Biomedical subjects

Klaus Hauer

Publications and source records attributed to Klaus Hauer.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Improvement in muscular performance and decrease in tumor necrosis factor level in old age after antioxidant treatment.

Aging-related loss of muscle function is a predictor of mortality and a surrogate parameter of the aging process. Its consequences include a high risk for falls, hip fractures, and loss of autonomy. Aging is associated with changes in the oxidant/antioxidant balance including a decrease in plasma thiol (cysteine) concentration. To assess the importance of cysteine, we determined in a double-blind study the effects of N-acetylcysteine on the functional capacity of frail geriatric patients and their response to physical exercise. The subjects on placebo showed only a relatively weak response, and 31% showed even a decrease in more than one parameter during the observation period. Low plasma arginine levels were correlated with a weak overall performance before exercise and a poor response to exercise. N-Acetylcysteine strongly enhanced the increase in knee extensor strength and significantly increased the sum of all strength parameters if adjusted for baseline arginine level as a confounding parameter. N-acetylcysteine had no significant effect on growth hormone and IGF-1 levels but caused a significant decrease in plasma TNF-alpha. These findings may provide a basis for therapeutic intervention and suggest that the loss of function involves limitations in cysteine and one or more other amino acids which may compromise muscular protein synthesis.

Acetylcysteine↗

PubMed2002

Motor performance deteriorates with simultaneously performed cognitive tasks in geriatric patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether simultaneous cognitive tasks influence maximal motor performance in frail geriatric patients with a history of injurious falls and different levels of cognitive function. DESIGN: Experimental 3-group design. SETTING: Geriatric rehabilitation hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-two healthy, young adults (mean age +/- standard deviation, 27.7 +/- 9y) and 23 geriatric patients (mean age, 80.9 +/- 5.4y) with a history of injurious falls with (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] score, 20.5 +/- 1.6) and without (MMSE score, 28.1 +/- 1.2) cognitive impairment. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Motor performance: peak and integral of maximal isometric strength of leg extensors. Cognition: semiautomated calculation steps (serial 2 forward) and nonautomated calculation steps derived from the MMSE (serial 7 retro). Motor and cognitive performances were examined as single and dual tasks. RESULTS: In frail geriatric patients, especially in patients with cognitive impairment, maximal motor performance decreased significantly during all dual tasks. Cognitive performance was reduced, depending on the task and group. CONCLUSION: In frail or cognitively impaired geriatric patients, additional tasks can substantially decrease maximal motor performance. Insufficient resources on dual tasking may thus be a link in connecting the high incidence of falls with frailty and cognitive impairment in geriatric patients with a history of injurious falls.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2002

Intensive physical training in geriatric patients after severe falls and hip surgery.

BACKGROUND: Intensive exercise training can lead to improvement in strength and functional performance in older people living at home and nursing home residents. There is little information whether intensive physical exercise may be applicable and effective in elderly patients suffering from the acute sequelae of injurious falls or hip surgery. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility, safety and efficacy of intensive, progressive physical training in rehabilitation after hip surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled intervention study of a 3-months training intervention and a 3-months' follow-up. SETTING: Physical training 6-8 weeks after hip surgery. SUBJECTS: Twenty-eight (15 intervention, 13 control) elderly patients with a history of injurious falls admitted to acute care or inpatient rehabilitation because of acute fall-related hip fracture or elective hip replacement. METHODS: Progressive resistance and functional training to improve strength and functional performance. RESULTS: No training-related medical problems occurred in the study group. Twenty-four patients (86%) completed all assessments during the intervention and follow-up period. Adherence was excellent in both groups (intervention: 93, 0+/-13, 5% versus control: 96, 7+/-6, 2%). Training significantly increased strength, functional motor performance and balance and reduced fall-related behavioural and emotional problems. Some improvements in strength persisted during 3-months follow-up while other strength variables and functional performances were lost after cessation of training. Patients in the control group showed no change in strength, functional performance and emotional state during intervention and follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Progressive resistance training and progressive functional training are safe and effective methods to increase strength and functional performance during rehabilitation in patients after hip surgery and a history of injurious falls. Because part of the training improvements were lost after stopping the training, a continuing training regime should be established.

Accidental Falls↗