2013, Vol.21, No.2

Korean Journal of Occupational Therapy 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.81

pISSN : 1226-0134 / eISSN : 2671-4450
https://journal.kci.go.kr/kjot

Objective : The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of occupational reminiscence therapy on the communication and interaction skills of elderly people with dementia. Methods : For seven elderly persons with dementia, four with mild dementia and three with moderate, we executed occupational reminiscence for eight weeks from May to July, 2012, with one session per week, at 40 minutes per session. A one-group pretest/post-test design, which is a quasi-experimental research tool, was also applied to verify the effects occupational reminiscence on the subjects’ ability regarding their communication and interaction skills. The measurements were performed using The Assessment of Interaction Skills (ACIS). Results : The results demonstrated that the intervention significantly affected the communication and interaction skills of elderly people with dementia (p<.05). In addition, an improvement of their ACIS score showed no significant differences between those with mild dementia and those with moderate dementia (p>.05). Conclusion : The results of this study show that occupational reminiscence for elderly people suffering from dementia is a useful therapeutic approach by enhancing their communication and interaction skills. If occupational therapists can obtain knowledge and make a program for occupational reminiscence therapy, research in this field will be further developed.

Objective : The aim of this study was to develop an Activity Participation Assessment reflecting Korean culture for school-age children. Methods : The evaluation tool for the children’s participation in activities was developed through four steps. First, a total of 270 activities were collected through interviews with various children and their legal guardians, as well as a review of domestic and overseas literature and databases. In the second step, the first round of selection was made for 111 of the 270 activities through a panel meeting. In the third step, a survey was conducted on 414 normal children between 7and 12 years of age for the second round of selection for these 111 activities. In the fourth step,a second round of panel meetings was held, and based on the survey results, a total of 83 items in which the children’s participation levels were high were selected. Results : The developed Activity Participation Assessment tool for children included a total of 83activities. Elements that reflect Korea’s unique cultural characteristics such as ‘going to a public bath and Korean sauna with the family’, ‘doing workbook exercises’, ‘going to an extracurricular academy’, ‘playing with marbles/fivestones’, and ‘playing Korean chess or go’ were included, and the need for a newly developed Activity Participation Assessment tool for children was verified. Conclusion : An Activity Participation Assessment tool reflecting Korean culture for school-age children was developed. This is the first tool for evaluating the levels of participation in various daily activities of elementary school students, and is expected to be very useful in the establishment of intervention plans and for teachers working in the Korean school system.

Objective : The purpose of this paper is to investigate the upper extremity shortness in people with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) compared with a normal control group, and evaluate the correlations between extremity shortness, muscle tone, and functional activity. Methods : This study included 30 children with HCP (13 males, 17 females; mean age, 6.33 yr)and 17 normal children as a control (9 males, 8 females; mean age, 6.17 yr). The length of each limb segment composed of the humerus, ulna, radius, and the second and fifth metacarpal bones was measured for both the patients and and control group using a radiograph. The discrepancy in side-to side length was calculated as a percentage. The Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) was used in the evaluation of spasticity, and the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST) was used in the evaluation of functional ability. Results : Upper extremity shortness differed significantly between the patients and control group (p<.05). The percentage differences in bone length correlated positively with the MAS point,and negatively with QUEST score in each limb segment (p<.05). Conclusion : The hemiplegic upper limb length discrepancy correlated with the functional activity and spasticity of the upper limb. Further studies to evaluate the change in upper extremity shortness after functional improvement and spasticity management will help to demonstrate the effect of rehabilitative treatment and determine the method and intensity of therapy required.