Faculty

Carole Tucker

P.T., Ph.D., P.C.S., R.C.E.P.

Dr Tucker obtained her undergraduate degree in Physical Therapy and her Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Boston University.  She then completed her PhD at the State University of New York (SUNY) – Buffalo in Exercise Science/Biomechanics.  She has been certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties as a Pediatric Clinical Specialist (PCS) since 1996. Dr Tucker is also an American College of Sports Medicine Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist (RCEP).  She was a member of the Scientific Staff of Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, Philadelphia from 2004 – 2008 during which time she served as Director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory.  Her current research focuses on the development of patient-report outcome measures of health status in pediatric populations using computer adaptive testing, application of advanced statistical and analytical approaches to biomechanics data sets, and interventions to improve function and mobility in children with physical disabilities.  She has received funding from the Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Foundation, and Shriners Hospital for Children.

Selected Publications:

Tucker CA, Haley SM et al. Development of an Assessment of Physical Functioning in Children with Cerebral Palsy Using a Parent–report Computer Adaptive Testing Approach I. Lower Extremity and Mobility Skills. DMCN (in press)

Tucker CA, Haley SM et al. Development of an Assessment of Physical Functioning in Children with Cerebral Palsy Using a Parent–report Computer Adaptive Testing Approach II. Upper Extremity Skills. CN (in press)

Haley SM, Fragala-Pinkham MA, Dumas HM, Ni P, Gorton GE, Watson KE, Montpetit K, Bilodeau N, Hambleton RK, Tucker CA.  Evaluation of an Item Bank for a Computerized Adaptive Assessment of Physical Activitiy in Children with Cerebral Palsy.  Achieve of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (in press).

Dumas H, Watson K, Fragala-Pinkham, Haley SM, Watson KE, Bilodeau N, Montepetit K, Gorton G, Mulcahey, MJ, Tucker CA. Cognitive Interviewing to Elicit parent Feedback of Test items for Assessing Physical Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy. Pediatric Physical Therapy (in press)

Tucker CA, Haley SM et al. A Contemporary Approach for Measuring Parent-reported Physical Functioning in Children with Cerebral Palsy, Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine. (in press)

Tucker CA, Lauer RT & White SC. (2007) Neural network classification of treadmill walking speed and cadence using electromyography” Gait & Posture (in review)

Shewokis PA, Stackhouse CA, Pierce, SR, Smith, BT,  McCarthy, JJ & Tucker CA (2007). Characterizing intralimb coordination during gait in children with spastic Cerebral Palsy. Clinical Biomechanics (in review)

Tucker CA, Bagley AM et al. Kinematic Modeling of the Shoulder Complex in Tetraplegia. Spinal Cord Injury: Special Topics. April 2008.

Allen DD, Gorton GE, Oeffinger DJ, Tylkowski C, Tucker CA, Haley SM.  Analysis of the Pediatrics Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy using confirmatory factor analysis and Item Response Theory Methods.  Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics, October 2007.

Lauer RT, Smith BT, Shewokis PA, McCarthy JJ, Tucker CA. Time-Frequency Changes in Electromyographic Signals After Hamstring Lengthening Surgery in Children with Cerebral Palsy. J Biomechanics, 40(12), 2738-2743, 2007.

Stackhouse C, Shewokis PA, Pierce SR, Smith B, McCarthy J, Tucker CA. Gait initiation in children with cerebral palsy. Gait Posture. 2007 Jul;26(2):301-8.

Lauer RT, Stackhouse CA, Shewokis PA, Smith BT, Tucker CA, & McCarthy J. A time-frequency based electromyographic analysis technique for use in cerebral palsy. Gait Posture. 2006.

Fetters L & Tucker CA (2001) Theoretical Foundation of Development. Touchpoint in Pediatrics. APTA 2001.

Fetters L, Tucker CA, Tsao CC & Saltzman E (2001). Perception/Action coupling of limb, head and rattle movements of infants exposed to cocaine. Infant Behavior and development, Special Issue on Perception/Action.

McPhartland M, Wall C, Tucker CA, Krebs D & Oddsson L (2001) Recovery of perturbations during paced walking.  Gait Posture. 2001 Feb;19 (1):24-34.