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Results for “Physical Functional Performance”

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At least 721 records · Page 40Linked to original sources

PubMed2001

Evaluation of a flat CRT monitor for use in radiology.

Medical radiographs based on familiar projection techniques are planar images traditionally displayed by placing on a flat surface viewbox. Presenting these planar images in digital form on a traditional monitor with a curved surface may cause distortions, possibly affecting diagnoses. This would be true especially if physical linear dimensions of the anatomy are important. Reflections from ambient lights behind the observer also could be a problem with curved displays. The goal of this study was to compare physical and psychophysical performance of a flat-surface display monitor with a traditional curved-surface monitor. Two display monitors with different types of front glass-panel surfaces were evaluated. The first monitor had a traditional curved surface, and the other had a flat surface. Physical measurements included dynamic range, display function, veiling glare, and spatial uniformity. An observer performance study used low-contrast, square-wave patterns to determine just-noticeable differences. Ambient lights were turned off in one condition and on in the other. Physical measurements showed that the display functions were nearly identical, but uniformity, veiling glare, and signal-to-noise-ratio were better for the curved monitor. Observer performance was better overall with the curved monitor, but the degradation in performance between lights off and lights on was greater for the curved than flat monitor. The greater degradation with the lights on could be attributed to more reflections off the curved than the flat monitor. A flat-surface display monitor may be useful for viewing clinical radiographs.

Computer Peripherals↗

PubMed2005

Initial functional status predicts infections during steroid therapy for renal diseases.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Corticosteroid therapy is an effective way of treatment for many renal diseases, however, it is sometimes associated with infections. Our aim is to identify useful predictive markers of infection during steroid therapy. METHODS: We examined 121 patients (M/F = 71/50, mean age 43.8, range 15 - 82 years) who were treated with corticosteroids (IgA nephropathy in 51, minimal-change disease in 17, membranous nephropathy in 16 rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) in 13, lupus nephritis in 12 and other disorders in 12). Karnofsky's performance score (KPS) was employed to assess the physical functional status at the time of diagnosis. Infections were defined as conditions that required more than 1-week care, and those that caused the patient's death. RESULTS: Nineteen patients (15.7%) had infections during treatment. A logistic multivariate analysis showed significant correlations between infection and the use of immunosuppressive agents (relative risk RR = 7.7, p = 0.0265), ages of 52.9 years or more (RR = 13.5, p = 0.0026), initial number of lymphocytes (Lym) less than 1.250/microl (RR = 14.2, p = 0.0011), and KPS less than 77.4 (RR = 12.1, p = 0.0020). All correlations with infection were independent of all the other variables listed above. CONCLUSION: KPS, along with age, Lym and the use of immunosuppressive agents, are useful for the prediction of infectious complications during steroid therapy.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Analyses of male residents in community nursing facilities: comparisons of Veterans Health Administration residents to other residents.

We compared Veterans Health Administration (VHA) residents in community nursing facilities to other residents. We used all admission assessments in the Minimum Data Set throughout the United States during 2000 to identify 7,296 male VHA residents and 159,203 other male residents in community nursing facilities. Male VHA residents were significantly more independent in the self-performance of activities of daily living and less physically disabled than other male residents, with minor differences in cognitive function as measured by a Cognitive Performance Scale. Male VHA residents were more likely to have comorbidities than other male residents. Significantly larger proportions of other male residents than VHA residents received special treatments and procedures, with especially large differences for various therapies (e.g., physical therapy). We found significant differences in the demographic and clinical characteristics of male VHA residents in community nursing facilities compared with other male residents. These differences in the delivery of services may have implications for the quality of care for veterans in this setting.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

An evaluation of three self-report physical activity instruments for older adults.

PURPOSE: To assess the known-groups and construct validity of measures from the CHAMPS Physical Activity Questionnaire, Physical Activity Survey for the Elderly (PASE), and the Yale Physical Activity Survey (YPAS). METHODS: The three questionnaires were administered to a convenience sample of older adults (N = 87) recruited from community centers and retirement homes. Validation measures included the SF-36 measures of physical functioning, general health, mental health, and pain; body mass index; performance-based tests of lower body functioning and endurance; and Mini-Logger activity monitor data from ankle and waist sensors. Validity was estimated by testing hypotheses about associations between physical activity and validation measures. RESULTS: As hypothesized, differences in activity levels on all measures were found between older adults in retirement homes (less active) and community centers (more active) (P-values < 0.0001). Correlations of physical activity measures with performance-based measures ranged from 0.44 to 0.68, conforming to hypotheses; hypotheses regarding associations with the SF-36 measures were also confirmed. Body mass index was not correlated with any of the physical activity measures, contrary to hypotheses. Correlations of physical activity measures with Mini-Logger counts ranged from 0.36 to 0.59 (ankle) and 0.42 to 0.61 (waist) as hypothesized. Correlations among the measures from the three instruments ranged from 0.58 to 0.68. CONCLUSIONS: The PASE, YPAS, and CHAMPS each demonstrated acceptable validity, as all measures met nearly all hypotheses. Higher validity coefficients were found for subgroups (men, 65-74 yr, retirement home), suggesting that these instruments may perform better for certain segments of the older adult population.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

Lower extremity performance is associated with daily life physical activity in individuals with and without peripheral arterial disease.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether persons with poorer lower extremity functioning have reduced physical activity levels. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Three Chicago-area medical centers. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred twenty-five people with lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and 121 individuals without PAD. MEASUREMENTS: The summary performance score (SPS) was determined for all participants. The SPS combines data on walking velocity, time for five repeated chair rises, and standing balance. Each test is scored on a 0 to 4 scale (4 = best). Scores are summed to create the SPS (0-12 scale, 12 = best). All participants wore a vertical accelerometer for 7 days to measure physical activity. RESULTS: The SPS was associated linearly with 7-day physical activity levels of participants with (P< .0001) and without PAD (P< .0001). This relationship was maintained even after restricting analyses to subsets of participants who reported that they could walk a quarter of a mile and up and down stairs without difficulty (P< .001) and were able to walk for 6-minutes without stopping (P< .001). In multiple linear regression analyses, the SPS was associated with physical activity in participants with (P< .01) and without PAD (P< .001), adjusting for age, sex, race, comorbidities, ankle brachial index, neuropathy, and leg symptoms. CONCLUSION: In people with and without PAD who have impaired lower extremity performance, reduced physical activity levels may contribute to subsequent disability. Future study is needed to determine whether interventions to increase physical activity can prevent functional decline in persons with a low SPS.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship of depressive symptoms to symptom reporting, self-care and glucose control in diabetes.

Depressive symptoms are common among patients with diabetes and may have a significant impact on self-management and health outcomes. In this study we predicted that: 1) there would be a significant association between depressive symptoms and diabetes symptom burden, physical functioning, diabetes self-care, and HbA1c levels; and, 2) that the association between depressive symptoms and HbA1c levels would be significantly greater in type 1, as compared to type 2 diabetic patients. This cross-sectional observational study of 276 type 1 and 199 type 2 diabetes patients took place in a tertiary care specialty clinic. We collected self-reported data on depressive symptoms, complications, medical comorbidity, diabetes symptoms, diabetes self-care behaviors, physical functioning, and demographics. From automated data we determined mean HbA1c levels over the prior year. We performed linear regression analyses to assess the association between depressive symptoms and diabetes symptom perception, diabetes self-care behaviors, physical functioning, and glycemic control. Among patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes, depressive symptoms were associated with greater diabetes symptom reporting, poorer physical functioning, and less adherence to exercise regimens and diet. There was a significant association between depressive symptoms and HbA1c levels in type 1, but not type 2 diabetic patients. Because of their association with clinical aspects of diabetes care such as diabetes symptom reporting and adherence to diabetes self-care, depressive symptoms are important to recognize in treating patients with diabetes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Role of growth hormone status in the outcome of total knee replacement.

The objective was to assess whether the aging related, variable decline in growth hormone influences total knee replacement outcome. In this prospective cohort study, consecutive patients who underwent unilateral total knee replacement and who met criteria were enrolled from the practice of 1 orthopaedic surgeon at a university hospital. Participants were evaluated 1 month before and 3 months after total knee replacement. Evaluators were not involved in patient care. The primary outcome measure was the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey Physical Functioning Scale score 3 months after total knee replacement. In a multiple regression analysis performed to assess the influence of growth hormone status, controlling for social support, body mass index, gender, previous reconstruction, mental health, motivation, and baseline physical functioning, only mental health contributed significantly to outcome. Mental health accounted for 18% of outcome variance. Growth hormone levels did not predict functional status after total knee replacement. Psychological status contributes significantly to total knee replacement physical functional outcome.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1997

Abdominal-wall recovery following TRAM flap: a functional outcome study.

Abdominal-wall function was evaluated preoperatively and at intervals postoperatively in 25 consecutive patients undergoing breast reconstruction with transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flaps (single-pedicled TRAM flap, 14 patients; free TRAM flap, 9 patients; and bilateral free TRAM flaps, 2 patients). Objective measures of abdominal-wall function were performed with the B200 Isostation, a triaxial dynamometer. In addition, the patients were assessed by a physical therapist and filled out an activity questionnaire at each postoperative examination. Tests of abdominal-wall function demonstrated the greatest decrease in performance at the 6-week postoperative tests of flexion. The maximum isometric flexion torque of the pedicled TRAM flap group decreased to 58 +/- 10 percent, while the unilateral free TRAM flap group average was 87 +/- 11 percent of baseline. For the pedicled TRAM flap group this difference was significant (p = 0.004). By the 6-month evaluation, the maximum isometric flexion torque increased for both the pedicled and the free TRAM flap groups to 89 +/- 13 percent and 93 +/- 8 percent of baseline, respectively. The physical therapist evaluation of abdominal-wall strength and the activity questionnaire data showed no statistically significant differences between groups or over time. Rectus abdominis muscle harvest for pedicled TRAM flaps causes a greater insult to the abdominal wall than does free TRAM flap harvest. The ultimate clinical effect of the sacrifice of even an entire rectus abdominis muscle appears to be well tolerated by most patients. This is the first prospective outcome study of abdominal-wall function in TRAM flap patients. The clinical implications of this information will be discussed.

Abdominal Muscles↗

PubMed2005

Adiposity of elderly women and its relationship with self-reported and observed physical performance.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a societal trend toward increasing obesity and a natural tendency for physical performance to decrease with age. Our purpose was to describe the adiposity of elderly women participating in a health screening and to determine the relationship between their adiposity and both observed and self-reported physical performance. METHODS: Subjects were 104 communitydwelling elderly women (74.9+/-7.5 years). Their adiposity was described using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist to hip ratio. Physical performance was characterized using timed sit-to-stand, unilateral standing, 25-foot walk and the Physical Functioning subscale of the SF-36. Habitual activity was summarized as the number of daily hours patients estimated they spent moving about on their feet. RESULTS: The majority of women had excessive adiposity. Greater adiposity was associated with worse physical performance. Both Pearson correlations and multiple regression revealed BMI to be significantly predictive of all physical performance measures. Age added to the explanation of walking time and unilateral stance time. Time moving about contributed to the explanation of self-reported physical functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Adiposity should be documented as part of the physical therapist examination of elderly women. It may be an appropriate target of intervention if physical performance is limited.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1995

Performance on motor tasks as an indication of increased behavioral asymmetry with advancing age.

Age-related asymmetrical functional decline was tested on a sample of 64 right-handed volunteers between 60 and 64 years of age who were free from neurological illnesses and physical handicaps. Increase in functional asymmetry was explored by examining performance indexes for each hand and superiority of the dominant hand on motor tasks of different complexities: the Finger Tapping Test, the Grooved Pegboard Test, and the Pin Test. Our study revealed an increase in superiority of the right hand with age on a highly demanding task (Pin Test). This finding is discussed in light of the hypothesis of a decline in callosal functioning with age and the alternative hypothesis of a greater vulnerability of the right hemisphere in the elderly.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Recent advances in physical and occupational therapy for children with cerebral palsy.

Recent research and conceptual frameworks that emphasize family centered care and participation in family, school, and community life have contributed to advances in provision of health care by physical therapists and occupational therapists to children with cerebral palsy (CP) and their families. This article provides a contemporary perspective on physical and occupational therapy for children with CP. Topics include conceptual frameworks, early identification, prognosis for gross motor function, implications of impairment in motor control and muscle performance, and physical fitness and secondary prevention. Case scenarios and examples illustrate how current knowledge and research is applied to decision making within the context of the individual child and family.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1993

Cognitive performance in a high-functioning community-dwelling elderly population.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of demographic factors as predictors of cognitive performance in a high-functioning, community-dwelling elderly population. METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 1,192 community-dwelling subjects, who were selected to represent the highest third of an elderly population with respect to physical and cognitive functioning. A neuropsychological battery, including 5 cognitive performance subtests (confrontation naming, delayed recognition span, similarities, figure-copying, and incidental delayed recall) was administered to the subjects in their homes. RESULTS: A summary measure of the 5 neuropsychological subtest scores, the total cognitive score, arrayed the study group across a broad range of difficulty, creating a near-normal distribution. Education, income, and race had statistically significant associations with the total score and the individual subtests. The effect of education was the most striking finding, explaining 30% of the variance in the total score. Education was most strongly related to the abstraction (partial R2 = .11) subtest, and least related to the memory subtests, delayed recognition (R2 = .02) and delayed recall (R2 = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Demographic factors are important predictors of cognitive performance in this high-functioning cohort. Education had the strongest influence on overall cognitive performance, and particularly notable associations with subtests that depended upon the use of previously learned materials. Longitudinal follow-up, now underway, will help to determine whether high levels of education help to maintain cognitive performance with age.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Variability in constraints and functional competence in adults with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Examine intraindividual change in physical and psychological impairments associated with multiple sclerosis and assess the relationship between changes in specific deficits and functional competence in activities of daily living. DESIGN: A multivariate, replicated, single-subject, repeated-measures design was used to examine variability patterns across subjects. Five adults with multiple sclerosis were assessed on leg strength, upright postural control, mood, fatigue, stress, and self-efficacy for 4 mo. Functional competence in three activities of daily living was also evaluated. P-technique factor analyses were performed to examine which variables covaried with time. RESULTS: Analyses revealed covariation among physical and psychological variables for four of the five participants. Across all participants, coefficients of variation revealed greater variability in stress (32.3%-53.4%) and fatigue (23.4%-5.9%) than in any of the physical variables (<20%), and variability in all impairments was greater than variability in the functional tasks (0%-12.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The greater stability in functional performance compared with both physical and psychological constraints provides important insight into symptom management and clinical intervention. The magnitude of variability found in the psychological variables across individuals also has implications concerning psychological adjustment to the disease.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

Functioning and psychological status among individuals with COPD.

BACKGROUND: We examined the link between functioning and psychological status among persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), using measures of both general functional status and performance of life activities. METHODS: 334 persons with COPD were interviewed by telephone. Functioning was assessed with two measures of difficulty with specific types of activities (self-care, recreational activities/hobbies) and a general measure of functional status (SF-12 Physical Component Score (PCS)). RESULTS: About 16.2% of the sample had SF-12 Mental Component Score (MCS) scores indicative of psychological distress (MCS < 35). In separate regression models, difficulty with self-care and recreational activities was associated with an increased likelihood of distress (self-care: OR=2.9, 95%CI 1.3, 6.6; recreation: OR=7.5 [2.4, 23.7]), while PCS scores were not. In a model including all three predictors, difficulty with recreation was strongly associated with distress (OR=7.7 [2.1, 29.2]), difficulty with self-care was less strongly associated with distress (OR=2.1 [0.8, 5.5]), and PCS did not contribute significantly to the predictive ability of the model. However, low functioning as measured by the PCS was a significant risk factor for difficulty performing activities. CONCLUSIONS: Measures of activity difficulty were independent predictors of psychological distress, while general physical function was not. Poor general physical function was a risk factor for activity difficulties, suggesting an indirect relationship between low PCS and psychological distress, with activity difficulties as the intermediate variable.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1985

Sleeve device functions as a Starling resistor to record sphincter pressure.

In 1976 Dent (Gastroenterology 71: 263-267) introduced a sleeve-catheter device for obtaining continuous recording of lower esophageal sphincter pressure. The infused sleeve accommodates for axial sphincter movement by providing a large surface of collapsible membrane that is capable of sensing maximal sphincter pressure at any point along the sleeve. Although sleeve performance was tested previously, the precise physical principal of its function has not been delineated. This study tests the hypothesis that the sleeve device functions as a Starling resistor. The term "Starling resistor" is an eponym that designates the physics of fluid flow through collapsible tubes. When pressure at any point along an infused collapsible conduit is greater than the intraluminal pressure at the distal end of the conduit, partial collapse occurs at some axial location along the conduit where the transmural pressure equals zero. The location of zero transmural pressure is termed the "equal pressure point" (EPP). The partial collapse at the EPP causes a local change in luminal resistance that is directly related to the magnitude of the external pressure at the EPP and accompanied by a corresponding change in the pressure upstream from the EPP. A correlate to the performance of Starling resistors is that the pressure upstream to the EPP is not affected by the downstream pressure, so long as the downstream pressure is less than the external pressure. To test our hypothesis, we evaluated sleeve performance in vitro using a two-chambered model that allowed application of static or oscillatory pressures at one or two sites along the sleeve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Age responses to multicomponent training programme in older adults.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 9-week multicomponent training on the functional fitness of healthy older adults in different age groups. METHOD: Forty-two participants were randomly assigned and stratified by their age group: Training and Control Young Old Groups (TYOG, CYOG) (between 60-73 years), Training and Control Old Groups (TOG, COG) (between 74-86 years). The training programme consisted of three sessions per week of walking, strengthening, and flexibility exercises. A recently developed Functional Fitness Test battery to assess the physical parameters associated with independent functioning in older adults was performed before and after training. RESULTS: Training caused significant increases in all functional fitness tests in the TYOG and also in the TOG. There was no difference according to the absolute changes between TYOG and TOG due to the training (p>0.05). Training produced a significant improvement in chair sit and reach, arm curl, chair stand and 6 min walk test scores in the TYOG and TOG when they were compared to the control groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Multicomponent training can produce substantial increase in functional fitness tests in young old adults and older adults and the rate of restoration of function is approximately similar in the two old age groups.

Age Distribution↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Harm avoidance and disability in old age.

The relation of personality to disability in old age is not well understood. The authors examined the relation of harm avoidance, a trait indicating a tendency to worry, fear uncertainty, be shy, and tire easily, to disability in a group of 474 older persons without dementia. Participants completed the 35-item Harm Avoidance scale. Disability was assessed with the Rosow-Breslau scale, a self-report measure of physical mobility. Performance-based tests of lower limb functions were also administered from which composite measures of gait, balance, and strength were derived. In a logistic regression model controlled for age, sex, education, and lower limb function, persons with high levels of harm avoidance were nearly three times as likely to report mobility limitations as persons with low levels, and these effects largely reflected fatigability and fear of uncertainty. The association of harm avoidance with disability was not explained or modified by frailty, physical activity, depressive symptoms, neuroticism, extraversion, or cognition. The results suggest that harm avoidance is associated with disability in old age.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1999

[Quality of life in children with sickle cell disease in Amsterdam area].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the differences in quality of life between children with sickle cell disease and healthy immigrant children. DESIGN: Descriptive, comparative. METHOD: The quality of life of children with sickle cell disease between 5 and 15 years old being treated in the Emma Children's Hospital AMC in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was assessed by using a questionnaire for parents (TNO-AZL Children's Quality of Life Questionnaire (TACQOL) parent form) if the child was between 5 and 11 years old and a questionnaire for children (TACQOL child form) if the child was between 8 and 15 years old. The study period was April-October 1998. The questionnaires were completed by 45 (parents of) patients. The results were compared with a healthy reference group of immigrant children. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student t-Test. RESULTS: Children with sickle cell disease as well as their parents scored significantly lower on the items general physical, motor and independent daily functioning and on occurrence of negative emotions. No significance was observed for the items cognitive functioning and school performance nor for social functioning or occurrence of positive emotions. CONCLUSION: In children, sickle cell disease leads to compromised physical and possibly also psychological wellbeing, as well as the experience of decreased independence in daily functioning, but not to compromised cognitive or social aspects of the quality of life.

Adolescent↗