Wow! This was my last week in Louisville, and once again it was amazing. Almost every day this week we performed a variety of experiments, SATcos, and other tests. I was once again able to help with the safety and feasibility study, measuring the blood pressure and attaching the ECG to collect data. Another interesting test that I had seen little of was a breathing tests, where the patient would be asked to exhale, inhale, or cough, which measures the strength and capacity of the lungs. We performed this tests in children with Cerebral Palsy, as well as in “healthy” children. I was once again able to see the data collection aspect of these experiments, as well as help set up the experiments. Furthermore, I saw many more therapy sessions which consisted of locomotor training, such as putting the child in a harness and recreating stepping motions over a treadmill. Below there is a picture of what such treadmill looks like, although I was unable to take a picture with an actual subject in it. On Wednesday, my fellow interns and I were tasked with creating a survey for a few other hospitals which also receive many spinal cord injury patients, in order to gain more knowledge about the steps they take to prevent or aid scoliosis. Friday was the last day of my internship, which I began by going to a seminar given by one of the grad students in my department. Later on, I finished up transcribing some interviews that were needed in word form, and eventually had to say good by to my fellow interns, Dr. Behrman, and the team I worked on. I was also given the opportunity to give a mini presentation to Dr. Behrman, summarizing what I have learned the past few weeks in and out of my internship. I am incredibly thankful to have been given this opportunity and have learned an incredible amount from it!
Picture 1: Treadmill used in therapy Picture 2: force plate used during experiments to measure where the child is putting the most pressure
view of Louisville while flying out
Throughout the week, Anza and I went out to dinner at a local Indian restaurant, and followed that by going to one of our favorite ice cream shops the day after. My host family was away on a vacation this week, so unfortunately I already had to say goodbye to them the week before. Early Saturday morning I drove to the airport, saying goodbye to Anza as she continues her internship for a couple more weeks. Overall this internship has been an amazing experience!
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