BACKGROUND falls are a common cause of injury and decreased functional independence in the older adult. Diagnosis and treatment of fallers require tools that accurately assess physiological parameters associated with balance. Validated clinical tools include the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Timed Up and Go test (TUG); however, the BBS tends to be subjective in nature, while the TUG quantifi...

The aim of this study was to use sEMG to measure the neuromuscular activity during the TUG task in water, and compare this with the responses for the same task on land. Ten healthy subjects [5 males and 5 females [mean ± SD]: age, 22.0 ± 3.1 yr; body mass, 63.9 ± 17.2 kg. A telemetry EMG system was used on the following muscles on the right side of the body: the quadriceps - rectus femoris [RF]...

Background. Random whole body vibration (WBV) training leads to beneficial short-term effects in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the effect of WBV lasting several weeks is not clear. Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess a random WBV training over 5 weeks in PD. Methods. Twenty-one participants with PD were allocated to either an experimental or a placebo group matche...

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether online assessments can be used as an alternative way face-to-face assessments. 
 Method: The included 20 volunteer healthy adults (F/M: 14/6; Age: 59.1 ± 8.02 years-old) without any neurological problems and scored 24 or higher in the Mini-Mental State Examination Test. All (The Timed Up Go Test (TUG), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Five Times Sit...

BACKGROUND Motor imagery (MI) capacity may be altered following stroke. MI is evaluated by measuring temporal congruence between the timed performance of an imagined and an executed task. Temporal congruence between imagined and physical gait-related activities has not been evaluated following stroke. Moreover, the effect of cognitive dysfunction on temporal congruence is not known. OBJECTIVE...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this work was to analyze and compare the movement kinematics of sit-to-stand (STS) and back-to-sit (BTS) transfers between frail aged adults and young subjects, as well as to determine the relationship between kinematic changes and functional capacities. METHODS We analyzed the Timed Up and Go (TUG) movements by using a 3D movement analysis system for real-time balanc...

OBJECTIVE To compare frequency and risk of falls based on a functional mobility test in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. METHODS Cross-sectional study involving patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) selected by convenience sampling. Men and women between the ages of 50 and 65 were included and divided as group 1 (G1) - with DM2 diagnosis for < 10 years fasting blood g...

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of periodic task-specific test feedback on performance improvement in older adults undertaking community- and home-based resistance exercises (CHBRE). Fifty-two older adults (65-83 years) were assigned to a muscular perfsormance feedback group (MPG, n = 32) or a functional mobility feedback group (FMG, n = 20). Both groups received exactly ...

The analysis of explosive force, through rate of force development (RFD) and contractile impulse (CI), from handgrip strength data seems to be useful and promising information to study the aging of musculoskeletal system and health status. We aimed to test the hypothesis that, in elderly women, the handgrip explosive force could be better associated to the functional mobility than maximum handg...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the discriminative ability and diagnostic accuracy of the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) as a clinical screening instrument for identifying older people at risk of falling. DESIGN Systematic literature review and meta-analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS People aged 60 and older living independently or in institutional settings. MEASUREMENTS Studies were identified wit...