Journal of geriatric physical therapy
-
J Geriatr Phys Ther · Apr 2016
Reliability, Validity, and Minimal Detectable Change of Balance Evaluation Systems Test and Its Short Versions in Older Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Study.
Cancer is primarily a disease of older adults. About 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in persons aged 55 years and older. Cancer and its treatment can cause diverse sequelae impacting body systems underlying balance control. No study has examined the psychometric properties of balance assessment tools in older cancer survivors, presenting a significant challenge in the selection of outcome measures for clinicians treating this fast-growing population. ⋯ Clinicians can utilize the BESTest and its short versions to evaluate balance problems in community-dwelling older cancer survivors and apply the established MDC to assess the intervention outcomes.
-
J Geriatr Phys Ther · Apr 2016
Relationships Between Performance on Assessments of Executive Function and Fall Risk Screening Measures in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.
Fall-related injuries are a leading cause of institutionalization and morbidity in older adults. Limitations in cognition, including deficits in higher cognitive processes, like executive function (EF), contribute to a higher risk of falling in older adults. Specifically, declines in EF have been associated with changes in gait, limited mobility, and an increased frequency of falling. It is unknown whether associations between performance on commonly used clinical assessments of EF and performance on commonly used physical performance measures of fall risk are present. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between a clinical measure of EF, the Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B), and 3 physical performance measures of fall risk: the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, gait speed, and the Five Times Sit to Stand (FTSTS) test, in a group of community-dwelling older adults. ⋯ Screening tools that require cognitive resources such as gait speed appear to have significant relationships with performance of EF for those who screen positive for MCI. This information could be used clinically to identify older adults with cognitive limitations, which could put them at higher risk for falling.
-
J Geriatr Phys Ther · Jan 2016
Review Meta AnalysisEffect of Home Exercise Program in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
The Osteoarthritis Research Society International recommended that nonpharmacological methods include patient education programs, weight reduction, coping strategies, and exercise programs for the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, neither a systematic review nor a meta-analysis has been published regarding the effectiveness of home exercise programs for the management of knee OA. ⋯ The large evidence of high-quality trials supports the effectiveness of home exercise programs with and without supervised clinic-based exercises in the rehabilitation of knee OA. In addition, small but growing evidence supports the effectiveness of other types of exercise such as tai chi, balance, and proprioceptive training for individuals with knee OA.
-
J Geriatr Phys Ther · Oct 2015
Group Balance Training Specifically Designed for Individuals With Alzheimer Disease: Impact on Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, Gait Speed, and Mini-Mental Status Examination.
Individuals with Alzheimer disease (IwAD) experience more frequent and more injurious falls than their cognitively intact peers. Evidence of balance and gait dysfunction is observed earlier in the course of Alzheimer disease (AD) than once believed. Balance training has been demonstrated to be effective in improving balance and decreasing falls in cognitively intact older adults but is not well studied in IwAD. This study was designed to analyze the effects of a group balance training program on balance and falls in IwAD. The program was developed specifically for IwAD, with explicit guidelines for communication/interaction and deliberate structure of training sessions catered to the motor learning needs of IwAD. ⋯ The 3-month group balance training intervention designed specifically for IwAD was effective in improving balance and mobility, as evidenced by improved BBS and TUG performances. Cognition did not decline during the course of the intervention but did decline following the intervention, suggesting a possible protective effect. Given the promising findings, a larger-scale controlled study is warranted.
-
J Geriatr Phys Ther · Jul 2015
Examination of muscle strength and pressure pain thresholds in knee osteoarthritis: test-retest reliability and agreement.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with reduced muscle strength and pain sensitization. The purpose of this study was to determine intrarater reliability and agreement (measurement error) of isometric knee extensor and flexor muscle strength assessed using handheld dynamometry and of pressure pain thresholds (PPT; a measure of pain sensitization) from the knee, the leg, and the forearm assessed using handheld algometry in knee OA. ⋯ Examination of muscle strength and PPTs in knee OA is reliable, but affected by the measurement error, which is important to consider when reporting the results of clinical trials and in clinical practice.