scholarly journals A Pilot Study of Partial Unweighted Treadmill Training in Mobility-Impaired Older Adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Peterson ◽  
Nanyamka Williams ◽  
Kevin Caves ◽  
Miriam C. Morey

Background. Partial unweighted treadmill training is a potentially effective modality for improving fitness and function in frail elders. We tested the feasibility of partial unweighted treadmill training in older, mobility-impaired veterans.Methods. Eight mobility-impaired elders participated in partial unweighted treadmill training three times/week for twelve weeks. Outcome measures included gait speed, performance-oriented mobility assessment (POMA), eight foot up and go, and the SF-36 physical functioning short form.Results. There was significant improvement in treadmill walking time (+8.5 minutes;P<0.001), treadmill walking speed (+0.14 meters/second;P=0.02), and percent of body weight support (−2.2%;P=0.02). Changes in physical performance included usual gait speed (+0.12 meters/second;P=0.001), rapid gait speed (+0.13 meters/second;P=0.01), POMA (+2.4 summary score;P<0.001), and eight foot up and go (−1.2 seconds;P=0.05).Conclusions. Partial unweighted treadmill training is feasible in mobility-impaired elders. Improvements in treadmill training capacity resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in fitness levels and improved mobility.

Author(s):  
Maurizio Ferrarin ◽  
Marco Rabuffetti ◽  
Elisabetta Geda ◽  
Silvia Sirolli ◽  
Alberto Marzegan ◽  
...  

Several robotic devices have been developed for the rehabilitation of treadmill walking in patients with movement disorders due to injuries or diseases of the central nervous system. These robots induce coordinated multi-joint movements aimed at reproducing the physiological walking or stepping patterns. Control strategies developed for robotic locomotor training need a set of predefined lower limb joint angular trajectories as reference input for the control algorithm. Such trajectories are typically taken from normative database of overground unassisted walking. However, it has been demonstrated that gait speed and the amount of body weight support significantly influence joint trajectories during walking. Moreover, both the speed and the level of body weight support must be individually adjusted according to the rehabilitation phase and the residual locomotor abilities of the patient. In this work, 10 healthy participants (age range: 23–48 years) were asked to walk in movement analysis laboratory on a treadmill at five different speeds and four different levels of body weight support; besides, a trial with full body weight support, that is, with the subject suspended on air, was performed at two different cadences. The results confirm that lower limb kinematics during walking is affected by gait speed and by the amount of body weight support, and that on-air stepping is radically different from treadmill walking. Importantly, the results provide normative data in a numerical form to be used as reference trajectories for controlling robot-assisted body weight support walking training. An electronic addendum is provided to easily access to such reference data for different combinations of gait speeds and body weight support levels.


Hand Surgery ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 103-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izuru Kitajima ◽  
Kazureru Doi ◽  
Yasunori Hattori ◽  
Semih Takka ◽  
Emmanuel Estrella

To evaluate the subjective satisfaction of brachial plexus injury (BPI) patients after surgery based on the medical outcomes study 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) and to correlate their SF-36 scores with upper extremity functions. Four items were assessed statistically for 30 patients: SF-36 scores after BPI surgery were compared with Japanese standard scores; the correlation between SF-36 scores and objective joint functions; difference in SF-36 scores between each type of BPI; and influence of each joint function on the SF-36 scores. The SF-36 subscale: PF — physical functioning, RP — role-physical, BP — bodily pain, and the summary score PCS — physical component summary, were significantly inferior to the Japanese standard scores. SF-36 is more sensitive to shoulder joint function than to elbow and finger joint functions. Little correlation was found between SF-36 scores and objective evaluations of joint functions. Greater effort is needed to improve the quality of life (QOL) of BPI patients. This study showed that SF-36 is not sensitive enough to evaluate regional conditions. A region- or site-specific questionnaire is required to evaluate upper extremity surgery.


2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 702-710
Author(s):  
Renata Teles Vieira ◽  
Rafaela Machado de Gusmão Oliveira ◽  
Camila Alves Nogueira Barros ◽  
Leonardo Caixeta

Objetivo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar uma revisão de literatura sobre o uso do treino locomotor em pacientes portadores de lesão medular incompleta, a fim de verificar os seus efeitos para a marcha destes pacientes. Método. Foi realizada uma busca utilizando os bancos de dados medline, scielo e bvs a partir dos descritores: body weight-support treadmill training (suporte parcial de peso com treinamento em esteira), locomotor training (treino locomotor), spinal cord injury (lesão medular), gait (marcha). Todos os artigos coletados nos últimos 18 anos foram analisados. Discussão. A lesão medular é uma grave síndrome neurológica que causa diversos comprometimentos, inclusive da marcha. Para aperfeiçoar este processo, deu-se início à prática de reabilitação na esteira com suporte de peso corporal. A ampla utilização desta técnica de reabilitação deve-se a maior facilidade para o treino da marcha, a satisfação dos pacientes durante o tratamento e, principalmente, aos bons resultados gerados. Conclusão. Um número significante de estudos mostrou que o treino de marcha com suporte de peso corporal é um meio seguro e confiável, e que surgiu para inovar a reabilitação funcional da marcha. Não há evidência científica para afirmar que o treino locomotor com suporte de peso seja um método superior a outras terapias.


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