Background Clinical trials in spinal cord injury (SCI) primarily rely on simplified outcome metrics (ie, speed, distance) to obtain a global surrogate for the complex alterations of gait control. However, these assessments lack sufficient sensitivity to identify specific patterns of underlying impairment and to target more specific treatment interventions. Objective To disentangle the different...

BACKGROUND Gait adaptability, including the ability to avoid obstacles and to take visually guided steps, is essential for safe movement through a cluttered world. This aspect of walking ability is important for regaining independent mobility but is difficult to assess in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the validity of an instrumented treadmill with...

PURPOSE The purposes of this study were to provide an update to the ambulatory distance requirements for community ambulation and to update gait speed performance and requirements at intersections. METHODS Distances were measured at 9 types of sites using a rolling measuring device in accordance with the protocol set forth by Lerner-Frankiel and associates. The 9 types of sites were supermark...

OBJECTIVES To estimate the relationship between 1-year improvement in measures of health and physical function and 8-year survival. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Medicare health maintenance organization and Veterans Affairs primary care programs. PARTICIPANTS Persons aged 65 and older (N=439). MEASUREMENTS Six measures of health and function assessed at baseline and quarterly...

Aging is associated with an increased risk of falling. In particular, older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are more vulnerable to falling compared with their healthy counterparts. Major contributors to this increased falls risk include a decline in dual task performance, gait speed, and postural sway. Recent evidence highlights the potential influence of the default mode network (D...

BACKGROUND Retraining walking in patients after hip or knee arthroplasty is an important component of rehabilitation especially in older persons whose social interactions are influenced by their level of mobility. The objective of this study was to test the effect of an intensive inpatient rehabilitation program on walking speed and gait symmetry in patients after hip arthroplasty (THA) using i...

OBJECTIVE To compare overall physical function, including gait speed and peripheral nerve function, between diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and nondiabetic CKD patients and to investigate the association between gait speed and peripheral nerve function in CKD patients. METHODS Sixty adult CKD patients (35 with and 25 without diabetes), who received maintenance hemodialysis (HD)...

OBJECTIVES To compare the trajectory of motor decline, as measured by gait speed and finger-tapping speed, between elderly people who developed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and those who remained cognitively intact. We also sought to determine the approximate time at which the decline in motor function accelerated in persons who developed MCI. DESIGN Longitudinal cohort study. PARTICIPAN...

BACKGROUND Emerging evidence indicates an association between cognitive function and physical performance in late life. This study examines the relationship between cognitive function and subsequent gait speed decline among high-functioning older adults. METHODS Measures of global cognitive function (Modified Mini Mental State Examination [3MS]) and executive control function (ECF) (a clock d...

Muscle volumes of the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, and tensor faciae latae assessed by a computed tomography (CT) scan were greater in men than women and not different between the left and the right side after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Body mass index, sex, age, and ambulatory status affected functional outcome after THA. However, the effects of psoas muscle mass and muscle quality on f...