A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program for older people dependent in activities of daily living and living in residential care facilities: evaluation of the applicability with focus on cognitive function

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Knowledge concerning the applicability and the effect of high-intensity exercise programs is very limited for older people with severe cognitive and physical impairments. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living and living in residential care facilities. A second aim was to analyze whether cognitive function was associated with the applicability of the program. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 91 older people (mean age=85.3 years, SD=6.1, range=68-100) who were dependent in personal activities of daily living and randomly assigned to participate in an exercise intervention. Their mean score for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was 17.5 (SD=5.0, range=10-29). METHODS: A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program was performed in groups of 3 to 7 participants who were supervised by physical therapists. There were 29 exercise sessions over 13 weeks. Attendance, intensity of lower-limb strength and balance exercises, and occurrence and seriousness of adverse events were the outcome variables in evaluating the applicability of the program. RESULTS: The median attendance rate was 76%. Lower-limb strength exercises with high intensity were performed in a median of 53% of the attended exercise sessions, and balance exercises with high intensity were performed in a median of 73% of the attended exercise sessions. The median rate of sessions with adverse events was 5%. All except 2 adverse events were assessed as minor and temporary, and none led to manifest injury or disease. No significant differences were observed in applicability when comparing participants with dementia and participants without dementia. In addition, there was no significant correlation between applicability and the MMSE score. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program is applicable for use, regardless of cognitive function, among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living, living in residential care facilities, and have an MMSE score of 10 or higher.     

老年人膝关节和踝关节位置觉的重测信度

背景：目前国内外关节位置觉的研究主要以青年人为对象,而老年人在不同角度关节位置重现的重测信度研究比较缺乏。目的：观察老年人膝关节和踝关节在不同角度关节复位测试的重测信度。方法：在Biodex system 3等速系统上用被动复位测试法测试28名健康老年人的膝、踝关节本体感觉,以被动复位绝对误差角度作为个体位置觉能力优劣的代表。重测信度评价指标为组内相关系数（ICC）。结果与结论：左右两侧膝关节位置觉测试在不同角度都具有良好的重测信度,ICC值为0.851～0.973;左右两侧踝关节位置觉测试在跖屈与背伸位具有中等以上的重测信度,ICC值为0.742～0.964;左侧踝关节复位的绝对误差角度小于右侧踝关节（P〈0.05）,且左侧（ICC为0.870～0.964）踝关节重测的相关系数高于右侧（ICC为0.742～0.944）。提示老年人膝关节和踝关节位置觉重测的相关性良好,并且左侧踝关节的相关性高于右侧。     

Intra- and interrater reliability and agreement of the Danish version of the Dynamic Gait Index in older people with balance impairments

Jønsson LR, Kristensen MT, Tibaek S, Andersen CW, Juhl C. Intra- and interrater reliability and agreement of the Danish version of the Dynamic Gait Index in older people with balance impairments.

Objectives

To examine the intrarater and interrater reliability and agreement of the Danish version of the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) in hospitalized and community-dwelling older people with balance impairments.

Design

Reliability study.

Setting

University hospital and outpatient rehabilitation.

Participants

A convenience sample of older people (≥65y); 24 subjects from a hospital and 24 from an outpatient rehabilitation center. All subjects had either 1 or more falls within the last year or balance impairments evaluated by a physical therapist.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

All subjects carried out the DGI twice with a 1.5-hour interval. Each subject was rated by 3 physical therapists in the first attempt (1 for intrarater and 2 for interrater comparison) and by the intrarater in the second attempt, in both settings. The reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC, 2.1), while agreement was calculated as the smallest real difference (SRD).

Results

The ICC for intrarater and interrater reliability of the total DGI was .90 and .92 at the hospital, while the SRD was 2.72 and 2.58 points, respectively. Correspondingly, the ICC for intrarater and interrater reliability of the total DGI at the rehabilitation center was .89 and .82, while the SRD was 3.49 and 3.99 points, respectively.

Conclusions

The intrarater and interrater reliability of the total DGI ranged from good to excellent in hospitalized and community-dwelling older people. Improvements of 3 and 4 DGI points for hospitalized and community-dwelling older people, respectively, should be regarded as a real change (with a 95% certainty).     

The relative and absolute reliability of two balance performance measures in chronic stroke patients

PURPOSE: To examine the relative reliability and absolute reliability of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients (PASS) in chronic stroke patients. METHOD: A total of 52 mild to moderate stroke patients, who had a stroke more than 6 months previously, participated in the study. Both balance measures were administered twice, seven days apart, to the patients. A relative reliability index (intra-class correlation coefficient, ICC2,1) was used to examine the level of agreement between test and retest. Absolute reliability indices, including the Bland and Altman method, the standard error of measurement (SEM), and the smallest real differences (SRD), were used to define the extent to which a balance score varies on test-retest measurements. RESULTS: Test-retest agreements were high (ICC2,1: BBS = 0.98; PASS = 0.97), indicating excellent agreement from a relative perspective. The SEM of the BBS and PASS, representing the smallest change threshold that indicates a real improvement for a group of individuals, were 2.4 and 1.1, respectively. The SRD of the BBS and PASS were 6.7 and 3.2, respectively, exhibiting the smallest change threshold that indicates a real improvement for a single individual. CONCLUSIONS: The test-retest agreements of the BBS and PASS were high in mild to moderate chronic stroke patients. The thresholds of both measures to detect real change are acceptable in research and clinical settings.     

中文版躯干损伤量表评定脑卒中患者躯干功能的信度及效度研究

目的:探讨中文版躯干损伤量表(TIS)评定脑卒中患者躯干功能的信度及效度,为该量表的临床应用提供客观依据。方法:病例组和对照组各50例参加了本研究,病例组进行TIS、Fugl-Meyer中的平衡部分(FM-B)和Berg平衡量表(BBS)评定,并在2天内完成TIS第二次评定;对照组进行1次的TIS和FM-B评定。将两次TIS的结果做相关性分析测试其信度;将TIS结果与FM-B、BBS作相关性分析检验其效度。结果:TIS两次测试结果高度相关,重测信度组内相关系数(ICC)为0.899-0.971,测量者间ICC为0.843-0.973;TIS与FM-B、BBS总分高度相关(r=0.891,r=0.858);病例组和对照组的TIS总分分别为21.7±1.3分和13.5±4.3分,两者间差异具有显著性(P<0.01)。结论:中文版TIS具有良好的效度、信度和区分度,可用于脑卒中患者躯干功能的评价。     

Relationship between self-reported function and disability and balance performance measures in the elderly

This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Hebrew version of the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI). Fifty-five older adults (mean age 79.7 +/- 5.2) participated. We calculated test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Partial correlations determined the construct validity with a balance measure (Berg Balance Scale [BBS]) and a mobility measure (Timed Up and Go [TUG] test). We examined known-group validity by comparing the scores of cane and noncane users. Test-retest ICCs ranged from good to excellent (0.77-0.90) for the function component and fair to good for the disability component (0.63-0.83), except for the disability management role subscale (0.46). BBS and TUG were associated with LLFDI overall function (r = 0.48, p < 0.001 and r = -0.52, p < 0.001, respectively). TUG and BBS were weakly associated with disability limitations (r = -0.26 and 0.32, respectively) and disability frequency (r = -0.16 and 0.24, respectively). Cane users showed significantly lower function scores than noncane users. We demonstrated that the Hebrew version of the LLFDI reliably and validly assesses older adults' function and disability. The LLFDI is recommended as an outcome instrument in studies in which older adults' function and disability are outcomes of interest.     

5-Repetition Sit-to-Stand Test in Subjects With Chronic Stroke: Reliability and Validity

Mong Y, Teo TW, Ng SS. 5-repetition sit-to-stand test in subjects with chronic stroke: reliability and validity.

Objectives

To examine the (1) intrarater, interrater, and test-retest reliability of the 5-repetition sit-to-stand test (5-repetition STS test) scores, (2) correlation of 5-repetition STS test scores with lower-limb muscle strength and balance performance, and (3) cut-off scores among the 3 groups of subjects: the young, the healthy elderly, and subjects with stroke.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

University-based rehabilitation center.

Participants

A convenience sample of 36 subjects: 12 subjects with chronic stroke, 12 healthy elderly subjects, and 12 young subjects.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

5-Repetition STS test time scores; hand-held dynamometer measurements of hip flexors, and knee flexors and extensors; ankle dorsiflexors and plantarflexors muscle strength; Berg Balance Scale (BBS); and limits of stability (LOS) test using dynamic posturography.

Results

Excellent intrarater reliability of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (range, .970-.976), interrater reliability (ICC=.999), and test-retest reliability (ICC range, .989-.999) were found. Five-repetition STS test scores were also found to be significantly associated with the muscle strength of affected and unaffected knee flexors (ρ=-.753 to -.830; P<.00556) of the subjects with stroke. No significant associations were found between 5-repetition STS test and BBS and LOS tests in subjects with stroke. Cut-off scores of 12 seconds were found to be discriminatory between healthy elderly and subjects with stroke at a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 75%.

Conclusions

The 5-repetition STS test is a reliable measurement tool that correlates with knee flexors muscle strength but not balance ability in subjects with stroke.     

Test-retest reliability of stride time variability while dual tasking in healthy and demented adults with frontotemporal degeneration

Background

Although test-retest reliability of mean values of spatio-temporal gait parameters has been assessed for reliability while walking alone (i.e., single tasking), little is known about the test-retest reliability of stride time variability (STV) while performing an attention demanding-task (i.e., dual tasking). The objective of this study was to examine immediate test-retest reliability of STV while single and dual tasking in cognitively healthy older individuals (CHI) and in demented patients with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD).

Methods

Based on a cross-sectional design, 69 community-dwelling CHI (mean age 75.5 ± 4.3; 43.5% women) and 14 demented patients with FTD (mean age 65.7 ± 9.8 years; 6.7% women) walked alone (without performing an additional task; i.e., single tasking) and while counting backward (CB) aloud starting from 50 (i.e., dual tasking). Each subject completed two trials for all the testing conditions. The mean value and the coefficient of variation (CoV) of stride time while walking alone and while CB at self-selected walking speed were measured using GAITRite^® and SMTEC^® footswitch systems.

Results

ICC of mean value in CHI under both walking conditions were higher than ICC of demented patients with FTD and indicated perfect reliability (ICC > 0.80). Reliability of mean value was better while single tasking than dual tasking in CHI (ICC = 0.96 under single-task and ICC = 0.86 under dual-task), whereas it was the opposite in demented patients (ICC = 0.65 under single-task and ICC = 0.81 under dual-task). ICC of CoV was slight to poor whatever the group of participants and the walking condition (ICC < 0.20), except while dual tasking in demented patients where it was fair (ICC = 0.34).

Conclusions

The immediate test-retest reliability of the mean value of stride time in single and dual tasking was good in older CHI as well as in demented patients with FTD. In contrast, the variability of stride time was low in both groups of participants.     

Prevalence of disruptive behaviour displayed by older people in community and residential respite care settings

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of disruptive behaviour displayed by older people in community and residential respite care settings. The specific objectives were to (i) obtain an estimate of the frequency of disruptive behaviour displayed by older people in the community setting before residential respite care; (ii) characterize older people being admitted for residential respite care; and (iii) obtain an estimate of the frequency of disruptive behaviour displayed by older people in residential respite care. A quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey was employed in the community and in the residential aged care facilities. The older people (n = 100) had a mean age of 81.8 years (range 66-96 years). The older people were being admitted from their homes for booked respite care at residential aged care facilities in a regional Australian city. Home caregivers and nurses rated disruptive behaviour using the Dementia Behaviour Disturbance Scale (DBDS). Reliability data for the DBDS are provided. As expected, in both community and residential respite settings, older people with dementia (29%) scored significantly higher on the DBDS than people without dementia. In addition, DBDS scores were unexpectedly higher in the community setting than in the respite setting. These findings should be taken into consideration by primary health-care professionals when offering treatment options to the home caregivers and by staff in the residential aged care facilities that offer respite.     

Reliability of the clinical outcome variables scale when administered via telephone to assess mobility in people with spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE: To examine the equivalence reliability and test-retest reliability of the Clinical Outcome Variables Scale (COVS) when administered via telephone (TCOVS) to people with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Equivalence (telephone administration vs in-person) and test-retest reliability study. SETTING: Assessments conducted in participants' home environment. PARTICIPANTS: Equivalence reliability was examined in a convenience sample of 37 people with a diagnosis of traumatic SCI who had been discharged from the Queensland Spinal Injuries Unit to the community. In a separate group of participants, test-retest reliability of COVS when administered via telephone was examined in 43 people with SCI who were randomly selected from the Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service records. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reliability was assessed at the subscale and composite score level using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC(2,1)) and Bland-Altman limits of agreement. RESULTS: Reliability was good for TCOVS and COVS for the composite score (ICC=.98), mobility subscale (ICC=.97), and ambulation subscale (ICC=.99). Reliability was also good for TCOVS test and retest assessments for the composite score (ICC=1), mobility subscale (ICC=1), and ambulation subscale (ICC=1). For all comparisons, most data points were within the 95% limits of agreement and the width of limits of agreement were considered to be clinically acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings confirm the equivalence and test-retest reliability of the TCOVS in an SCI population when administered by trained raters.     

Reliability of a measurement of neck flexor muscle endurance

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neck flexor muscle endurance has been negatively correlated with cervical pain and dysfunction. The purposes of this study were to determine rater reliability in subjects both with and without neck pain and to determine whether there was a difference in neck flexor muscle endurance between the 2 groups. SUBJECTS: Forty-one subjects with and without neck pain were enrolled in this repeated-measures reliability study. METHODS: Two raters used an isometric neck retraction test to assess neck flexor muscle endurance for all subjects during an initial session, and subjects without neck pain returned for testing 1 week later. RESULTS: For the group without neck pain, intrarater reliability was good to excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC(3,1)]=.82-.91), and interrater reliability was moderate to good (ICC[2,1]=.67-.78). The associated standard error of measurement (SEM) ranged from 8.0 to 11.0 seconds and from 12.6 to 15.3 seconds, respectively. For the group with neck pain, interrater reliability was moderate (ICC[2,1]=.67, SEM=11.5). Neck flexor muscle endurance test results for the group without neck pain (mean=38.95 seconds, SD=26.4) and the group with neck pain (mean=24.1 seconds, SD=12.8) were significantly different. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Reliability coefficients differed between the 2 groups and ranged from moderate to excellent and improved after the first test session. The interrater reliability of data obtained with the neck flexor muscle endurance test in people with neck pain must be improved in order for clinicians to distinguish a clinically meaningful change from measurement error. Neck flexor muscle endurance was both statistically and clinically greater for subjects without neck pain than for those with neck pain.     

Inter- and intrarater reliability of a back range of motion instrument

OBJECTIVE: To examine the interrater and intrarater reliability of a back range of motion (BROM) instrument when measuring lumbar spine active planar motions and pelvic inclination. DESIGN: Single-group repeated measures for inter- and intrarater reliability. SETTING: Academic institution. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-one participants (61 women, 30 men; mean age, 28 y) without a current complaint of low back pain volunteered. INTERVENTION: Two examiners measured pelvic inclination and all lumbar motions by using the BROM device. Subjects alternated between examiners for 4 complete trials; examiners remained blinded to the measurements. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to determine intrarater and interrater reliability. Regression analysis was performed to determine the role palpation played in sagittal plane measurement error. RESULTS: Intrarater reliability for side bending was good (ICC range, .85-.83), lumbar forward flexion and pelvic inclination was good to fair (ICC range, .84-.79), and extension and rotation was fair to poor (ICC range, .76-.58). Interrater reliability was fair to poor for all lumbar motions and for pelvic inclination (ICC range, .79-.55). Less than 2% of the variation in sagittal plane measurements was explained by consistency of palpation for device placement. CONCLUSIONS: The BROM provides a reliable means of measuring lumbar forward flexion, side bending, and pelvic inclination when performed by the same examiner in asymptomatic subjects.     

Interrater and Intrarater Reliability and Minimum Detectable Change of Ultrasound for Active Myofascial Trigger Points in Upper Trapezius Muscle in Individuals With Shoulder Pain

ObjectiveWe sought to investigate the interrater and intrarater reliability of ultrasound and the minimum detectable change (MDC) for the trigger points (TrPs) active in the upper trapezius (UT) muscle in individuals with shoulder pain.MethodsForty individuals with shoulder pain were investigated for the presence of active TrPs in the UT muscle by means of ultrasound for the parameters of gray scale, muscle thickness of UT muscle at rest, and contraction and area of TrPs. The intrarater reliability was performed on 2 days, and interrater reliability on the same day. For the gray scale, the reliability was evaluated using the kappa coefficient (κ), while the other parameters were measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and MDC.ResultsFor the gray scale, the intrarater agreement was almost perfect (κ = 1.00) and the interrater agreement was substantial (κ = 0.75). The intrarater and interrater reliability were excellent for most of the parameters, except for the area of TrPs (intrarater: ICC = 0.71, substantial; interrater: ICC = 0.52, substantial). The MDC for intrarater reliability varied between 0.04 and 0.05 (SEM% between 2.4% and 38.87%), and that for interrater reliability ranged from 0.05 to 0.07 (SEM% between 3.18% and 55.10%), with a higher value for area.ConclusionParameters such as gray scale, resting muscle thickness, and muscle contraction of the UT muscle, obtained through ultrasound, showed excellent intrarater and interrater reliability with low SEM%. The intrarater and interrater reliability for the area deserves a caveat regarding their use.     

Interrater and intrarater reliability of ultrasonographic measurements of acromion-greater tuberosity distance in healthy people

Acromion-greater tuberosity (AGT) distance could potentially be used to assess rotator cuff tears and shoulder subluxation in patients with poststroke hemiplegia. The aim of this study was to assess the interrater and intrarater reliability of ultrasonographic measurements of AGT distance in healthy people prior to testing on patient populations. Twenty healthy individuals (9 male, 11 female) with a mean age of 21 years (SD±2) were recruited. Three final year physiotherapy students (mean age 23 years) recorded the ultrasonographic measurements of AGT distance by using a standardised protocol. Reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard error of measurements (SEM). The mean AGT distances, as measured by rater one, two, and three were 2.24±0.45?cm, 2.27±0.37?cm, and 2.21±0.31, respectively. The interrater reliability coefficient was ICC=0.79, and the intrarater reliability coefficients were 0.88, 0.84, and 0.91 for each rater. The SEM for the AGT distance measurements was ≤0.15?cm for all three raters. Ultrasonographic measurements of AGT distance demonstrate good intrarater and interrater reliability in healthy individuals even when measured by three relatively inexperienced raters. It has potential to provide quantitative measurements for the clinical management of pathologies such as poststroke shoulder subluxation and rotator cuff tears.     

Test-retest reliability of joint position and kinesthetic sense in the elbow of healthy subjects

Proprioception is an important effect measure in neuromuscular function training in physiotherapy. Reliability studies of methods for measuring proprioception are few on joint position sense (JPS) and threshold to detection of a passive movement (TDPM) on the elbow. The aim was to study test-retest reliability of elbow-JPS and elbow-TDPM. A total of 45 healthy subjects participated in the study (mean age 33 years, range 18-57 years). In the active-active test-retest of JPS 26 subjects and in test-retest of TDPM 19 subjects participated. The duration between test and retest was approximately 30 minutes. There was no significant difference (p<0.05) between test and retest. The intraclass correlation coefficients, (ICC, model 2.1) of test-retest on absolute error were 0.59 and 0.69 for JPS and TDPM, respectively, indicating a fair to good reliability. ICCs of variable error were 0.45 for TDPM, indicating a fair to good reliability, whereas for JPS it was 0.007, indicating poor reliability. TDPM can be recommended as an examination tool for absolute error, but to a minor degree for consistency of error. JPS can only be recommended to a minor degree for absolute error, but for consistency of error it is not reliable and can therefore not be recommended.     

Test-retest reliability of cervicocephalic kinesthetic sensibility in three cardinal planes

The test-retest reliability of both the head-to-neutral head position (NHP) and head-to-target repositioning tests in three cardinal planes has been examined in this study. Twenty young adults underwent both head repositioning tests and retests with 10 min rest intervals. Root mean square error (RMSE, total error), constant error (CE, directional bias), variable error (VE, variability), and standard error of measurement (SEM) were calculated from the position data recorded by an ultrasound-based motion analysis system. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to examine reliability. The results showed fair to excellent reliability of RMSE during head-to-NHP (ICC=0.45-0.80) and head-to-target tests (ICC=0.42-0.90), except during the head-to-NHP test (ICC=0.29) from a head extended position. Low reliability of VE associated with the neck motion toward left side bending indicated a direction-dependent effect. The SEM of RMSE (0.7-2.6 degrees), CE (0.3-4.0 degrees) and VE (0.4-1.5 degrees) indicated an acceptable range of error. The present study indicated acceptable and reliable RMSE measurements with a motion analysis system in healthy young adults. Furthermore, examining the CE and VE could contribute to the interpretation of whether the subject performed the reposition tests with directional bias and repositioning variability, respectively.     

老年人握力重测的信度研究

目的研究老年人握力重测的信度,为临床用于评估老年人手部力量的方式、方法提供实验依据。方法采用方便性抽样法选取60名年龄大于65岁的健康老年人,平均年龄为(75.18±6.58)岁。使用JAMAR 30107041型握力器,受试者左、右两手均分别测试握力2次,2次测试间隔时间为7d;以等级相关系数(interclass correlation coefficient,ICC)作为重测信度指标并行统计学分析。结果老年人左手与右手两侧握力重测结果均高度相关,且重复测试信度较高(ICC分别为0.932 6、0.930 8,95%CI分别为0.834 0～0.972 0、0.838 0～0.972 8)。结论健康增龄老年人握力重测信度较高,JAMAR30107041型握力器可作为老年人手部力量评定的简便、快捷、可靠的一种测量工具。     

Reliability of the parallel walk test for the elderly

Lark SD, McCarthy PW, Rowe DA. Reliability of the parallel walk test for the elderly.

Objective

To determine interrater agreement and test-retest reliability of the parallel walk test (PWT), a simple method of measuring dynamic balance in the elderly during gait.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

Outpatient clinic.

Participants

Elderly fallers (N=34; mean ± SD age, 81.3±5.4y) registered at a falls clinic participated in this study based on Mini-Mental State Examination and Barthel Index scores.

Interventions

Subjects were timed as they walked 6m between 2 parallel lines on the floor at 3 different widths (20, 30.5, 38cm) wearing their own footwear. They were scored for foot placement on (1 point) or outside the lines (2 points) by 2 separate raters. Fifteen subjects were retested 1 week later.

Main Outcome Measures

Footfall score and time to complete the PWT. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and 95% limits of agreement were calculated for interrater and test-retest reliability.

Results

For widths of 20, 30.5, and 38cm, interrater reliability ICC range was .93 to .99 and test-retest ICC range was .63 to .90.

Conclusions

The PWT was implemented easily by 2 raters with a high degree of interrater reliability. Test-retest reliability was not as high, possibly because of the high susceptibility of variation from 1 week to the next for frail elderly subjects. The 20- and 30.5-cm widths are recommended for future use of the PWT.