Deborah Bubela

University of Connecticut | UConn

Purpose: To provide normative values and equations for grip strength obtained from a population-based sample of individuals 3 to 17 years of age. Methods: This cross-sectional study used grip strength data from 2706 participants (49.2% males, 91% right-hand dominant) in the normative phase of the National Institutes of Health Toolbox project. R...

Aims: To provide normative reference values for the 2-minute walk test (2MWT) for children and adolescents. Methods: A population-based sample of 2,631 boys and girls (3-17 years) contributed data to this 2011 study which was part of the NIH Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function Norming Project. The 2MWT was performe...

Although the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), as recommended by the American Thoracic Society, is widely used as a measure of functional endurance, it may not be applicable in some settings and populations. We sought to examine, therefore, performance over the first 2 minutes and the full 6 minutes of the 6MWT. Specifically, we investigated completion...

The purpose of this study was to compare 2 practical measures of functional endurance. Specifically, the Six-minute Walk Test (SMWT) and Three-minute Step Test (TMST) were compared to determine their appropriateness for use as field tests and inclusion in the NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function. Individuals between 14...

Interactions between a robot and a child (robot-child interactions) provide a unique context to engage children in whole body movements through a reciprocal imitation game. The effects of a novel, 8-session, robot-child interaction protocol on the imitation and praxis skills of 15 typically developing children and one child with autism between 4 an...

Motor function involves complex physiologic processes and requires the integration of multiple systems, including neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and cardiopulmonary, and neural motor and sensory-perceptual systems. Motor-functional status is indicative of current physical health status, burden of disease, and long-term health outcomes, and is inte...

Introduction: Both grip and knee extension strength are often used to characterize overall limb muscle strength. We sought to determine if the measures actually reflect a common construct. Methods: The isometric grip and knee extension strength of 164 healthy men and women (range, 18-85 years) were measured bilaterally using standard procedures....

Clinical measurement. Manual dexterity is an important aspect of motor function across the age span. To identify a single measure of manual dexterity for inclusion in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function. A total of 340 subjects participated in our study. Two alternatives, Rolyan® 9-Hole...

Background: While social communication delays are the primary impairments of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), motor impairments are quite frequent. Motor impairments in ASDs include incoordination and dyspraxia, namely difficulties in performing complex actions like skilled gestures. Traditional autism interventions address social communication...

Tester strength can limit the forces that can be measured using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD). A solution is to use belt stabilization in conjunction with an HHD. The purposes of this study were to determine if a portable belt-stabilized HHD (BSHHD) setup was capable of measuring a broad range of isometric knee extension torques and whether isometr...

If measures of muscle strength are to be broadly applied, they should be objective, portable, quick, and reliable. Through this component of the NIH Toolbox study we sought to compare the test-retest reliability of 3 tests of muscle strength that are objective, portable, and quick: the five-repetition sit-to-stand test (FRSTST), hand-grip dynamomet...

Upright standing is always environmentally embedded and typically co-occurs with another (suprapostural) activity. In the present study, the authors investigate how these facts affect postural dynamics in an experiment in which younger (M age = 20.23 years, SD = 2.02 years) and older (M age = 75.26 years, SD = 4.87 years) participants performed a t...

Although the validity of the sit-to-stand (STS) test as a measure of lower limb strength has been questioned, it is widely used as such among older adults. The purposes of this study were: 1) to describe five-repetition STS test (FRSTST) performance (time) by adolescents and adults and 2) to determine the relationship of isometric knee extension st...

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) recognizes the role of the family in the lives of children with special needs, and supports families in their natural care-giving and decision-making roles. This legislation guides physical therapy practice in early intervention and school settings. Family-centered functional therapy has emerge...

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Connecticut, 2001. Includes bibliographical references.