Functional Reach and Gait Speed Improvement in A Matter of Balance Participants

2022 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Jessica Hood ◽  
Mark L. Sharrah
Keyword(s):  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Rhynehart ◽  
Colin Dunlevy ◽  
Katie Hayes ◽  
Jean O'Connell ◽  
Donal O'Shea ◽  
...  

Background: Frailty, falls and metabolic syndrome are known to be associated with poorer physical function. This study builds on available research by further investigating the relationship between physical function measures, including those comprising frailty, with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and falls, in the context of complex obesity.Methods: Participants were recruited from the national Level 3 weight management service in Ireland. A retrospective audit of data gathered at initial assessment was performed. Data included past medical history, blood tests, blood pressure measurement, anthropometrics, falls history, self-reported physical activity levels (PALs) and physical function measures, including hand grip strength (HGS), “timed up and go” (TUG), functional reach (FR), sit to stand (STS) and gait speed. A modified version of the Fried Frailty Index was employed.Results: Of the 713 participants, 65.1% (n = 464) were female and 34.9% (n = 249) were male with a mean age of 44.2 (±11.7) years and body mass index (BMI) of 50.6 kg/m2 (±8.2). Frailty was identified in 3.4% (n = 24), falls in 28.8% (n = 205) and MetS in 55.1% (n = 393). Frailty was associated with older age (53.8 ± 14.3 vs. 43.9 ± 11.5 years), poorer PALs (27.29 ± 46.3 vs. 101.1 ± 147.4 min/wk), reduced grip strength (17.7 ± 4.6 vs. 34.2 ± 11.0 Kg) longer STS (21.7 ± 6.6 vs. 13.7 ± 5.7 s), shorter functional reach (29.7 ± 7.9 vs. 37.9 ± 8.2 cm) and slower gait speed (0.6 ± 0.2 vs. 1.1 ± 0.5 m/s). Those reporting a falls history had a reduced FR (35.8 ± 8.9 vs. 38.3 ± 7.8 cm) and slower STS (15.4 ± 8.0 vs. 13.3 ± 4.7 s). Participants with MetS had lower PALs (83.2 ± 128.2 vs. 119.2 ± 157.6) and gait speed (1.1 ± 0.3 vs. 1.2 ± 0.7 m/s). There was no difference in BMI between fallers and non-fallers (51.34 ± 8.44 vs. 50.33 ± 8.13 Kg/m2, p = 0.138), nor between those with or without MetS. Significant associations were found between BMI and all physical function measures except the TUAG.Conclusion: The associations between frailty, falls and MetS and their combined impact on physical function in people living with obesity demonstrates the need for appropriate screening. Utilising grip strength and gait speed to identify frailty in those with obesity and metabolic syndrome could help target therapies aimed at improving strength, physical function and ultimately quality of life.


2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi MAEOKA ◽  
Shusaku KANAI ◽  
Akira SAKAGUCHI ◽  
Tomofumi UZAKI ◽  
Yuki KAWAHARA ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin J Brusse ◽  
Sandy Zimdars ◽  
Kathryn R Zalewski ◽  
Teresa M Steffen

Abstract Background and Purpose. Although the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) is the most common performance measure for people with Parkinson disease (PD), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Forward Functional Reach Test (FFR), Backward Functional Reach Test (BFR), Timed “Up & Go” Test (TUG), and gait speed may be used to quantify some aspects of functional performance not measured by the UPDRS. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship among a set of tests of balance, walking performance, and mobility in people with PD. Subjects. Twenty-five community-dwelling adults (11 female, 14 male) with a diagnosis of PD were recruited from PD support groups in southeastern Wisconsin and consented to participate in the study. The mean age of the participants was 76 years (SD=7). The average Hoehn and Yahr Stage Scale score was 2. Methods. Functional abilities of each subject were assessed with the UPDRS, BBS, FFR, BFR, TUG, and gait speed. Spearman and Pearson correlations were performed. Results. The UPDRS total score was correlated with the BBS (r =−.64, P<.001), FFR (r =−.52, P<.05), and TUG (r =.50, P<.05) measurements. The BBS is the only test of functional performance where scores correlate with all other functional tests and the UPDRS. Discussion and Conclusions. The UPDRS total score may not reflect a comprehensive measure of mobility in people with PD. Because the BBS scores correlate both with UPDRS scores and with scores of all other tests of functional performance, the BBS appears to be a good overall measure of function in this population.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 354-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Dawson ◽  
Heather Menne

Reducing Disability in Alzheimer’s Disease (RDAD) is an evidenced-based intervention for individuals with dementia and their caregivers aimed at reducing the psychosocial strain of the caregiver and improving functional ability of the individual with dementia. Overall efficacy, acceptability, and feasibility outcomes have been published regarding RDAD; however, no specific outcome information has been published on the objective physical performance measures (PPM) of gait speed, functional reach, and balance. Data from the Replication of RDAD (n = 508) was utilized to test the hypothesis that each PPM would show change for participants who completed the program. No significant changes were identified in 3 PPM: gait speed (t = .24, P =.81), balance (t = .23, P = .82), and functional reach (t = −.55, P = .58). To strengthen the research about exercise interventions for individuals with dementia, discussion and interpretation of nonfindings is important for improving intervention designs and methodologies. In the case of RDAD, the intervention protocol may require a sufficient dosage of exercise with respect to fundamental exercise science principles, or there may be misalignment between the intervention and outcome measures.


GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Costello ◽  
Shane J. Sizemore ◽  
Kimberly E. O’Brien ◽  
Lydia K. Manning

Abstract. This study explores the relative value of both subjectively reported cognitive speed and gait speed in association with objectively derived cognitive speed. It also explores how these factors are affected by psychological and physical well-being. A group of 90 cognitively healthy older adults ( M = 73.38, SD = 8.06 years, range = 60–89 years) were tested in a three-task cognitive battery to determine objective cognitive speed as well as measures of gait speed, well-being, and subjective cognitive speed. Analyses indicated that gait speed was associated with objective cognitive speed to a greater degree than was subjective report, the latter being more closely related to well-being than to objective cognitive speed. These results were largely invariant across the 30-year age range of our older adult sample.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritu Singh

The ‘social banking’ policies being followed by the country resulted in widening the geographical spread and functional reach of commercial banks in rural areas in the period that followed the nationalization of banks. This paper is concluded with a view that SHG – Bank Linkage program is a success in our country India and helping many people to make their life better.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 287-288
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Hausdorff ◽  
Nofar Schneider ◽  
Marina Brozgol ◽  
Pablo Cornejo Thumm ◽  
Nir Giladi ◽  
...  

Abstract The simultaneous performance of a secondary task while walking (i.e., dual tasking) increases motor-cognitive interference and fall risk in older adults. Combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the concurrent performance of a task that putatively involves the same brain networks targeted by the tDCS may reduce the negative impact of dual-tasking on walking. We examined whether tDCS applied while walking reduces the dual-task costs to gait and whether this combination is better than tDCS alone or walking alone (with sham stimulation). In 25 healthy older adults (aged 75.7±10.5yrs), a double-blind, within-subject, cross-over pilot study evaluated the acute after-effects of 20 minutes of tDCS targeting the primary motor cortex and the dorsal lateral pre frontal cortex during three separate sessions:1) tDCS while walking on a treadmill in a virtual-reality environment (tDCS+walking), 2) tDCS while seated (tDCS+seated), and 3) walking in the virtual-reality environment with sham tDCS (sham+walking). The complex walking condition taxed motor and cognitive abilities. During each session, single- and dual-task walking and cognitive function were assessed before and immediately after stimulation. Compared to pre-tDCS performance, tDCS+walking reduced the dual-task cost to gait speed (p=0.004) and other gait features (e.g., variability p=0.02), and improved (p<0.001) executive function (Stroop interference score). tDCS+seated and sham+walking did not affect the dual-task cost to gait speed (p>0.17). These initial findings demonstrate that tDCS delivered during challenging walking ameliorates dual-task gait and executive function in older adults, suggesting that the concurrent performance of related tasks enhances the efficacy of the neural stimulation and mobility.


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