2nd Virtual Grand Rounds,
“An Introduction and Overview to Assistive Technology for Cognitive Disability for People with Polytrauma”
Recorded on: September 2009
Select the following link to be taken to site where you can view the lecture presentations
Presenter/s:
Edmond LoPresti, PhD, ATP
Ed is President of AT Sciences, LLC in Pittsburgh, PA. AT Sciences is dedicated to research and development of innovative assistive technologies, including reminder systems for people with cognitive impairments. Dr. LoPresti received his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. LoPresti has developed vocational cognitive assistants for people with mental retardation, and is currently developing an automated task guidance system for people with traumatic brain injury. Dr. LoPresti has also developed sensor systems which provide navigation assistance to wheelchair users. Dr. LoPresti recently completed a four-year term as chair of the cognitive disabilities and assistive technology special
interest group of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) and is on the expert panel of the Beach Center of Disability’s NIDRR-funded Disability Rehabilitation Research Center on Assistive Technology and Cognitive Disability.
Roger Little, MS, ATP
Roger served as an aviation structural mechanic in the United States Navy. He also worked as a city firefighter before receiving a Bachelor of Science in Human Factors Engineering and a Masters of Science in Rehabilitation Engineering from Wright State University. Mr. Little has 12 years experience as a Rehabilitation Engineer; performing evaluations, recommendations, and training of adaptive technology. His work has been in the areas of computer access, electronic aids to daily living, ergonomics, workstation evaluations, cognitive orthotics and home accessibility. Since 2005, Mr. Little has been a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology. He is the coordinator of the Learning Technologies Program. He developed and instructs a graduate level course in home and worksite modifications. Mr. Little is a consultant for the Veterans Administration’s Poly Trauma Centers in the areas of computer access, cognitive orthotics and electronic aids for daily living. Mr. Little also served as a consultant for the Variety children’s charity, Kids-on-the-Go program for 10 years.
Michael Pramuka, PhD
Mike is an Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Science in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. He teaches in the University of Pittsburgh MS program in Rehabilitation Counseling. His research activities have focused on self-management and psychosocial issues in epilepsy, telerehabilitation, and cognitive disability. Current projects also include development of assistive technology clinics for the VA polytrauma centers, and identifying assistive technology practices at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Dr. Pramuka’s clinical work has emphasized applied cognitive rehabilitation strategies to improve everyday function and employment outcomes in adults and in transition-age students with cognitive disability. He was previously site coordinator of a VA/DoD multi-center clinical trial of cognitive rehabilitation (Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, DVBIC) at the Tampa VA and then neuropsychologist at the San Diego Naval Medical Center under DVBIC, followed by a position as Director of Neuropsychology for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. He has collaborated with a state-funded vocational rehabilitation center since January 2003 to develop and implement a semester-long program of cognitive rehabilitation.
Dr. Pramuka earned his doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and completed his internship in clinical psychology at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. He is a licensed psychologist and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.
Note: Faculty for this activity have been required to disclose all relationships with any proprietary entity producing health care goods or services, with the exemption of nonprofit or government organizations and non-healthcare related companies.
* No conflicts have been disclosed.
Description:
Individuals with polytrauma have numerous diagnoses, usually including some degree of mild to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), that not only affects cognition but also emotional and behavioral regulation. This presentation provides an overview of the most salient cognitive deficits, currently available assistive technologies to assist in compensation of these deficits, and provides several short case examples. It will also provide an overview of use of cognitive orthotics in current clinical programs, and briefly highlight the potential for using virtual environments and other tools to address cognitive and emotional issues.
Learning objectives:
Upon attending this seminar, participants will be able to:
- Participants will be able to identify primary deficits amenable to cognitive assistive devices
- Participants will describe environments and functional goals that support the use of cognitive assistive technologies
- Participants will be able to describe technologies to support memory and executive functions, written communication, and behavioral/social function, including general cost, access, and technical support factors
- Participants will be able to list strengths and current limitations of various cognitive assistive devices for use with individuals with polytrauma including traumatic brain injury
CEU Registration and Program Cost
0.15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be awarded to individuals for attending 1.5 hours of instruction.
Cost: $59
*Instructions for processing payment to receive CEUs
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After viewing the program:
Instructions for completing the online course evaluation.
- To complete the online post test and evaluation, go to the RST CE homepage at: http://www.rstce.pitt.edu
- Select the button that says post tests and evaluations.
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- Select and complete the course post test and evaluation.
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You will receive your CEU Certificate via emailed pdf.
The University of Pittsburgh, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences awards Continuing Education Units to individuals who enroll in certain educational activities. The CEU is designated to give recognition to individuals who continue their education in order to keep up-to-date in their profession. (One CEU is equivalent to 10 hours of participation in an organized continuing education activity). Each person should claim only those hours of credit that he or she actually spent in the educational activity.
The University of Pittsburgh is certifying the educational contact hours of this program and by doing so is in no way endorsing any specific content, company, or product. The information presented in this program may represent only a sample of appropriate interventions. ). Each person should claim only those hours of credit that he or she actually spent in the educational activity.
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You may do so by going to system requirements and run a test presentation at: http://www.rstce.pitt.edu/RSTCE_Help.html
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