Margaret L Schenkman | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

Continuous-scale physical functional performance test: validity, reliability, and sensitivity of data for the short version.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Continuous-Scale Physical Functional Performance Test (CS-PFP) can be used to obtain valid, reliable, and sensitive measurements of physical functional capacity. This test requires a fixed laboratory space and approximately 1 hour to administer. This study was carried out in 4 steps, or substudies, to develop and validate a short, community-based version (PFP-10) that requires less space and equipment than the CS-PFP. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Retrospective data (n=228) and prospective data (n=91) on men and women performing the CS-PFP or the PFP-10 are reported. A 12-week exercise program was used to examine sensitivity to change. Data analyses were done using paired t-test, Pearson correlation, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and delta index (DI) procedures. RESULTS: The PFP-10 total score and 4 of the 5 domain scores were statistically similar (within 3%) to those of the CS-PFP. The PFP-10 upper-body strength domain score was 17% lower, but was highly correlated (ICC=.97). Community and established laboratory PFP-10 scores were similar (ICC=.85-.97). The PFP-10 also is sensitive to change (DI=.21-.54). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The PFP-10 yields valid, reliable, and sensitive measurements and can be confidently substituted for the CS-PFP.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

Gait initiation in community-dwelling adults with Parkinson disease: comparison with older and younger adults without the disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Initiation of gait requires transitions from relatively stationary positions to stability with movement and from double- to single-limb stances. These are deliberately destabilizing activities that may be difficult for people with early Parkinson disease (PD), even when they have no problems with level walking. We studied differences in postural stability during gait initiation between participants with early and middle stages of PD (characterized by Hoehn and Yahr as stages 1-3) and 2 other groups of participants without PD--older and younger adults. SUBJECTS: The mean ages of the 3 groups of participants were as follows: subjects with PD, 69.3 years (SD=5.7, range=59-78); older subjects without PD, 69.0 years (SD=3.9, range=65-79); and younger subjects without PD, 27.5 (SD=3.9, range=22-35). METHODS: A 3-dimensional motion analysis system was used with 2 force platforms to obtain data for center of mass (COM) and center of pressure (COP). The distance between the vertical projections of the COM and the COP (COM-COP distance) was used to reflect postural control during 5 events in gait initiation. RESULTS: By use of multivariate analysis of variance, differences in COM-COP distance were found among the 3 groups. An analysis of variance indicated differences for 4 of the 5 events in gait initiation. A Scheffe post hoc analysis demonstrated differences in gait initiation between the subjects with PD and both groups of subjects without PD (2 events) and between the subjects with PD and the younger subjects without PD (2 events). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The COM-COP distance relationship was used to measure postural control during the transition from quiet standing to steady-state gait. Differences between groups indicated that individuals with impaired postural control allow less COM-COP distance than do individuals with no known neurologic problems. The method used could prove useful in the development and assessment of interventions to improve ambulation safety and enhance the independence of people with impaired postural control.

Adult↗