Richard W Bohannon
Professor

Richard Bohannon is Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Connecticut. He is also the Principal of Physical Therapy Consultants (West Hartford, CT). Dr. Bohannon is a licensed physical therapist with more than 30 years of continuous clinical experience in acute care, rehabilitation, and home-care settings. He is board certified specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy and a Fellow of the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, and the American Academy for Cerbral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. He is a prolific writer with over 400 publications to his credit. In 1996 he received the American Physical Therapy Association’s Helen Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Professional Literature. In 2005 he was awarded the Association's Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy and in 2008 he was honored with the Association's Jules Rothstein Golden Pen Award for Scientific Writing. Dr. Bohannon serves on numerous editorial boards; he was the Founding Editor of the Journal of Human Muscle Performance and is former Editor in Chief of the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy. Currently, Dr. Bohannon’s research and teaching is focused on the measurement, implications, and treatment of activity limitations in elderly and neurologic populations. Dr. Bohannon is recognized internationally for his expertise in muscle performance following stroke, hand-held dynamometry, and mobility devices. Dr. Bohannon has served as a consultant to the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research and as a member of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Neuromuscular Panel of Experts which assisted in developing A Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, Part Two: Preferred Practice Patterns. He serves as a consultant to industry (medical instrumentation, rehabilitation equipment, and pharmaceutical) and the legal profession on issues related to muscle performance, mobility, and neurologic physical therapy.

•DPT, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Boston University, 2007

•EdD, Doctor of Education in Adult Education, NC State University, 1988

•MS, Master of Science in Physical Therapy, UNC Chapel Hill. 1982

•BS, Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy, UNC Chapel Hill, 1977

« Full C.V. »

Contact Information: 

Koons Hall - 104

Phone: (860) 486-0048
Fax: (860) 486-1588

Email: richard.bohannon@uconn.edu

Mailing Address:
Dept of Physical Therapy, Neag School of Education, 358 Mansfield Rd, Unit 2101, Storrs, CT 06269

Current Courses Taught:

PT 450: Fundamentals of Physical Therapy Examination

PT 451: Acute Care Management

PT 224: Neuromuscular Dysfunction

PT 441: Clinical Research for Physical Therapists

Honors/Awards:

American Physical Therapy Association (Neurology Section) Research Award, 1990

American Physical Therapy Association (Connecticut Chapter) Research Award, 1990

American Physical Therapy Association- Helen Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Professional Literature, 1996

Division of Physical Therapy (University of North Carolina)- Margaret L Moore Distinguished Alumni Award, 1996

American Physical Therapy Association- Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy

Associations/Committees/Outreach:

American Physical Therapy Association, 1977- present

American Society of Neurorehabilitation, 1993- present

American Heart Association, 1996- present

Editorial Board: Clinical Rehabilitation

Editorial Board: Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy

American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine: 1999- present

Areas of Expertise:

Exercise & Aging

Physical Performance

Measurement, Evaluation and Assessment

Funded Research:

Knee extension torque following passive and resisted knee flexion

Reliability of pendulum test for spasticity performed with a Cybex II dynamometer

Association of balance and paretic lower extremity strength with stair climbing ability in patients with stroke

Crutch alternatives: user preferences and performance

Assessment of Easy Slide as a transfer aid between adjacent surfaces

Sit to stand performance of elderly and acute rehabilitation patients

Independence in sit to stand: Influence of knee extension strength and other factors

Selected Publications/Presentations:

Bohannon RW. Reference Values for the Timed Up and Go Test: A Descriptive Meta-Analysis. J Geriatr Phys Ther 29:64-68, 2006.

Bohannon RW, Peolsson A, Massey-Westropp N, Desrosiers J, Bear-Lehman J. Reference Values for Grip Strength Measured with a Jamar Dynamometer: A Descriptive Meta-Analysis. Physiotherapy 92: 11-15, 2006.

Bohannon RW, Brennan P, Pescatello L, Hasson S, Murphy M, Marschke L. Relationships Between Perceived Limitations in Stair Climbing and Lower Limb Strength, Body Mass Index, and Self-Reported Stair Climbing Activity. Top Geriatr Rehabil 21: 350-355, 2005.

Congdon R, Bohannon RW, Tiberio D. Effect of Intrinsic and Imposed Hamstring Length on Pelvifemoral Rhythm. Clin Biomech 20: 947-951, 2005.

Bohannon RW. Manual Muscle Testing: Does it Meet the Standards of an Adequate Screening Test? Clin Rehabil 19: 662-667, 2005.

Brennan P, Pescatello LS, Bohannon RW, Marschke L, Murphy M, Coble D, Hasson S. Time Spent Moving is Related to Systolic Blood Pressure Among Older Women. Prev Cardiol 8: 160-164, 2005.

Brennan P, Pescatello LS, Bohannon RW, Marschke L, Murphy M, Coble D, Hasson S. Adiposity of Elderly Women and Its Relationship with Self-Reported and Observed Physical Performance. J Geriatr Phys Ther 28: 10-13, 2005.

Bohannon RW, Lusardi MM. Getting Up from the Floor: Determinants and Techniques among Healthy Older Adults. Physiother Theory Pract 20: 233-241, 2004.

Vecchiarino P, Bohannon RW, Ferullo J, Maljanian R. Short-term Outcomes of Patients Hospitalized with Community Acquired Pneumonia. Heart & Lung 33: 301-307, 2004.

Bohannon RW, Maljanian R, Ferullo J. Mortality and Readmission One-Year Subsequent to Hospitalization for Community Acquired Pneumonia. Aging Clin Exper Res 16: 22-25, 2004.