PHTY303 - Neurological Physiotherapy Practice 2

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

PHTY302 Neurological Physiotherapy Practice 1

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

Physiotherapists work with people presenting with neurological disorders. This requires the abilty to formulate a problem list for a person with a neurological disorder and develop, implement, evaluate and progress an intervention program which is efficient, effective, culturally responsive, evidence-based and person-centred. In this unit you will build on the knowledge acquired, and clinical reasoning skills developed in PHTY302 Neurological Physiotherapy Practice 1. Students will gain new knowledge including impairments and activity limitations associated with neuro-progressive disorders, traumatic brain injury, functional neurological disorders, spinal cord injury and peripheral nervous system pathology. Students will develop skills in the management of these impairments and activity limitations. The overall aim for the unit is to prepare students for professional practice in the area of neurological physiotherapy.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Describe, and discuss the implications for physiotherapy practice of, neuro-progressive disorders, traumatic brain injury, functional neurological disorders, spinal cord injury and peripheral nervous system pathology (GA5)

LO2 - Safely and effectively assess and, develop, implement, evaluate and progress an intervention program, for a person with a neurological disorder which is efficient, effective, culturally responsive, evidence-based and person-centred (GA1, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9)

LO3 - Demonstrate effective written and oral communication with members of the multi-disciplinary team (GA5, GA9). 

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

Content

Topics will include: 

Physiotherapy assessment and management of neurological impairments including perceptual; spasticity; ataxia and vestibular. 

Neuro-progressive disorders 

• Impairments and activity limitations associated with neuro-progressive pathologies e.g. Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington’s Disease 
• Medical and multi-disciplinary management of people with neuro-progressive pathologies 
• Physiotherapy assessment and management of people with neuro-progressive pathologies 

Traumatic brain injury 

• Impairments and activity limitations associated with traumatic brain injury 
• Medical and multi-disciplinary management of people with traumatic brain injury 
• Physiotherapy assessment and management of people with traumatic brain injury across the continuum of care 

Functional Neurological Disorders

• Activity limitations associated with functional neurological disorders
• Medical and multi-disciplinary management of people with functional neurological disorders
• Physiotherapy assessment and management of people with functional neurological disorders

Spinal cord injury 

• Impairments and activity limitations associated with pathology of the spinal cord injury 
• Medical and multi-disciplinary management of people with spinal cord injury 
• Physiotherapy assessment and management of people with spinal cord injury across the continuum of care 

Peripheral nervous system pathology 

• Impairments and activity limitations associated with pathology of the peripheral nervous system 
• Medical and multi-disciplinary management of people with peripheral nervous system pathology 
• Physiotherapy assessment and management of people with peripheral nervous system pathology e.g. Guillain Barre syndrome, across the continuum of care 

Evidence-based physiotherapy 

• Critical review of the evidence for neurological rehabilitation  

Documentation of assessment and interventions 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of learning with a combination of face-to-face, online and other directed independent learning activities. The theoretical knowledge underpinning assessment and intervention will be delivered via lectures and online modules. Tutorial and practical classes provide students with the opportunity to develop their clinical reasoning skills through the use of case studies and, communication, assessment and treatment skills through simulation learning activities. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively within group activities, demonstrating respect for the individual as an independent learner. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment tasks align with the presentation of the content in this unit of study and students should learn while, as well from, undertaking these tasks. This unit takes an authentic assessment approach allowing students to demonstrate their learning and competency for clinically relevant scenarios. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their clinical reasoning skills in written and verbal forms.

Assessment task 1 (EBP seminar) requires students to demonstrate skills in critical analysis of the neurological physiotherapy intervention literature. Assessment task 2 (practical examination) requires students to assimilate and apply theoretical knowledge, and perform clinical practice skills, in order to demonstrate their professional competence in the areas of assessment and treatment of people with neurological conditions. Assessment task 3 (written treatment plan) requires students to demonstrate acquired theoretical knowledge and assimilate and apply this knowledge to clinically relevant case scenarios.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Adolfo M. Bronstein, A.M. & Lempert, T. (2017) Dizziness: a practical approach to diagnosis and management (2nd ed.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Blumenfeld, H. (2010). Neuroanatomy through clinical cases. Sunderland MA: Sinauer Associates Inc.  

Carr, J., & Shepherd, R. (2010). Neurological rehabilitation: Optimising motor performance (2nd ed.). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.  

Edwards, S. (2002). Neurological physiotherapy: A problem solving approach. London: Churchill Livingstone.  

Harvey, L. (2008). Management of spinal cord injuries: a guide for physiotherapists. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann.  

Herdman, S.J. (2014). Vestibular Rehabilitation (4th ed.). Philadelphia: FA Davis Company.  

Jones, K.J. (2011). Neurological assessment: a clinician’s guide. London: Churchill Livingstone. 

Lazaro, R. T., Umphred, D. A., Reina-Guerra, R. T., Quiben, S. G., & Quiben, Myla U. (2020). Umphred's neurological rehabilitation (Seventh edition.). Elsevier.

Lennon, S., Ramdharry, G., & Verheyden, G. (2018). Physical management for neurological conditions (Fourth edition.). Elsevier.