Research Paper and Presentation Directions
For this assignment, you will choose one of the following diagnoses to use for your in-depth case study:
- CVA (specify which area of the brain was injured)
- Spinal Cord Injury (specify complete vs incomplete, level of injury)
- Spastic Cerebral Palsy
- Diabetic Polyneuropathy
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Phantom Limb Pain
- Bell’s Palsy
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Huntington’s Chorea
- Dystonia (focal or generalized)
- Guillain Barre
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Low Back Pain
- Other (must be approved by your instructor)
Case Study Research Paper
(75 points)
- Write a 4 page paper on your topic which includes answers to the following questions.
- What is the primary lesion and/or pathology in this condition?
- Which structure(s) in the nervous system does it affect (UMN, LMN, brain, spinal cord, etc.)?
- What are the common signs/symptoms of this disorder?
- How is it diagnosed?
- What is the prognosis?
- What are the treatment interventions? Please describe medical and therapeutic management:
- Medical management including common medications and surgical procedures
- Physical Therapy interventions (clinical concerns, treatment approaches, etc.)
Paper Requirements:
Use your textbook and three other reliable resources in your paper. Sources may include journal articles, web sites and textbooks but be mindful of reliability of source. Your paper should be written in APA format to include: Times New Roman, font size 12, 1” margins, double-spaced and a reference page. You need to be concise due to the amount of material discussed. Submit via link in Blackboard.
Research Paper Rubric
| Research Paper Rubric |
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent | | 35.0 to >30.0 pts Excellent • Addressed all elements with depth and clarity ̶ Primary lesion/pathology ̶ NS structures involved ̶ Common signs/symptoms ̶ Diagnosis and Prognosis ̶ Medical Interventions ̶ Therapeutic Interventions | 30.0 to >26.0 pts Average • Addressed all elements but few areas lacked depth/clarity ̶ Primary lesion/pathology ̶ NS structures involved ̶ Common signs/symptoms ̶ Diagnosis and Prognosis ̶ Medical Interventions ̶ Therapeutic Interventions | 26.0 to >0 pts Below Average • Did not address all elements or several areas lacked depth/clarity ̶ Primary lesion/pathology ̶ NS structures involved ̶ Common signs/symptoms ̶ Diagnosis and Prognosis ̶ Medical Interventions ̶ Therapeutic Interventions |
| 35.0pts |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeStructure | | 15.0 to >12.0 pts • Writing is clear, concise, and well organized with excellent sentence/paragraph construction • Clear introduction, body, conclusion • Ideas are connected in logical manner with smooth transitions • Varied sentence structure | 12.0 to >10.0 pts • Writing is mostly clear, concise, and well organized with good sentence/paragraph construction • Introduction, body and conclusion are noted but somewhat unclear • Paper lacks consistent transitions to demonstrate relation or logical connection between ideas • Some attempt to vary sentence structure | 10.0 to >0 pts • Writing is unclear and/or disorganized. Thoughts are not expressed in a logical manner • Lacks Introduction, body or conclusion • Abrupt ending • Ideas are not connected • Little to no varied sentence structure |
| 15.0pts |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeEvidence | | 10.0 to >8.0 pts • Reference list with a minimum of 3+ evidence-based resources is included • Quality of sources is high • Citations are referenced appropriately | 8.0 to >6.0 pts • Limited reference list with 2 evidence-based resources • Quality of 1 source is poor • 1-2 citations are not referenced appropriately | 6.0 to >0 pts • Reference list is either missing or includes only 1 evidence-based resource • Quality of all sources is poor • 3+ citations are not referenced appropriately |
| 10.0pts |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeGrammar and Spelling | | 10.0 to >8.0 pts • Paper is free from grammatical and spelling errors • No run-on sentences | 8.0 to >6.0 pts • Paper has 3 or less grammatical errors, spelling errors or run-on sentences | 6.0 to >0 pts • Paper has more than 3 grammatical errors, spelling errors or run-on sentences |
| 10.0pts |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeFormat & Organization | | 5.0 to >4.0 pts • Paper is 4 pages in length • Written in APA format to include 1” margins, Times New Roman, 12 point font and double spaced | 4.0 to >3.0 pts • Paper length is within 1 page of the guidelines • Paper format adheres to most APA guidelines | 3.0 to >0 pts • Paper length is 2+ pages more or less than the guidelines • Noted several infractions of APA format |
| 5.0pts |
| Total Points: 75.0 |
Last Updated on September 4, 2019
