Dr. Barbara J. Singer

PT [Auck]; Grad. Dipl. [Neuroscience]; MSc, PhD [UWA]
Professor & Coordinator of the Neurological Rehabilitation stream
Email: barbara.singer@uwa.edu.au

Professor Barbara Singer is a physiotherapist with 30 years of clinical experience in a variety of neurological settings including acute and rehabilitation neurology and neurosurgery services. She also has considerable experience teaching undergraduate and post graduate physiotherapy students in university and clinical environments. Her doctoral program involved an evaluation of the incidence, contributing factors and clinical management of equinovarus deformity of the ankle following acquired brain injury. This project was undertaken in the Neurosurgical Rehabilitation Unit at Royal Perth Hospital where Dr Singer was a senior physiotherapist [neurosurgery].

Following completion of her doctoral studies, she joined the academic staff at the Centre for Musculoskeletal Studies, School of Surgery at UWA, where she coordinates postgraduate programmes for physiotherapists with a special interest in the management of adults with neurological disorders (Graduate Diploma in Neurological Rehabilitation and Master of Neurological Rehabilitation).

She is a titled member [Neurological Physiotherapist] of the Australian Physiotherapy Association [APA] and currently holds a number of leadership roles within the physiotherapy profession including chairing the National Advisory Council of the APA.

She was an invited editor of a special issue of Disability & Rehabilitation focussing on the use of botulinum toxin injection to achieve balanced muscle function, which was published in 2007 and on a series of consensus statements on the use of botulinum toxin in a range of conditions including hypertonia to be published in the European Journal of Neurology.
She is on the Editorial Boards of Disability and Rehabilitation [UK] and The New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy.

She has been Principal Investigator on RCT's examining the efficacy of cyclic stretching to reduce calf muscle stiffness after stroke, and the role of neuromuscular electrical stimulation ± bimanual movement in assisting recovery of motor function, left neglect and anosognosia after stroke.

As a recipient of a RAINE Medical Research Foundation Priming Grant, Dr Singer has investigated the functional restoration of muscle balance through Botulinum toxin type-A in chronic anterior knee pain subjects. Aspects of this work were reported through a Special Issue of Disability & Rehabilitation which she edited [editorial PDF].

Research Publications

Singer BJ, Dunne JW, Singer KP (2008) The short term effect of cyclic passive stretching on plantarflexor resistive torque after acquired brain injury. Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon). 23(9):1178-82.

Singer KP & Singer BJ (2007) The role of Botulinum toxin injection in achieving balanced muscle function. Disability & Rehabilitation.29:1759 - 1760

Cullen DM; Boyle JWW; Silbert PL; Singer BJ; & Singer KP. (2007) Botulinum toxin injection to facilitate rehabilitation of muscle imbalance syndromes in sports medicine. Disability & Rehabilitation.29: 1832 - 1839

Gracies J-M; Singer BJ & Dunne JW (2007) The role of botulinum toxin injections in the management of muscle overactivity of the lower limb. Disability & Rehabilitation.29:1789 - 1805

BJ Singer, PL Silbert , JW Dunne, S Song, KP Singer (2006) An open label pilot investigation of the efficacy of Botulinum toxin type A [Dysport®] injection in the rehabilitation of chronic anterior knee pain. Disability & Rehabilitation. 28: 707-713

Singer BJ, Dunne J,. Singer KP, Jegasothy GM, Allison GT (2004) Ankle contracture following moderate to severe acquired brain injury: incidence and physical therapy management. Disability & Rehabilitation 26: 335-345

Singer BJ, Dunne J,. Singer KP, Jegasothy GM, Allison GT (2004) Incidence of ankle contracture following moderate to severe acquired brain injury. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 85:1465-1469

Singer B, Jegasothy G, Singer KP, Allison G (2003) Evaluation of serial casting to correct equino-varus deformity of the ankle following acquired brain injury in adults. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 84: 483 - 491

Singer B, Singer KP, Allison GT (2003) Evaluation of extensibility, passive torque and stretch reflex responses in triceps surae muscles following serial casting to correct spastic equinovarus deformity. Brain Injury.17: 309-324

Singer BJ, Singer KP, Dunne JW, Allison GT (2003) Velocity dependent passive plantarflexor resistive torque in patients with acquired brain injury. Clinical Biomechanics 18: 157-165

Singer BJ, J Dunne, KP Singer & G Allison (2002) Evaluation of changes in passive resistive torque in triceps surae muscles following acquired brain injury. Clinical Biomechanics. 17: 152-161

Singer B, Dunne J, Allison GT (2001) Clinical evaluation of hypertonia in the triceps surae muscles. Physical Therapy Reviews. 6: 71-80

Singer B, Dunne J, Allison GT (2001) Reflex and non-reflex elements of hypertonia in triceps surae muscles following acquired brain injury. Implications for rehabilitation. Disability Rehabilitation. 23: 749-757

Singer B, Singer KP, Allison GT (2001) Serial plaster casting to correct equino-varus deformity of the ankle following acquired brain injury in adults. Review and clinical implications. Disability Rehabilitation. 23: 829-836

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