Disputas – master in Public Health Anu Mirjam Piira

The doctoral thesis!
Avhandlingen er tilgjengelig her!

På grunn av koronautbruddet er auditoriet stengt for publikum. Opptaket av disputasen vil være tilgjengelig i en uke.
The auditorium will be closed to the public because of the corona outbreak. A recording of the disputation will be available for one week.

Prøveforelesning starter kl. 1215
Prøveforelesningen har følgende tittel: “The neuromodulation paradox: Epidural stimulation alone does not promote recovery of walking or voluntary movement”

Prøveforelesningen strømmes her! 
The trail lecture will be streamed here!

Disputas starter kl. 1415
Disputasen vil bli strømmes her! 
The defense will be streamed here!

Populærvitenskapelig sammendrag av avhandlingen:

Two randomized controlled clinical trials assessed the effect of manual or robot-assisted treadmill training in persons with long-standing (>12 years) incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). We were only able to recruit 73% of the planned number of participants. The intervention groups received 60 days of gait training over 6 months and the control groups received usual care (local physical therapist). At enrolment, our participants were autonomously motivated, physically active with high expectations.  The interventions were well tolerated and resulted in a clear improvement in lower extremity muscle strength. However, no change was observed in quality of life, psychological outcomes or in walking function. Our findings are inconclusive due to low power. This training method may have benefits, but it is expensive and training effects are limited when baseline walking function is poor and training starts many years after the SCI. Earlier training start after SCI may be more promising.

Veiledere:

Hovedveileder Professor Synnøve F. Knutsen, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda CA, USA.

Biveileder Professor Lone Jørgensen, Institutt for helse- og omsorgsfag, UiT Norges arktiske universitet, forsker PhD Anne M. Lannem, Sunnaas sykehus HF, Nesodden

Bedømmelseskomité

Professor Andrea Behrman, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA - 1. opponent

Førsteamanuensis Páll E. Ingvarsson, Landspitali University Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation, Iceland – 2. opponent

Førsteamanuensis Ragnhild Håkstad, Institutt for helse- og omsorgsfag, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet – leder av komité

Disputasleder: Professor Nina Emaus, Institutt for helse- og omsorgsfag, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet