Woven Communities: Braided Recovery through Enhanced Activity
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Woven Communities: Braided Recovery through Enhanced Activity in the Stroke Unit
IRAS ID
243546
Contact name
Stephanie Bunn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of St Andrews
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 0 days
Research summary
This collaborative anthropological and medical pilot project builds on experience generated by, but is independent of, the AHRC funded Woven Communities project, www.wovencommunities.org, which conducted research into basket-work, heritage and cognition in Scotland. Research themes have included basketry, hand-memories and dementia, basketwork and mathematical learning, and basketwork and therapy.\n\nBraided Recovery specifically aims to explore the value of a collaborative approach to investigating the value of basket-weaving in enhancing hand function and well-being in patients with acquired brain injury, including stroke. This involves participants attending basket-weaving sessions with a trainer while inpatients in the Stroke and Rehabilitation Ward (SRW), Raigmore Hospital. The outcomes will be assessed through qualitative and quantitative methods.\n\nParticipants will comprise a sample of patients with acquired brain injury admitted to the SRW. The study will assess how bi-manual skills of basket-weaving help improve coordination skills, voluntary and fine-motor hand control, as the activity of working with both hands enhances the function of the other. There will be 10-12 practical sessions at Raigmore Hospital between June and October 2018. Volunteer patients assessed by PI Macaden will work with trained basket-makers, ratio 1 trainer:2 patients. Trainer 1 is a retired Consultant Pathologist, still employed by NHS Highland, Trainer 2 is a basket-maker/volunteer at SRW, experienced in working with people with learning challenges. Trainers will keep journal notes which will be exchanged following each session. Participants will also keep journals where feasible. Video recordings (with consent) will be made of patients’ hand and arm movements only. Outcomes will be measured qualitatively by analysing diverse journals and video-recording of participants’ basket-making. Semi-quantitative assessment will be made through the ArmA (Arm activity measure) questionnaire. These will assess movement range, dexterity, ability to use both hands, complexity of task and interventions required by trainer to complete the task.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
18/NS/0075
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jul 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion