Health Sciences

School of Physiotherapy

Staff Profile

Bev Phillips Qualifications : - Doctor of Philosophy, 1998, Department of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia. Title: ‘Assessment of Muscle Performance in Patients with Inflammatory Myopathy and in Normal Subjects.’ - Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences (Distinction) in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 1991, Centre for Advanced Studies in Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia. - Diploma of Physiotherapy, 1973, Physiotherapy School of Victoria. Email Contact details : Queen Elizabeth Centre Ballarat Health Services 102 Ascot St South Ballarat VIC 3350 Ph : (03) 5320 3994

Research / Interests :

• Research methodology, biostatistics and evidence based practice.
• Assessment and rehabilitation of neuromuscular and neurological disorders, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, muscle diseases and motor neuron disease.
• Assessment of muscle performance using dynamometry, and gait and postural control analysis using EMG and movement analysis in neurological and healthy subjects.
• The use of transcranial magnetic stimulation to investigate activity in the motor cortex.

Awards :

Public Health Association (WA) Prize for Best Overall Performance in Health Sciences at Curtin University, 1991.

Memberships :

Australian Physiotherapy Association.

Publications (previous 10 years) :
Book chapters

• Mastaglia FL, Phillips BA, Zilko PJ (2003). Inflammatory myopathies. In: Noseworthy J (ed) Neurological Therapeutics: Principles and Practice. Martin Dunitz, London, pp 2328-2341.
• Mastaglia FL, Phillips BA (2002). Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: epidemiology, classification and diagnostic criteria. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America 28(4):723-741.

Journal papers

• Crompton J,Galea M, Phillips BA (In Press). Hand-held dynamometry: are we making reliable inferences regarding changes in strength in children with cerebral palsy? Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology (accepted 22 nd August 2006).
• Murray K, Hill K, Phillips BA, Waterston J (In Press). Clinical significance of otolith dysfunction in individuals with a diagnosed vestibular disorder. Physical Therapy (accepted 25 th September 2006).
• Briggs AM, Wrigley TV, Diën JHv, Phillips BA, Lo SK, Greig AM, Bennell KL (In Press). The effect of osteoporotic vertebral fracture on predicted spinal loads in vivo. European Spine Journal (accepted 28 th May 2006).
• Martin C, Phillips BA, Kilpatrick T, Butzkueven H, Tubridy N, McDonald E, Galea M (2006). Gait and balance impairment in early multiple sclerosis in the absence of clinical disability. Multiple Sclerosis 16:620-628.
• Frawley HC, Galea MP, Phillips BA, Sherburn M, BØ K (2006). Effect of test position on pelvic floor muscle assessment. International Urogynecology Journal 17: 365-371.
• Frawley HC, Galea MP, Phillips BA, Sherburn M, BØ K (2006). Reliability of pelvic floor muscle strength assessment using different test positions and tools. Neurourology & Urodynamics 25: 236-242.
• Frawley HC, Galea MP, Phillips BA (2005). Survey of clinical practice: pre- and post-operative physiotherapy for pelvic surgery. Acta Obstetrica et Gynaecologic Scandinavica 84: 412-418.
• Murray K, Hill K, Phillips BA, Waterston J (2005). A pilot study of falls risk and vestibular dysfunction in older fallers presenting to hospital Emergency Departments. Disability and Rehabilitation 27 (9): 499-506.
• Williams EN, Carroll SG, Reddihough D, Phillips BA, Galea MP (2005). Investigation of the timed 'Up-&-Go' test in children. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 47: 518-524.
• Mastaglia FL, Garlepp MJ, Phillips BA, Zilko PJ (2003). Inflammatory myopathies: clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. Muscle and Nerve 27: 407-425.
• Mastaglia FL, Phillips BA, Cala LA, Meredith C, Akkari PA, Laing NG (2002). Early onset chromosome 14-linked distal myopathy (Laing). Neuromuscular Disorders 12: 350-357.
• Phillips BA, Zilko PJ, Garlepp MJ, Mastaglia FL (2002). Seasonal occurrence of relapses in inflammatory myopathies: a preliminary study. Journal of Neurology 249 (4): 441-444.
• Phillips BA , Cala LA, Thickbroom GW, Melsom A, Zilko PJ, Mastaglia FL (2001). Patterns of muscle involvement in inclusion body myositis: clinical and magnetic resonance imaging study. Muscle and Nerve 24: 1526-1534.
• Byrnes ML, Thickbroom GW, Phillips BA, Mastaglia FL (2001). Long-term changes in motor cortical organisation after recovery from subcortical stroke. Brain Research 889 (1-2): 278-287.
• Phillips BA , Mastaglia FL (2000). Exercise therapy in patients with myopathy. Current Opinion in Neurology 13: 547-552.
• Phillips BA , Zilko PJ, Mastaglia FL (2000). Prevalence of sporadic inclusion body myositis in Western Australia. Muscle and Nerve 23: 970-972.
• Phillips BA , Lo SK, Mastaglia FL (2000). Isokinetic and isometric torque values using a Kin-Com dynamometer in normal subjects aged 20 to 60 years. Isokinetics and Exercise Science 8: 147-159.
• Phillips BA , Lo SK, Mastaglia FL (2000). Muscle force measured using ‘break’ testing with a hand-held myometer in normal subjects aged 20 to 69 years. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 81: 653-661.
• Mastaglia FL, Nowak KJ, Stell R, Phillips BA, Edmondston JE, Dorosz SM, Wilton SD, Hallmayer J, Kakulas BA, Laing NG (1999). Novel mutation in the myelin protein zero gene in a family with intermediate hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 67: 174-179.
• Mastaglia FL, Phillips BA, Zilko PJ (1999). Inflammatory myopathy. Current Treatment Options in Neurology 1: 263-272.
• Thickbroom GW, Phillips BA, Morris I, Byrnes ML, Sacco P, Mastaglia FL (1999). Differences in functional MRI of sensorimotor cortex during isometric and dynamic finger flexion. Experimental Brain Research 126: 431-438.
• Byrnes ML, Thickbroom GW, Phillips BA, Wilson SA, Mastaglia FL (1999). Physiological studies of the corticomotor projection to the hand after subcortical stroke. Clinical Neurophysiology 110: 487-498.
• Phillips BA , Zilko P, Garlepp MJ, Mastaglia FL (1998). Frequency of relapses in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Muscle and Nerve 21: 1668-1672.
• Lo SK, Lin CF, Phillips BA (1998). On the use of analysis of variance in rehabilitation research. Hong Kong Journal of Physiotherapy 16: 7-12.
• Mastaglia FL, Phillips BA, Zilko PJ (1998). Immunoglobulin therapy in inflammatory myopathies. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 65: 107-110.
• Mastaglia FL, Harker N, Phillips BA, Day TJ, Hankey GJ, Laing NG, Fabian V, Kakulas BA (1998). Dominantly inherited proximal myotonic myopathy and leukoencephalopathy in a family with an incidental CLCN1 mutation. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 64: 543-547.
• Thickbroom GW, Phillips BA, Morris I, Byrnes ML, Mastaglia FL (1998). Isometric force-related activity in sensorimotor cortex measured with functional MRI. Experimental Brain Research 121 (1): 59-64.
• Taylor BV, Phillips BA, Speed BR, Kaldor J, Carroll WM, Mastaglia FL (1998). Serological evidence for infection with Campylobacter jejuni/coli in patients with multifocal motor neuropathy. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 5 (1): 33-35.
• Mastaglia FL, Phillips BA, Zilko P (1997). Treatment of inflammatory myopathies. Muscle and Nerve 20: 651-664.
• Zilko PJ, Mastaglia FL, Phillips BA (1997). Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: optimum immunosuppressive treatment. Biodrugs 7: 262-272.