Dr. Jousse Lecture Series
Welcome to the new Dr. Albin T Jousse Lecture Series in collaboration with Best Practice Forum, which is sponsored by the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, the Spinal Cord Rehab Program, the Neural Engineering and Therapeutics Team, and Toronto Rehab.
The purpose of this lecture series is to provide a venue for scientists, physicians and clinicians working in rehab settings as well as students, consumers and their caregivers to share knowledge, present the latest research findings and participate in a dialogue on what it means to live with disability. The lectures will be 45 minute long followed by 15 minutes of questions.
Coordinator of the Dr. Albin T. Jousse Lecture Series is Dr. Kristin Musselman . If you have any comments, concerns or would like to present please send us an email at kristin.musselman@uhn.ca.
The series is currently in its 11th season.
- This lecture has passed.
Dr. Kara K Patterson – I’ve got rhythm, I’ve got music, who could ask for anything more?
September 13, 2016 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Abstract
Walking, balance and mobility are almost invariably affected by neurological conditions. Gait and balance impairments have a profound impact on an individual’s ability to perform activities of daily living and consequently, quality of life and improvement of gait function is a commonly stated goal by individuals undergoing neurologic rehabilitation. Improvements in gait, mobility and balance are made with neurological rehabilitation. However, despite these gains, balance and gait remain significantly impaired compared to healthy or neurotypical adults. New therapeutic approaches and interventions for balance, mobility and gait are needed. The use of rhythmic cues during gait training and dance instruction are emerging interventions that may address this need. In this talk I will discuss 1) the potential link between rhythmic abilities (e.g. perception and production) and the rhythmicity of gait and 2) the use of dance for the rehabilitation of gait in neurological populations. Although the primary focus of my research is stroke, I will discuss potential applications in other patient populations such as spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis.
About the SPeaker
Dr. Patterson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto and a Scientist with Toronto Rehab. She received her physiotherapy training from Queen’s University and practiced clinically in Canada and the United States before returning to Canada to pursue graduate studies. She received her MSc and PhD in Rehabilitation Science from UofT and completed postdoctoral training at McGill. The overall goal of Dr. Patterson’s research program (which takes place in the RELEARN lab) is to advance neurorehabilitation practice to improve balance and mobility outcomes for people living with neurological conditions. She is currently investigating the process of motor re-learning after stroke, the link between rhythm perception and gait and the use of dance to improve walking and balance post-stroke. Her work is funded by CIHR, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada.