Department of Physical Therapy
Field of Impairment Analysis
Department of Occupational Therapy
Field of Human Ability and Recovery Science
Graduate Course of Rehabilitation Science
The demand for physical and occupational therapists has been growing in recent years. There is a pressing need to develop educators, researchers, and bioengineering experts with high-level knowledge and skills to play leading roles in these fields. Our research focuses on the locomotor functions of the extremities and trunk, higher-brain, and nervous system functions that control our daily activities, including standing, sitting, moving, and arm-hand motions. Rehabilitation science differs from conventional medicine, classified by organs and systems and concerned with vital functions for maintaining people’s life. However, like medical science, rehabilitation science is supported by basic medical research. For this reason, basic research is also an essential element of this field, combined with other features such as developing and researching therapeutic technology and evaluation methods.
The Doctoral program undertakes basic and frontier academic research on the following topics: (1) evaluation and analysis of motor disorders, higher brain function disorders, etc., (2) elucidation of the etiology and characteristics of these disorders, (3) development of methods for prevention and treatment of these disorders, (4) application of high-tech healthcare techniques to facilitate recovery and independency in the daily living of disabled individuals, and (5) development of rehabilitation technology to promote the daily living with dignity and improvement of the quality of life. Furthermore, to allow persons with disabilities to lead a barrier-free daily living, this program researches to develop welfare promotion devices based on scientific findings and attempts to establish a new form of rehabilitation science. Through these research activities, this program aims to form high-level professionals, qualified educators, and researchers in these fields. This graduate course has two sub-groupings: the “Department of Impairment Study” (functional impairment) and the “Department of Human Ability and Recovery Science” (recovery of the ability to pursue previous activities).
Field of Impairment Analysis
This field focuses on the following research topics: histopathological study of contracture of joint components (articular capsule, synovial membrane, articular cartilage, articular disc, etc.) and the effects and validity of rehabilitation therapy; study of responses of cells and individual organisms to interventions for neural disorders; evaluation of postural control disorders due to central nerve dysfunction and kinesiotherapy by studying the relationship between the perception of the upright position and sensory information; and fundamental study of the effects of physical therapy in prevention and treatment of disuse muscle atrophy.
Field of Human Ability and Recovery Science
The following scope is aimed in this field: analysis of the individual abilities for daily activities from the perspective of physical functions; development, analysis and application of rehabilitation technology to facilitate the acquisition of capabilities and skills for overcoming disorders; analysis of various conditions including high-order brain dysfunction and swallowing disorder among elderly and disabled people from the aspect of cognitive functions; and development of rehabilitation programs for improving quality of life and helping patients to get back and live at home.