Below are the seven projects that are part of Spring Arbor University’s (SAU) partnership with the University of Michigan (U-M) for brachial plexus palsy research.Bullying
This research will study the existence, prevalence and severity of bullying toward children with neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) compared to other children with disabilities. Results will be used to educate school systems and reduce bullying toward all children with physical disabilities.
Transition to adulthood
A thorough review of literature will be conducted to identify problems children with disabilities have when transitioning to adulthood.
Nursing
This section of MedSAU will focus on a clinical project of interest to U-M patients and SAU faculty.
SAU’s nursing program is offered through the School of Graduate and Professional Studies.
Motor apraxia
Some children with NBPP are able to move the affected arm, but others lack all motor control; this condition is called motor apraxia. Research will examine non-surgical vs. surgical patients to determine how often motor apraxia occurs and seek to discover why children do no use the affected limb after surgery has repaired the nerve damage.
Sensorimotor testing
Most clinical assessments lack the sensitivity to detect potentially important changes in hand sensorimotor function. This project will assess hand sensorimotor performance in developing children and adolescents with NBPP as part of an initiative aimed at providing better clinical assessment tools for use in populations with impaired arm and hand function.
Patient educational materials
Multimedia educational materials will be produced to educate U-M Health System patients, SAU faculty, medical professionals, school administrators, teachers and the general public about NBPP.
Self-reported health-related quality of life studies
Currently there is no standard to measure health-related quality of life in NBPP patients and no scale to measure results from conservative or operative management. The MedSAU collaborative project will examine possible applications of several newly-developed, patient-reported outcomes in children with NBPP.
For more information about MedSAU, please visit www.arbor.edu/MedSAU
[WRITER’S NOTE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE APRIL 2013 EDITION OF “THE PULSE”]