Johanne Higgins, Ph.D.

Education

• B.Sc. Occupational Therapy, Université Laval (1995)
• M.Sc. Rehabilitation Science, McGill University (1998)
• Ph.D. Rehabilitation Science, McGill University (2008)
• Postdoctorate, Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University (2009)

Current research projects

• Relieving chronic pain in the elderly using transcranial direct current stimulation.
• Practising the piano to better cope with multiple sclerosis
• Integrating technology and artificial intelligence into the daily lives of rehabilitation clients for optimal treatment (dosage, progression, personalization): Doing more together!
• Development and use of a robotic glove for hand rehabilitation in hemiparetic patients.

Selected publications

• Elfassy C, Wagner L, Janelle C, Hamdy R, Hyer L, Fishman F, Freese K, James M, Zlotolow D, Montpetit K, Higgins J, Snider L, Dahan-Oliel N. Initial psychometric evaluation of an upper extremity Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita-specific measure using Rasch analysis. Journal of Hand Therapy, 2026 Apr 20: S0894-1130(26)00012-8.
• Auger, L.-P.; Quintal, I.; Goulet, K.; Miron, M.; La Charité-Harbec, S.; Rochette, A.; Higgins, J. Adaptation, Cross-Cultural Validation and Assessment of Measurement Properties of the French-Canadian Version of the Knowledge, Comfort, Approach and Attitude Towards Sexuality Scale (KCAASS) for Use in Stroke Rehabilitation.Disabilities 2025, 5, 106.
• Proulx CE*, Louis Jean MT, Higgins J, Gagnon DH. Bridging Research and Practice: A Preliminary Detailed Analysis of Current Upper Limb Occupational Therapy Dose and Content in Publicly Funded Post-Stroke rehabilitation. Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl. Sep 21;7(4):100525, 2025.
• Vakil P, Ferré P, Higgins J, Beaulieu LD, Milot MH, Boudrias MH. Descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study of rehabilitation care for poststroke users in Québec during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Open. 2025 Jan 28;15(1):e082602. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082602. PMID: 39880428; PMCID: PMC11781130.
• Elfassy C, Wagner L, Higgins J, Montpetit K, Snider L, Dahan-Oliel N. Stakeholder engagement in the development of an upper extremity outcome measure for children with rare musculoskeletal conditions. Res Involv Engagem. 2023 Aug 8;9(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s40900-023-00479-6. PMID: 37553603; PMCID: PMC10408044.
• Akremi H*, Higgins J, Guediri A, Aissaoui R, Nadeau S. Seated postural organization during bilateral upper limb symmetric and asymmetric pushing tasks in individuals after stroke compared to healthy controls. Gait Posture. 2023 Jul;104:83-89. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2023.06.011. Epub 2023 Jun 17. PMID: 37343399.
• Proulx C*, Higgins J, Vincent C, Hewko M, Vaughan T, Gagnon D, Dany User-centered development process of an operating interface to couple a robotic glove with a virtual environment to optimize hand rehabilitation following a stroke. J Rehabil Assist Technol Eng. Apr. 2023.
• Hernandez A, Bubyr L, Archambault P, Higgins J, Levin MF, Kairy D. VR-based rehabilitation as a Feasible and Engaging Tool for the Management of Chronic Post-Stroke Upper Extremity Function Recovery: A Randomized Controlled Trial. 27;10(3):e37506. doi: 10.2196/37506. 2022. PMID: 36166289; PMCID: PMC9555337.
• Allègue DR*, Higgins J, Sweet SN,Archambault PS, Michaud F, Miller W, Tousignant M, Kairy D. Rehabilitation of upper extremity by telerehabilitation combined with exergames in chronic stroke survivors: Preliminary findings from a feasibility clinical trial. JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol. 2022 Jun 22;9(2):e33745.
• Auger L-P, Masse J, Higgins J. Sexuality in Occupational Therapy: A Call to Action. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2022;85(9):627-628. doi:10.1177/03080226221107769
• Proulx CE*, Louis Jean MT, Higgins J, Gagnon DH, Dancause N. Somesthetic, Visual, and Auditory Feedback and Their Interaction Applied to Upper Limb Neurorehabilitation Technology: A Narrative Review to Facilitate Contextualization of Knowledge. Frontier in rehabilitation science. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fresc.2022.

Research interests

• Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying recovery of the upper limb following a stroke
• Neurophysiological mechanisms of musculoskeletal conditions and pain
• Non-invasive Brain Stimulation
• Using music in Rehabilitation
• Development and validation of assessment and measurement tools using contemporary statistical methodology