scholarly journals Effects of Exercise Dose and Detraining Duration on Mobility at Late Midlife: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Tibor Hortobágyi ◽  
Dorina Deák ◽  
Dóra Farkas ◽  
Eszter Blényesi ◽  
Katalin Török ◽  
...  

Background: Office workers near retirement tend to be sedentary and can be prone to mobility limitations and diseases. We examined the dose effects of exergaming volume and duration of detraining on motor and cognitive function in office workers at late midlife to reduce sedentariness and mobility limitations. Methods: In an assessor-blinded randomized trial, 160 workers aged 55–65 years performed physically active video games in a nonimmersive form of virtual reality (exergaming) in small, supervised groups for 1 h, 1×, 2×, or 3×/week for 8 weeks followed by detraining for 8 and 16 weeks. Exergaming comprises high-intensity, full-body sensorimotor coordination, balance, endurance, and strengthening exercises. The primary outcome was the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and secondary outcomes were body mass, self-reported physical activity, sleep quality, Berg Balance Scale, Short Physical Performance Battery, fast gait speed, dynamic balance, heart rate recovery after step test, and 6 cognitive tests. Results: The 3 groups were not different in any of the outcomes at baseline (all p > 0.05). The outcomes were stable and had acceptable reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients ≥0.334) over an 8-week control period. Training produced an inverted U-shaped dose response of no (1×), most (2×), and medium (3×/week) effects of exergaming volume in most motor and selected cognitive outcomes. The distance walked in the 6MWT (primary outcome) increased most (94 m, 19%, p < 0.05), medium (57 m, 12%, p < 0.05), and least (4 m, 1%) after exergaming 2×, 3×, or 0× (control) (all different p < 0.05). The highest responders tended to retain the exercise effects over 8 weeks of detraining, independent of training volume. This maintenance effect was less consistent after 16 weeks of detraining. Conclusion: Less was more during training and lasted longer after detraining. A medium dose volume of exergaming produced the largest clinically meaningful improvements in mobility and selected cognitive tests in 60-year-old office workers with mild mobility limitations and intact cognition.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 201
Author(s):  
María Mercedes Reguera-García ◽  
Raquel Leirós-Rodríguez ◽  
Eva Fernández-Baro ◽  
Lorena Álvarez-Barrio

Clinical tests for the evaluation of balance in people with intellectual disability that have been most commonly used depend on the subjective evaluation of the evaluator, easily reach the ceiling effect and are poorly sensitive to small changes; but new tests have been developed, such as the Six Spot Step Test. The aim of this study was to determine the validity and within-day and day-to-day test–retest reliability of the Six Spot Step Test in people with intellectual disability. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 18 people with intellectual disability. The participants conducted the Six Spot Step Test three times and a set of five clinical tests for the balance assessment. The relative reliability was excellent (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) = 0.86 − 0.97), and the absolute reliability ranged between 4.7% and 7.3% for coefficient variation and between 0.6 and 1.2 for the standard error of measurement. Linear regression models showed that that test can explain the results of the Timed Up & Go, Four Square Step Test and the Berg Balance Scale. The Six Spot Step Test proved to be as valid and reliable for the evaluation of dynamic balance in people with intellectual disability as the most frequently used tests for the clinical evaluation of postural control.


Author(s):  
Moshe M. H. Aharoni ◽  
Anat V. Lubetzky ◽  
Liraz Arie ◽  
Tal Krasovsky

Abstract Background Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a condition characterized by chronic subjective dizziness and exacerbated by visual stimuli or upright movement. Typical balance tests do not replicate the environments known to increase symptoms in people with PPPD—crowded places with moving objects. Using a virtual reality system, we quantified dynamic balance in people with PPPD and healthy controls in diverse visual conditions. Methods Twenty-two individuals with PPPD and 29 controls performed a square-shaped fast walking task (Four-Square Step Test Virtual Reality—FSST-VR) using a head-mounted-display (HTC Vive) under 3 visual conditions (empty train platform; people moving; people and trains moving). Head kinematics was used to measure task duration, movement smoothness and anterior–posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) ranges of movement (ROM). Heart rate (HR) was monitored using a chest-band. Participants also completed a functional mobility test (Timed-Up-and-Go; TUG) and questionnaires measuring anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI), balance confidence (Activities-Specific Balance Confidence; ABC), perceived disability (Dizziness Handicap Inventory) and simulator sickness (Simulator Sickness Questionnaire). Main effects of visual load and group and associations between performance, functional and self-reported outcomes were examined. Results State anxiety and simulator sickness did not increase following testing. AP-ROM and HR increased with high visual load in both groups (p < 0.05). There were no significant between-group differences in head kinematics. In the high visual load conditions, high trait anxiety and longer TUG duration were moderately associated with reduced AP and ML-ROM in the PPPD group and low ABC and  high perceived disability were associated with reduced AP-ROM (|r| =  0.47 to 0.53; p < 0.05). In contrast, in controls high STAI-trait, low ABC and longer TUG duration were associated with increased AP-ROM (|r| = 0.38 to 0.46; p < 0.05) and longer TUG duration was associated with increased ML-ROM (r = 0.53, p < 0.01). Conclusions FSST-VR may shed light on movement strategies in PPPD beyond task duration. While no main effect of group was observed, the distinct associations with self-reported and functional outcomes, identified using spatial head kinematics, suggest that some people with PPPD reduce head degrees of freedom when performing a dynamic balance task. This supports a potential link between spatial perception and PPPD symptomatology.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Wareńczak ◽  
Przemysław Lisiński

Abstract Background: The aim of the study was to conduct a long-term evaluation of whether total hip replacement permanently affects the quality of postural reactions and body balance. Material and methods: The unilateral Total Hip Replacement (THR) group consisted of 30 subjects (mean age: 69.4). The control group consisted of 30 healthy subjects (mean age: 68.8). The force platform and functional tests such as Timed Up and Go, 3m walk test, Functional Reach Test, 30s Chair Stand Test, Step Test and Berg Balance Scale were used to assess dynamic balance. Results: Subjects from the study group exhibited significantly increased time (p=0.002) and distance (p=0.012) in the tests performed on the force platform compared to the control group. We also observed worse balance and functional test scores in the THR group: Timed Up and Go test (p<0.001), 3m walk test (p<0.001), Functional Reach Test (p=0.003), 30s Chair Stand Test (p=0.002) and Step Test (operated leg: p<0.001, non-operated leg: p=0.002). The results obtained in the Berg Balance Scale tests were not significantly different between the groups (p=0.597). Conclusions: Our research shows that total hip replacement permanently impairs patients’ dynamic balance and functionality in certain lower-extremity activities. Keywords: balance, total hip replacement, gait, muscle strength


Author(s):  
Kristina Zaičenkovienė ◽  
Renata Rakovaitė

Research background. Falling is one of the most important problems in the elderly’s mobility disorder, which is most often affected by the loss of balance. It is known that Pilates exercises could help to increase the deep muscle strength, improve posture and proprioception, which affects the improvement of the balance. Objective – to evaluate the effects of Pilates exercises on the elderly’s static and dynamic balance. Methodology. The study population consisted of 20 volunteers, men and women, who were divided into Pilates exercises (n = 10, age 65.1 ± 2.6) and control (n = 10, age 68.6 ± 4.9) groups. The study group participated in Pilates classes 2 times per week for six weeks (session duration 60 minutes). The control group did not participate in any physical activity, but they were physically active as usually in their daily life. The main outcome measures were assessed before and after the intervention. The static balance was assessed by measuring posturographic parameters using the force platform, dynamic balance was measured with the Timed up and Go Test (TUG) and the Four Square Step Test (FSST). Results. The results showed signifcant improvement in static balance of the experimental group after the Pilates exercises during standing tests when the feet were apart, eyes opened and closed and when the feet together with eyes opened, and when the foot was in front of the other foot. The results of the control group did not differ during both tests. The results of both groups did not differ in the static balance tests before and after the study, but after the Pilates exercises, the results of the Pilates group signifcantly differed from the control group test results when the feet were in shoulder line with open eyes. The results of the dynamic balance after Pilates exercises signifcantly improved in both tests in the study group. Before the study, there were not statistically signifcant differences in the dynamic balance results between the groups. Conclusions. Six-week Pilates exercises had a positive effect on the elderly’s static and dynamic balance.Keywords: Pilates training, static balance, dynamic balance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Hiroki Aoki ◽  
Shin-ichi Demura ◽  
Kenji Takahashi ◽  
Hiroshi Hirai

Recently, to evaluate dynamic balance ability, a stipulated tempo step test has been developed, and a step error between tempo and contact time of feet has been used as an evaluation variable. The step error, postural sway, and their relationships may differ between the slow tempo (40 bpm) and fast tempo (120 bpm). This study aimed to examine the aforementioned problem with 62 participant children (30 boys and 32 girls). The step error and postural sway variables (X-axis path length, Y-axis path length, total path length, peripheral area, and rectangular area) during stepping while matching both tempos were measured. Means of one minute and three intervals (0–20 sec, 20–40 sec, and 40–60 sec) for each variable were calculated in both tempos. The results of the paired t-test showed that means of all variables were larger in the 40 bpm tempo than in the 120 bpm tempo. In the multiple comparison tests after the results of the two-way repeated measures ANOVA, the means of three intervals in all variables were larger in the 40 bpm tempo than in the 120 bpm tempo; the means of the sway variables, excluding that of the X-axis path length, in the 40 bpm tempo were larger in the 0–20 sec interval than in the 20–40 sec interval or the 40–60 sec interval. Correlations between step errors and those between the step error and sway variables of both tempos were insignificant or under moderation. The correlations between the step error and sway variables in both tempos were insignificant or significant but low, and those among sway variables were high, except between the X- and Y-axis path lengths. The relationship between both axis path lengths differed according to the tempo. In conclusion, in the case of the stipulated tempo step test targeting children, the slow tempo has a greater step error and postural sway than the fast tempo, and the sway in the early step stage is greater in the slow tempo. The relationships between step errors and between the step error and sway variables of both tempos are low; hence, the ability related to the test may differ in both tempos. The relationships among sway variables in both tempos are high, except between the X- and Y-axis path lengths.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-68
Author(s):  
Lyubomyr Vovkanych ◽  
Yuriy Boretsky ◽  
Viktor Sokolovsky ◽  
Dzvenyslava Berhtraum ◽  
Stanislav Kras

The study purpose was estimation of the accuracy of RR time series measurements by SHC “Rytm” and validity of derived heart rate variability (HRV) indexes under physical loads and recovery period. Materials and methods. The participants were 20 healthy male adults aged 19.7 ± 0.23 years. Data was recorded simultaneously with CardioLab CE12, Polar RS800, and SHC “Rytm”. Test protocol included a 2 minute step test (20 steps per minute, platform height – 40 cm) with the next 3 minute recovery period. HRV indexes were calculated by Kubios HRV 2.1. Results. The RR data bias in the case of physical loads was -0.06 ms, it increased to 0.09-0.33 ms during the recovery period. The limits of agreement for RR data ranged from 3.7 ms to 22.8 ms, depending on the period of measurements and pair of compared devices. It is acceptable for the heart rate and HRV estimation. The intraclass correlation coefficients (0.62–1.00) and Spearman correlation coefficient (0.99) were high enough to suggest very high repeatability of the data. We found no significant difference (p > 0.05) and good correlation (r = 0.94-1.00) between the majority of HRV indexes, calculated from data of Polar RS800 and SHC “Rytm” in conditions of physical loads (except for LF/HF ratio) and in the recovery period. The only one index (RMSSD) was different (p < 0.05) in case of Polar RS800 and SHC “Rytm” data, obtained in the recovery period. The largest numbers of different HRV indexes have been found during the comparison of CardioLab CE12 and Polar RS800 – RMSSD, pNN50, and SD1. Correlation between HRV indexes (r = 0.81-1.00) was very high in all pairs of devices in all periods of measurements. Conclusions. The SHC “Rytm” appears to be acceptable for RR intervals registration and the HRV analysis during physical loads and recovery period.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cannell ◽  
Emelyn Jovic ◽  
Amy Rathjen ◽  
Kylie Lane ◽  
Anna M Tyson ◽  
...  

Objective: To compare the efficacy of novel interactive, motion capture-rehabilitation software to usual care stroke rehabilitation on physical function. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Two subacute hospital rehabilitation units in Australia. Participants: In all, 73 people less than six months after stroke with reduced mobility and clinician determined capacity to improve. Interventions: Both groups received functional retraining and individualized programs for up to an hour, on weekdays for 8–40 sessions (dose matched). For the intervention group, this individualized program used motivating virtual reality rehabilitation and novel gesture controlled interactive motion capture software. For usual care, the individualized program was delivered in a group class on one unit and by rehabilitation assistant 1:1 on the other. Main measures: Primary outcome was standing balance (functional reach). Secondary outcomes were lateral reach, step test, sitting balance, arm function, and walking. Results: Participants (mean 22 days post-stroke) attended mean 14 sessions. Both groups improved (mean (95% confidence interval)) on primary outcome functional reach (usual care 3.3 (0.6 to 5.9), intervention 4.1 (−3.0 to 5.0) cm) with no difference between groups ( P = 0.69) on this or any secondary measures. No differences between the rehabilitation units were seen except in lateral reach (less affected side) ( P = 0.04). No adverse events were recorded during therapy. Conclusion: Interactive, motion capture rehabilitation for inpatients post stroke produced functional improvements that were similar to those achieved by usual care stroke rehabilitation, safely delivered by either a physical therapist or a rehabilitation assistant.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 31-36
Author(s):  
Satyajit Bagudai ◽  
Hari Prasad Upadhyay

Introduction: Studies have reported that off springs of hypertensive parents are more likely to develop hypertension. Affection of target organ starts even before the diagnosis of hypertension. Autonomic dysfunction may be the initial cardiac effects in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Till now very few studies have been done to find the early outcomes in the cardiac autonomic functions in the normotensive siblings of hypertensive patients. Heart rate recovery after exercise is a useful marker for cardiac autonomic function. Since the etio-pathogenesis of hypertension is expected to affect the autonomic cardiovascular parameters even before the prehypertensive stage, the following study was carried out to analyze the heart rate recovery, in the descendent non- hypertensive young adults with and without parental history of hypertension. Aim and objective: This research study was aimed to study the quantify and compare the difference (if any) of heart rate recovery in response to 3minute step test between non hypertensive children of non- hypertensive and hypertensive parents within an age group of 18-22 years. Material &Methods: A total of 63 normotensive students were divided into one hypertensive parents(HP) group containing students with parental history of hypertension) and one non hypertensive parents group (NHP) having students without parental history of hypertension). Each student was subjected to 3 minute Master step test. Recordings of heart rate were made before and after exercise. Heart rate recovery index (HRRI) of 1minute (HRRI1), as well as in 2, 3 and 4 minute (HRRI2, HRRI3, HRRI4) were calculated and analyzed. Results: The resting (basal) heart rate as well as 1st minute heart rate recovery index (HRRI1) was not significantly different in the two groups. Likewise, the 2nd minute (HRRI2), 3rd minute (HRRI3), and 4th minute HRRI (HRR4) respectively were also not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: This study concluded that there is no significant difference in heart rate recovery among non-hypertensive young adults, with and without parental history of hypertension.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bouwien Smits-Engelsman ◽  
Wendy Aertssen ◽  
Emmanuel Bonney

Purpose: This study aimed (1) to evaluate the test–retest reliability of a new agility test among children and (2) to determine the physical performance and anthropometric variables that may influence agility performance in this population. Methods: For aim 1, participants (n = 34) completed the Ladder Agility Test (LAT) twice, with a 2-week interval between the first and second test occasions. For aim 2, participants (n = 125) were assessed on the LAT as well as other measures thought to be necessary for agility such as motor coordination, explosive power of the lower extremity, dynamic balance, age, and body mass index. Results: Intraclass correlation coefficient of the LAT total score was .94 (95% confidence interval, .88–.97). Cronbach alpha of .85 was found between the 4 test items. An R2 of .466 was found to represent the explained variance of the LAT total score by the predicting variables. Dynamic balance (2-legged side jumps) (P < .001), motor coordination (P < .01), and age (P < .06) were found to be the major predictors of the LAT total score. Conclusions: This study shows that the LAT is a reliable and valid field-based test that can be used to evaluate agility performance in children. Factors such as dynamic balance, motor coordination, and age may influence agility performance.


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