Caroline Thompson Lecture Event
The Caroline Thompson Lecture is an annual event for the Occupational Therapy Program
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The public is invited to hear an outstanding
invited guest lecturer address current issues within the field of occupational therapy.
The lecture was established in 1976 to honor Professor Emeritus Caroline Thompson.
Miss Thompson was instrumental in the development of the Occupational Therapy Program
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and served as its director for 31 years.
(more)
Caroline Thompson Memorial Lecture-Patricia L. Davies, PhD, OTR, FAOTA
Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009
Place: Waisman Conference Center
1500 Highland Ave., Waisman Center, University of Wisconisn-Madison
CEUs: you will receive 2 hrs of continuing education credit and a certificate of attendance
Schedule:
5:00-5:30 pm Networking and appetizers
5:30-6:00 pm MSOT Student presentations of EBP Research
6:00-7:00 pm Lecture by Dr. Patricia L. Davies
7:00-7:30 pm Discussion
7:30 pm. Preceptor of the year was awarded to Toni Gillette
Speaker: Patricia L. Davies, Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA, Associate Professor in the Department of
Occupational
Therapy, Colorado State University.
Biographical Information
Patricia L. Davies, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, has provided occupational therapy services
in
various pediatric settings for over 20 years, including public schools, preschools,
residential
schools, and hospitals. She received her PhD in neuroscience and developmental psychology
from the University of Wyoming. Dr. Davies is currently an Associate Professor in
the
Departments of Occupational Therapy and Psychology and is the Executive Director
of the
Brainwaves Research Laboratory at Colorado State University. Her research focuses
on three
goals: (1) to examine brain development in children with and without disabilities;
(2) to
determine the effectiveness of rehabilitation for children with disabilities; and
(3) to determine if
rehabilitation produces changes in brain structure/function. She has published articles
related to
treatment effectiveness and measurement issues in occupational therapy journals.
Studies she
has conducted regarding sensory, motor, and cognitive processes in children using
electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral measures have been published in journals
such as
Psychophysiology, Brain and Cognition, Developmental Neuropsychology, Annals of
the New
York Academy of Science, and the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. She has
presented her research at international conferences in Granada, Spain and Lisbon,
Portugal as
well as at national conferences across the United States such as the Society for
Neuroscience,
Society for Psychophysiological Research, Society for Research in Child Development,
and the
American Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Davies has received grants as Principal
Investigator from NIH and various foundations (e.g., AOTF, Wallace Research Foundation)
to
support her research.
Title of Presentation: Investigating the Brain Physiology Underlying Sensory Processing
Disorders: Deficits in Auditory Detection and Filtering
Sensory integration is a therapeutic approach that has been used for many years
by occupational
therapists and does have a strong potential to enhance occupational performance
in children.
Ayres described sensory integration as an approach used to enhance the brain’s
ability to
organize sensory input for use in functional behaviors (1972, 1979). Ayres' theory
of sensory
integration has generated more research and controversy than any other theory developed
by an
occupational therapist (Bundy & Murray, 2002). Dr. Davies has been involved
in research
studying children with sensory processing disorders (SPD) using electroencephalography
(EEG)
techniques for over 6 years and directs one of the few labs in the world that uses
brain imaging
techniques to study SPD (http://brainwaves.colostate.edu/). Her research is funded
by NIH and
the Wallace Research Foundation. This presentation provided a summary of her
findings
across several studies of how brain processing is different in children with SPD
compared to
children without disabilities. These studies focus specifically on detecting sensory
stimuli and
filtering incoming sensory information. The findings of these studies were discussed
with
regard to the validation of the assumptions of the sensory integration theory and
the potential use
of EEG and event-related potentials (ERPs) technologies as diagnostic tools. For
example, one
of the studies conducted in Davies’ lab revealed that by using measures of
brain activity (i.e.,
ERP) alone, children with SPD and children without disabilities can be correctly
classified
according to their group membership with very high accuracy. Implication for future
research
and clinical practice were addressed.
10/01/08 Caroline Thompson Memorial Lecture
Carolyn Baum, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA delivered an inspiring and thought provoking
discussion about the future of OT and functional performance in the delivery of
OT services. Dr. Baum's presentation, "Let's Focus on Performance", addressed
AOTA's Centennial Vision. Dr. Carolyn Baum is the Elias Michael Director of the
Program in Occupational Therapy and Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology
at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Baum recently
completed her term as President of the American Occupational Therapy Association
and has served as President of the American Occupational Therapy Certification Board
(NBCOT). She has received the American Occupational Therapy Association's two most
prestigious awards, the Eleanor Clarke Slagel Lectureship and the Award of Merit
and was named Occupational Therapist of the Year in both Kansas and Missouri. Dr.
Baum's research focuses on the relationship of activity and function in persons
with cognitive impairment and chronic disease. She is currently PI on a project
funded by the James S. McDonnell foundation to build a translational model of neuroscience
with neuroscientists, neurologists, psychologists, and occupational therapists working
together to understand the brain and cognitive mechanisms that support everyday
life.
The evening began with networking and appetizers followed by MSOT Student Poster
Presentations of Evidence Based Practice Research. Merrick Geerdts, Katie Knapp,
Esther Knudson and Jessica Brunjes
discussed their research findings while guests studied their posters. Mary Schneider,
Ph.D., OTR/L welcomed and thanked the many individuals in the audience who have
played an important role in educating and supporting the students in the Occupational
Therapy Program. Dr. Schneider honored the memory of Caroline Goss Thompson, Professor
Emerita of the Occupational Therapy Program. Dorothy Edwards, Ph.D. then eloquently
introduced Dr. Baum, her friend and colleague. The evening concluded with presentation
of the Preceptor of the Year Award to Gabriel Cranley, OTR by Debbie Bebeau, MS,
OTR/L. This event was held in the auditorium of the Waisman Center at the University
of Wisconsin in Madison.
