Graduation Date
5-2014
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
Department or Program
Occupational Therapy
Department or Program Chair
Ruth Ramsey, EdD, OTR/L
First Reader
Julia Wilbarger, PhD, OTR/L
Abstract
The purpose of this research study was to examine the influence of Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift on the bilateral coordination of healthy adults with no history of developmental or motor delays. Additional studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the Therapeutic Listening® modality using measurable outcomes are necessary as many therapists currently use this program, even though few studies prove its effectiveness. This study recruited 14 freshman and sophomore students aged 18-21 years. Seven participants received Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift intervention one time for 20 minutes and seven received no intervention, but instead listened to white noise for the same duration. The participants received the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2) bilateral coordination subsection before and after either the white noise or Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift protocol. Results demonstrated a slightly greater increase in scores for those who received the Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift intervention, however this difference was not statistically significant. Additionally, many participants received the maximum score on the pre-test and had no room for improvement on the post-test. This study was likely underpowered and the BOT-2 bilateral coordination subsection was not sensitive enough to measure change in a healthy, adult population. More sensitive assessment tools are needed to support future research in order to prove effectiveness of interventions through measurable outcomes that further evidence based practice in occupational therapy.