Richard P. Di Fabio, PhD, PT

Richard P. Di Fabio, PhD, PT 
Program in Physical Therapy 
University of Minnesota
274 Children's Rehabilitation Center
Minneapolis, MN  55455
612-626-4973
difab001@umn.edu

Position:
Professor

Education:
State University of New York (Upstate Medical Center), Syracuse, NY, B.S. in Physical Therapy, 1974.
State University of New York, Cortland, NY, M.S. in Education, 1977.
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, Ph.D. in Physical Therapy (Therapeutics), 1982.

Teaching Responsibilities:
Research Design in Physical Therapy, Neurorehabilitation I, Rehabilitation Science Seminar, Current Literature Seminar, Special Topics in Rehabilitation Science, Research Problems, Teaching Practicum

Research Interests:
Neuromotor control, Outcomes Research, Measurement & Research Design, Balance & Equilibrium, Posturography, Meta-analysis

Publications:

Representative Publications in Geriatrics

Stelmach GE, Teasdale N, Di Fabio RP, Phillips J: Age related decline in postural control mechanisms. Int J Aging Hum Dev, 29:205-223, 1989.

Stelmach GE, Phillips J, Di Fabio RP, Teasdale N:  Age, functional postural reflexes, and voluntary sway. J Geront, 44(4):B100-106, 1989.

Smith EL, Di Fabio RP, Gilligan C: Exercise intervention and physiological function in the elderly. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 6:57-68, 1990.

Anacker SL, Di Fabio RP:  Influence of sensory inputs on standing balance in community dwelling elders with a recent history of falling. Phys Ther 1992, 72:575-581.

Di Fabio RP, Anacker SL: Identifying fallers in community living elders with a clinical test of sensory interaction for balance. Eur J Phys Med Rehabil 1996; 6:61-66.

Di Fabio RP, Emasithi A: Aging and the mechanisms underlying head and postural control during voluntary motion . Phys Ther  1997; 77:458-475.

Di Fabio RP, Seay R: Use of the Fast Evaluation of Mobility, Balance, and Fear in a Population of  Community-Living Elders: Validity and Reliability.  Phys Ther 1997; 77:904-915.

Di Fabio RP, Emasithi A, Paul S , Greany JF, Wyman JF.  Eye motion and postural control in high-risk elders during a stand-walk task.  Gerontological Society of America , 2000 Annual Scientific Meeting (abstract), p. 82.

Di Fabio RP, Emasithi A, Greany F, Paul S.  Suppression of the vertical vestibulo-ocular reflex in older persons at risk of falling. Acta Oto-Laryngologica 2001;121:707-714

Di Fabio RP, Paul S, Emasithi A, Greany F.  Evaluating eye-body coordination during unrestrained functional activity in older persons.  J Gerontology Medical Sciences 2001; 56A:M571-M574.

Bakken RC, Carey JR, Di Fabio RP, Erlandson TJ, Hake JL, Intihar TW. Effect of aerobic exercise on tracking performance in elderly people: A pilot study. Phys Ther 2001;81:1870-1879.

Di Fabio RP, Greany JF, Emasithi A, Wyman JF.  Eye-head coordination during postural perturbation as a predictor of falls in community-dwelling elderly women.  Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2002;83:942-951.

Di Fabio RP, Zampieri C, Greany JF. Aging and saccade-stepping interactions in humans.  Neuroscience Letters 2003;339:179-182.

Di Fabio RP, Greany JF, Zampieri C.  Saccade-stepping interactions revise motor plan for obstacle avoidance.  Journal of Motor Behavior 2003;35:383-397.

Schmidt JS, Di Fabio RP.  Reliable change and MID proportions facilitated group responsiveness comparisons using individual threshold criteria.  J Clinical Epidemiology 2004;57:1008-1018.

Di Fabio RP, Kurszewski WM, Jorgenson EE, Kunz RC. Footlift asymmetry during obstacle avoidance in high risk elderly.  J Amer Geriatric Soc 2004;52:2088-2093.

Di Fabio RP, Zampieri C, Henke J, Olson K, Rickheim D, Russell M.  Influence of elderly executive cognitive function on attention in the lower visual field during step initiation.  Gerontology 2005;51:94-107.

Representative Publications in Neuromotor Control

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB, and Duncan PW.  Adapting human postural reflexes following localized cerebrovascular lesion: Analysis of bilateral long latency responses. Brain Research 1986;363:257-264.

Di Fabio RP.  Lower extremity antagonist muscle response following standing perturbation in subjects with cerebrovascular disease. Brain Research 1987;406:43-51.

Di Fabio RP.  Reliability of computerized surface electromyography for determining temporal sequence of muscle activation. Phys Ther 1087;67:43-48.

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB.  Influence of cerebrovascular accident on elongated and passively shortened muscle responses after forward sway. Phys Ther 1988;68:1215-1220.

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB.  Reliability of postural response as a function of muscular synergisms: Effect of supraspinal lesions.  Human Movement Science 1989;8:447-464.

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB.  Relationship of sensory organization to balance function in patients with hemiplegia. Phys Ther 1990;70:542-548.

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB, McEvoy A, Breuning A.  Influence of local sensory afference in the calibration of human balance responses.  Experimental Brain Research 1990;80:591-599.

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB, McEvoy A, Ogden E.  Kinematic properties of voluntary postural sway in patients with unilateral primary hemispheric lesions.  Brain Research 1990;513:248-254.

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB.  Extraneous movement associated with hemiplegic postural sway during dynamic goal-directed weight redistribution. Arch Phys Med & Rehabil 1990;71:365-371.

Di Fabio RP.  Reliability and validity of functional assessment in patients with stroke.  J Neuro Rehab 1990;4(3).

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB.  Stance duration under sensory conflict conditions in patients with hemiplegia.  Arch Phys Med & Rehabil 1991;72:292-295.

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB, Breunig A.  Dysequilibrium reaction time and "long-loop" recruitment deficits in subjects with hemiplegia.  Occupational Therapy Journal of Research 1992;12(4):229-241.

Di Fabio RP, Graf B, Badke MB, Breuning A, Jensen K.  Effect of knee joint laxity on long-loop postural reflexes:  Evidence for a human capsular-hamstring reflex. Experimental Brain Research 1992;90:189-200.

Di Fabio RP, Badke MB, Breunig A.  Dysequilibrium reaction time and "long-loop" recruitment deficits in subjects with hemiplegia.  Occupational Therapy Journal of Research 1992;12(4):229-241.

Di Fabio RP, Anderson JH.  Effect of sway-referenced visual & somatosensory input on human head movement and postural patterns during stance. Journal of Vestibular Research 1993;3:409-417.

Di Fabio RP.  Sensitivity and specificity of platform posturography for identifying patients with vestibular dysfunction.  Phys Ther 1995;75(4):290-305.

Di Fabio RP.  Meta-analysis of the sensitivity and specificity of platform posturography. Archives Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery 1996;122:150-156.