Observation of arm support in healthy elderly people.
(73/212)
AIM: The purpose of this study was to describe the type and amount of arm support used by healthy older adults. METHODS: A sample of 21 people (mean age 73 years, SD 7) were observed (mean time 272 minutes, SD 67) during usual daily activities. A checklist was used to record whether the arm was supported or unsupported. The glenohumeral joint was described as supported when the subject's arm was resting on an external object or on their body and unsupported when no part of the arm was resting on anything. Unsupported was divided into unsupporteddependent (where the arm was hanging by the subject's side with the elbow in extension) and unsupportednon-dependent (where the subject's arm was not by the side but not supported such as when reaching for objects). RESULTS: Subjects' arms were supported for 36% of the time, unsupporteddependent for 6% and unsupportednon-dependent for 58%. CONCLUSION: The arm was supported for one-third of the time and actively moving for most of the time. Arms were rarely hanging unsupported. Therefore, the structures of the shoulder were seldom required to support a dependent hanging arm during usual arm use. (+info)
Correlates of urinary incontinence in community-dwelling older Latinos.
(74/212)
The Cochrane review of assistive technology for rheumatoid arthritis.
(75/212)
AIM: The aim of this systematic review is to summarise the available evidence on the effectiveness of assistive technology for adults with rheumatoid arthritis in terms of improving functional ability and reducing pain, and to assess potential adverse effects related to device use. METHODS: In this review, randomised controlled trials, clinical controlled trials, controlled before and after studies and interrupted time series available through systematic searches (electronic databases, grey literature, contact with authors, reference lists) up to October 2008 were included. Two reviewers independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed the validity of included trials, and extracted data. Investigators were contacted to obtain missing information. RESULTS: Out of 7177 hits, 13 articles were reviewed in full text and only one trial was finally included (N.=29). The study was a randomised crossover trial, in which the use of an eye drop device was compared to a standard bottle in people with rheumatoid arthritis suffering from persistent dry eyes. The results show that the eye drop device improved application of eye drops and prevented adverse effects in terms of touching the eye with the bottle tip. The study was considered to have low quality of evidence. CONCLUSION: Since only one trial met the inclusion criteria for this review, there is very limited evidence for the effect of assistive technology for adults with rheumatoid arthritis. There is an urgent need for high-quality research in this field, in order to reach sufficient evidence on the effectiveness of this commonly used intervention. (+info)
Ambient Assistive Technologies (AAT): socio-technology as a powerful tool for facing the inevitable sociodemographic challenges?
(76/212)
Reliability and validity of the telephone administration of the wheelchair outcome measure (WhOM) for middle-aged and older users of power mobility devices.
(77/212)
Rollator use and functional outcome of geriatric rehabilitation.
(78/212)
In a quasi-experimental pre- and postdesign, we examined the effect of rollator use on functional rehabilitation outcome in geriatric patients.From a sample of 458 geriatric inpatients, we matched 30 subjects who were not using assistive devices in their everyday lives but received a wheeled walker at the time of hospital admission (first-time user group) according to their admission scores on three motor performance tests (Timed Up-and-Go, Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand, and Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment -Balance) with 30 patients who were actively using rollators as their primary walking aid for at least 3 months (long-term user group) and 30 control subjects without walking-aid assistance. Measurements were repeated after the inpatient rehabilitation regimen.The Kruskal-Wallis test did not reveal significant group differences in rehabilitation progress. Controls and device users, regardless of walking-aid experience, demonstrated nearly comparable mobility, strength, and balance improvements. More than half of each cohort (controls, n = 22; first-time, n = 17; long-term, n = 18) achieved functional gains in all three motor tests.The study showed that rollator assistance does not interfere with rehabilitation outcome and, to some extent, legitimates the prescription of assistive devices to improve confidence and restore or maintain motor ability at the highest possible level. (+info)
Multiple sclerosis and mobility-related assistive technology: systematic review of literature.
(79/212)
Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes a wide variety of neurological deficits, with ambulatory impairment the most obvious cause of disability. Within 10 to 15 years of disease onset, 80% of persons with MS experience gait problems due to muscle weakness or spasticity, fatigue, and loss of balance. To facilitate mobility, persons with MS frequently use mobility assistive technology (MAT), such as canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters. We systematically reviewed the published literature on MAT use among persons with MS. We used electronic reference lists such as Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed to search the literature. We located 50 articles that met the initial criteria of providing good evidence of the types of MAT devices and their benefits for individuals with MS. A limited number of articles with higher levels of evidence was found regarding benefits of MAT use specifically for persons with MS. Evidence-based literature provides the basis for the strongest method of measurable clinical performance; therefore, having a strong research study design is vital to the justification of MAT prescription and reimbursement decisions. However, a paucity of studies with higher levels of evidence-based practice exists. (+info)
Analysis of user characteristics related to drop-off detection with long cane.
(80/212)
This study examined how user characteristics affect drop-off detection with the long cane. A mixed-measures design with block randomization was used for the study, in which 32 visually impaired adults attempted to detect the drop-offs using different cane techniques. Younger cane users detected drop-offs significantly more reliably (mean +/- standard deviation = 74.2% +/- 11.2% of the time) than older cane users (60.9% +/- 10.8%), p = 0.009. The drop-off detection threshold of the younger participants (5.2 +/- 2.1 cm) was also statistically significantly smaller than that of the older participants (7.9 +/- 2.2 cm), p = 0.007. Those with early-onset visual impairment (78.0% +/- 9.0%) also detected drop-offs significantly more reliably than those with later-onset visual impairment (67.3% +/- 12.4%), p = 0.01. No interaction occurred between examined user characteristics (age and age at onset of visual impairment) and the type of cane technique used in drop-off detection. The findings of the study may help orientation and mobility specialists select appropriate cane techniques in accordance with the cane user's age and onset of visual impairment. (+info)