Ongoing Projects

1. Mechanism of Action of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM)
   Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) is an increasingly used clinical practice technique that enables therapists to treat scar tissues and motion restrictions that cause pain and adversely affect normal body function. Originally, the IASTM was invented to treat common musculoskeletal injuries like a hamstring strain, however most recently clinicians started to use IASTM as neuro-mobilization technique. Exploring the neural mechanism behind the application of IASTM would allow programming treatment to reduce muscle hypertonia frequently observed after stroke.
   • Recruitment – Stroke
   • Screening questionnaire
   • Recruitment – Healthy
2. Total Knee Arthroplasty Functional Mobility (TKA)
   Adults that have undergone a total knee replacement have been shown to walk differently than individuals who have not undergone total knee replacement up to three years after surgery. However, there is minimal research investigating how individuals move after total knee replacement during everyday activities. This research study is designed to evaluate whether adults with a total knee replacement move differently than those without a total knee replacement. Results of this study will help us provide better rehabilitative care following knee replacement surgery.
   • Recruitment – TKA
   • Recruitment – Healthy
3. Multisensory Integration in Reach to Graps Action (TMS Study)
   Multisensory integration is fundamental to how we perceive the world around us. It’s the brain’s remarkable ability to integrate information from different senses like vision, hearing, touch, and proprioception into a cohesive understanding of our environment. In the realm of movement control, this process becomes particularly crucial. Whether we are reaching for an object or manipulating with the object, our brain relies on multisensory integration to coordinate these actions and keep us steady. Our research aims to investigate the brain activation and cortical control of upper extremity motor task performance in healthy individuals.
   • Recruitment – Healthy
4. Meditation in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (Muse2)
   The main goal of this project is to determine whether meditation and/or music therapy improve cognitive and motor functions including balance in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Specifically, we aim to assess the effectiveness of meditation and to music therapy.
   • Recruitment – PD

Projects

• Integration of multisensory information (vision, proprioception)
• Motor coordination and cortical involvement in reach-to-grasp action
• Motor variability in both healthy and clinical populations
• Technology in rehabilitation, virtual reality (VR), robotics
• Evidence-based practice in rehabilitation and sport
• Validity and reliability of functional measures in human performance
• Mechanism of action of Instrumented Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM)