode:Lateropulsion prevalence: Dai 2022 systematic review Assessment of verticality: Piscicelli  & Pérennou 2017 Lesion location: Van Der Waal 2023 systematic reviewThalamic involvement: Rosenzopf 2023   Treatment approaches: Paci 2023 scoping review Lateropulsion outcome measures: Koter 20174 Point Pusher Score validation: Chow 2019   Lateropulsion & falls (inpatient): Lewis, Heinemann...Nolan 2024LinksJessica's LinkedinTwitter @jessnolan__Check out the episode webpage for Jess' PhD papersLike our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.

This episode is all about codesign. Dr Emily Ramage is a neuro physio & expert in an approach to codesign called Integrated Knowledge Translation. She’s used the methodology through her PhD (codesign of a PA intervention aimed at reducing secondary stroke risk) & in other projects which she speaks about in the episode. Emily's PhD work was piloted as part of the ENAbLE pilot trial involving physical activity AND diet intervention, we heard about it in our episode with Coralie English (season 1 Website    Apple podcasts)Emily’s recently been an Allied Health Research Translation lead in Victoria & an Implementation Research Associate for the international AVERT program at the Florey in Melbourne. She’s affiliated with the University of Newcastle, the University of Melbourne & is a member of the Emerging Leader’s Group for the International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance.1.47 Introduction2.05 Career pathway6.55 Doing a PhD as a mum11.45 When a PhD is advertised by a researcher team19.10 End-user collaboration in research20.20 Emily’s PhD – codesign of PA for secondary stroke risk25.32 What does codesign mean?36.00 Power differentials in codesign39.51 Running IKT workshops – communication; knowledge & language diversity45.02 Will codesign become a check box?48.00 World Stroke Organisation Future Leader ProgramArticles/Resources discussed in episode:Fit for purpose. Co-production of complex behavioural interventions. A practical guide and exemplar of co-producing a telehealth-delivered exercise intervention for people with strokeSecondary prevention of stroke. A telehealth-delivered physical activity and diet pilot randomized trial (ENAbLE-pilot)iREBOUND ISRRR – International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation AllianceStroke Foundation module – Working effectively with people with lived experience to design, conduct and promote stroke research LinksLink in Marlena Klaic’s ep Victorian AH Research Translation Lead:  Website    Apple podcastsLink to Prof Coralie English’s ep: Website    Apple podcastsEmily’s LinkedIn World Stroke Bio Twitter @emilyrramageEmail – [email protected] webpage: http://aneurophysio.com/emily-ramageLike our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.

Dr Julie Vaughan-Graham is an IBITA Basic and Advanced Tutor, holds a Masters degree in neuro rehabilitation and a PhD investigating the clinical reasoning process of expert Bobath physiotherapists. She owns her own clinical practice in Toronto, and developed the online iNeuroRehab training courses. Julie also holds a post-doctoral fellowship and adjunct lecturer position with the Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto. This episode focuses on The Bobath Concept, clinical reasoning and the Model of Bobath Clinical practice which Julie co-developed. It picks up from our previous Bobath episodes with Janet Stevens (season 1) and Dr Kim Jennings (season 2), going deeper, and addressing some of the criticisms of the Bobath concept.2.00     Introduction2.41 Career pathway 16.20 PhD findings – How Bobath instructors problem solve & clinically reason22.00 Model of Bobath Clinical Practice 26.48 Bobath and the RCT 28.45 Applying the Bobath concept – Hemiplegic UL example36.47 Using sensory cues in Bobath43.38 Using the Bobath Concept is a skill to develop 47.25 Neuroscience & Bobath53.50 Movement diagnosis & hypotheses57.53 Discrete interventions vs Bobath Concept (a framework of intervention)Papers and ReferencesIBITA Model of Bobath Clinical PracticeJulie's ResearchGateProfessional & Scholarly activitiesLinksJulie’s private practice in Toronto, CanadaiNeuroRehabJulie's LinkedInCandanian Bobath Instructors Association profileJanet Steven’s episode Webpage    Apple podcastsDr Kim Jennings episode Webpage     Apple podcastsEpisode webpage: https://aneurophysio.com/julie-vaughan-graham/Like our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.

This month we are chatting with Dr. Sarah Milne from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute who is also the Coordinator of the Friedreich's Ataxia Clinic at Monash Health in Melbourne, Australia. Sarah is an expert in hereditary cerebellar ataxias and after completing her PhD in 2018 she is trying to bolster the evidence base about the right rehab for people with Friedreich’s Ataxia. This episode will appeal to people treating Friedreich’s Ataxia or any of the inherited cerebellar ataxias, and to anyone who sees people with cerebellar pathology. Also of interest are the chats about challenges of rehabilitation research. The audio quality in this episode isn’t up to our usual standard with a lot of static happening – sorry!2.01 Intro & career pathway4.38 Friedreich’s ataxia7.00 How is Friedreich’s ataxia different to the hereditary cerebellar ataxias?8.36 Phenotypes in neurological conditions and the RCT paradigm11.20 PhD results   15.02 State of the Friedreich’s ataxia evidence16.49 Ataxia outcome measures 20.03 Ataxia assessment24.25 Compensation vs optimal cerebellar functioning27.00 What can imaging tell us about cerebellar conditions?29.55 Treatment 36.16 Efficacy vs Effectiveness, challenges of rehab trials 39.23 Aquatic physio for this population41.43 Episode reflectionLinksResearch GatePhD - 4 studies – Pilot rehabilitation trial for people with Friedreich’s Ataxia. Clinical audit of LL spasticity relationship with ataxia severity & function. Sensitivity of balance, gait measures and instrumented measures of gait & balance change over time.LinkedInUniversity of Melbourne profileArticles discussed:Brain Changes Associated with Postural Training in Patients with Cerebellar DegenerationHome aerobic training for cerebellar degenerative diseases: a randomized controlled trialCycling regimen induces spinal circuitry plasticity and improves leg muscle coordination in individuals with spinocerebellar ataxiaPredictors of loss of ambulation in Friedreich's ataxiaLike our podcast and want to support us? Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.Like our podcast and want to support us?Share the show with your friends & colleagues, give us a rating on your podcast platform or Buy us a coffee. Matt & Erin run the podcast out of their own time and resources. We'd love to update our recording equipment & cover our podcast publishing costs. Buy us a coffee if you can.