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Geriatrics research

Everything we have read on geriatrics. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

1,154 PAPERS · PAGE 8 OF 24 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTOther2016Effects of compound music program on cognitive function and QOL in community-dwelling elderly.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter 10 weeks, thinking and memory scores and function at home showed no clear change. The physical health part of quality of life improved. The package mixed singing, exercise and reminiscence, so no single part can be credited.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2016Case report of meningiomatosis with aspiration of a dental bridge improved by comprehensive rehabilitation therapy.Journal of physical therapy scienceAn aspirated fixed dental bridge was removed on the second bronchoscopy. The patient also walked about 5 meters with a rolling walker. One case cannot show what caused the gain.
• PTOTOther2016Factors affecting the quality of life of homebound elderly hemiparetic stroke patients with cognitive impairment.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor homebound older stroke patients with cognitive impairment, higher quality of life scores went with better cognition and greater daily independence. Age, sex, and care level showed no clear link.
• PTOTOther2016Reliability and validity of the sequential weight-shifting test: a new functional approach to the assessment of the sitting balance of older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceA new seated weight-shifting test gave moderately consistent results when repeated a week later in older adults who needed help walking. It also tracked reach, grip strength, mobility, and breathing measures. It needs force platforms, so it is not a simple clinic test.
• OTOther2017Examining the impact of formal planning on performance in older adults using a naturalistic task paradigm.Neuropsychological rehabilitationWriting a plan for 5 minutes before a real-world apartment task did not improve task accuracy, but it improved efficiency. Older adults included fewer task parts in their plans and completed the task less accurately and efficiently.
• OTOther2017Comparing the interface pressure redistribution after applying three different types of cushions: differences according to cushion type.Journal of physical therapy scienceMemory foam gave the lowest total sitting pressure, honeycomb the next lowest. Air did not lower total pressure more than firm surface, but had the highest thigh pressures.
• OTCohort2017Age trajectories of everyday cognition in African American and White older adults under prompted and unprompted conditions.Neuropsychological rehabilitationAfter adjusting education and vocabulary, African American and White older adults did not differ on everyday cognition scores. Simple prompts raised scores for both, and reduced age-related decline more for African Americans.
• PTOTCohort2017Comparison of the Berg Balance Scale and Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale to predict falls in community-dwelling adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceBoth the Berg Balance Scale and the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale predicted fall risk in independent older adults, with similar accuracy. Cut-offs of 40 points on the Berg and 22 points on the Fullerton identified fallers with high sensitivity but moderate specificity.
• PTOTCohort2016The progression of disability among older adults in Mexico.Disability and rehabilitationIn older Mexican adults, disability progression differed by gender. Men followed the expected pattern of mobility, then IADL, then ADL decline. Women showed a reversed pattern, with ADL difficulties appearing before IADL difficulties. Social support was linked to higher disability in women, not men.
• OTOther2017Cognitive basis about risk level classifications for the self-assessment of older drivers.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder drivers who self-rated as stop had slower switching on a cognitive test and lower overall cognitive scores than safe or caution groups. The study compared cognitive scores, not accident outcomes.
• PTOTOther2016Comparing Comorbidity Indices to Predict Post-Acute Rehabilitation Outcomes in Older Adults.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationFive standard comorbidity indices added almost no predictive value for discharge function or community return in older rehab patients. Admission functional status and demographics explained most variance, suggesting clinicians should prioritize current ability over diagnosis lists.
• PTOTQualitative2017Negotiating identity and self-image: perceptions of falls in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury - a qualitative study.Clinical rehabilitationAmbulatory people with chronic traumatic spinal cord injury described walking as central to feeling normal. They minimized fall risk through planning, aids and training, but often accepted or exceeded risk to preserve identity, valued activities and daily life.
• PTOTCohort2016Inpatient Walking Activity to Predict Readmission in Older Adults.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn older inpatients, lower average daily hospital steps were associated with higher 30-day readmission risk. This observational finding does not prove that increasing walking would reduce readmissions.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Factors influencing executive function by physical activity level among young adults: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.Journal of physical therapy scienceYoung adults with higher physical activity levels showed greater brain activation in the prefrontal cortex during cognitive tasks. Higher activity steps and IQ scores were significantly associated with better cognitive function, suggesting an active lifestyle may support executive function.
• OTSLPOther2017Neurobehavioral Characteristics of Older Veterans With Remote Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder veterans with remote TBI had worse everyday function, more depression and PTSD symptoms, and poorer executive function/processing speed than peers without TBI; memory and language scores were not different.
• PTOTOther2016Measurement characteristics for two health-related quality of life measures in older adults: The SF-36 and the CDC Healthy Days items.Disability and health journalCDC Healthy Days items matched SF-36 physical and mental health scores in older adults, except physical functioning. A brief unhealthy-days question may miss function-specific problems.
• PTOTCohort2017Parkinsonian signs are a risk factor for falls.Gait & postureOlder adults with mild parkinsonian signs were more likely to fall during follow-up, even after common fall risk factors were considered. Their falls were also more likely to result in injury and emergency service use.
• PTOTCohort2016A prospective observational study of outcomes from rehabilitation of elderly patients with moderate to severe cognitive impairment.Clinical rehabilitation64 of 116 elderly patients with moderate to severe cognitive impairment improved daily living scores after rehabilitation. The moderate and severe groups did not differ in how many improved.
• OTOther2017Development and Validation of the State-Trait Inventory of Cognitive Fatigue in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThe 32-item State-Trait Inventory of Cognitive Fatigue produced four subscales in both state and trait forms in 175 older adults. Its cognitive fatigue subscale stayed linked to general fatigue after depression was considered. It may help separate cognitive fatigue from mood, but not prove decline.
• PTOTOther2017Gait, dual task and history of falls in elderly with preserved cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and mild Alzheimer's disease.Brazilian journal of physical therapyA dual-task Timed Up and Go test separated mild Alzheimer's disease from preserved cognition and mild cognitive impairment. Usual walking speed did not separate the groups. More people with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's disease reported falls, but not more falls each.
• PTOTCohort2017Patient Satisfaction and Prognosis for Functional Improvement and Deterioration, Institutionalization, and Death Among Medicare Beneficiaries Over 2 Years.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMedicare beneficiaries in the top quartile for satisfaction with access to care were less likely to functionally deteriorate, be institutionalized, or die over two years. High satisfaction with care coordination was linked to lower institutionalization risk only.
• PTOTOther2017Linear and nonlinear analysis of postural control in frailty syndrome.Brazilian journal of physical therapySway measures did not separate frail, pre-frail, and non-frail older adults after sitting and rising. Frail participants had more falls and longer TUG and sit-to-stand times, so the clinical findings were clearer than the lab findings.
• PTOTRCT2016Technology-assisted stroke rehabilitation in Mexico: a pilot randomized trial comparing traditional therapy to circuit training in a Robot/technology-assisted therapy gym.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobot gym therapy matched traditional therapy for arm function but improved leg movement scores more. The groups differed sharply in age, with the robot group much younger. The robot gym allowed one therapist to supervise six patients at once, potentially doubling daily treatment volume.
• OTSurvey2017Disability stage and receipt of recommended care among elderly medicare beneficiaries.Disability and health journalOlder Medicare beneficiaries with the most severe activity limitations received recommended care much less often, especially after hospitalization: 43% versus 76% for those with no limitations. Therapists should ask whether severely limited patients missed follow-up and preventive care.
• OTCohort2017Activity Limitation Stages Are Associated With Risk of Hospitalization Among Medicare Beneficiaries.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationHigher ADL and IADL limitation stages were associated with higher risk of a first hospitalization in the next year among older Medicare beneficiaries living in the community. Baseline stage was not associated with second, third, or fourth hospitalizations.
• PTOTSLPPilot2016Global cognitive function and processing speed are associated with gait and balance dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 14 people with Parkinson's, lower global cognitive scores correlated with slower walking and more sway. Processing speed specifically linked to turning difficulty. No control group and tiny sample mean these associations are hypotheses, not evidence of cause.
• PTOTOther2017Discriminative and predictive validity of the short-form activities-specific balance confidence scale for predicting fall of stroke survivors.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe short-form ABC scale predicted falls in stroke survivors with high accuracy. A score of 45.42 or lower indicated a higher risk of multiple falls. This shorter tool performed better than the full 16-item scale and takes less time to administer.
• OTCohort2017Functional Goals and Predictors of Their Attainment in Low-Income Community-Dwelling Older Adults.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationLow-income older adults fully attained 73.5% of their home-based functional goals. Attainment was higher for transferring and stairs, but lower for walking and community tasks. Participants were more likely to succeed if they were ready to change, had severe pain, or had home hazards.
• PTOTSurvey2017Interrelationship among the health-related and subjective quality of life, daily life activities, instrumental activities of daily living of community-dwelling elderly females in orthopedic outpatients.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn older women attending orthopedic clinics, less pain, better general health, more energy, better social life, and better mental health went with greater happiness. Happiness did not track daily activity or practical independence. Physical function tracked daily and practical activities, and energy tracked practical activities.
• PTOTCohort2017Predictive validity of the functional independence and difficulty scale in community-dwelling Japanese older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn community-dwelling Japanese older adults who were independent in basic activities, lower scores on the Functional Independence and Difficulty Scale predicted future decline in instrumental activities and multiple falls. The Barthel Index did not predict these outcomes.
• PTOTCase Report2017Improved functional independence measure facilitates return to home after paralyzed upper-limb training: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe FIM score rose from 71 to 105 in one stroke patient who received occupational therapy, affected upper-limb training, physiotherapy, and a fixed walker with knee support over four months. She returned home. This is one person, not proof the package works.
• PTOTSLPRCT2017Improving Prospective Memory in Persons With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairTeaching people with Parkinson's to visualize specific 'when and what' cues improved memory for one-off tasks more than simple repetition. Both strategies helped, but the visualization method showed a stronger effect on difficult, non-repeated tasks.
• PTOTRCT2017The effects of occupation-centered activity program on fall-related factors and quality of life in patients with dementia.Journal of physical therapy scienceDementia patients in a daytime care center who added an occupation-centered program to their medication showed significantly better balance, leg strength, fall confidence, and quality of life than those on medication alone. The group also had larger improvements in cognitive test scores.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2016Studies Involving People With Dementia and Touchscreen Technology: A Literature Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with dementia used touchscreen devices for assessment, daily tasks and leisure, often with support. Independent use depended on training, prompts, feedback and simple design.
• OTSLPNarrative Review2017Technologies to Support Community-Dwelling Persons With Dementia: A Position Paper on Issues Regarding Development, Usability, Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness, Deployment, and Ethics.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesAssistive technology may help people with dementia with daily living, activities, mood, social functioning, and may reduce service use, but the evidence is mostly from small studies without strong comparison groups. Use it with training, support, and checks on consent, privacy, and changing abilities.
• PTOTRCT2017The effect of virtual reality program on the cognitive function and balance of the people with mild cognitive impairment.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 24 adults with mild cognitive impairment, four weeks of virtual reality tasks improved memory, concentration and balance scores, while traditional occupational therapy did not. The study did not test whether changes lasted.
• OTOther2017Effect of task-oriented activities on hand functions, cognitive functions and self-expression of elderly patients with dementia.Journal of physical therapy sciencePeople with mild dementia in a hand-based activity program improved in grip, pinch, coordination, visual, spatial, visuomotor, and attention scores, and in self-expression; the control group did not show such improvement.
• OTNarrative Review2017An Ecological Framework to Support Small-Scale Shared Housing for Persons with Neurocognitive Disorders of the Alzheimer's and Related Types: A Literature Review.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTSmall-scale shared housing often showed better quality of life, daily activity, social engagement, and less physical restraint use than traditional long-term care. Cognitive results were mixed, and no study proved the housing model works better.
• OTPilot2017Activity Disengagement: Understanding Challenges and Opportunities for Reengagement.Occupational therapy internationalOlder adults in senior housing often gave up everyday tasks and social activities or did them less. No opportunity was common for everyday tasks; no one to do it with was common for social activities. Companionship and opportunity were common answers about doing activities again.
• OTQualitative2017A Qualitative Study to Explore Ways to Observe Results of Engaging Activities in Clients with Dementia.Occupational therapy internationalExperienced occupational therapists judged dementia activities meaningful by watching concrete signs: attention to materials, starting or repeating an activity, calm, smiling, more words, social interaction, and wanting the next activity.
• PTOTCohort2018The Brazilian Back Complaints in the Elders (Brazilian BACE) study: characteristics of Brazilian older adults with a new episode of low back pain.Brazilian journal of physical therapyOlder Brazilian adults with new low back pain reported high pain and disability. Those with lower education and income had worse pain, more disability, and greater fear of falling. Age alone did not predict worse outcomes; the 55–74 group reported more pain than the 75+ group.
• PTOTCohort2017Quantitative trunk sway and prediction of incident falls in older adults.Gait & postureForward-backward trunk sway during standing predicted future falls in older adults, but side-to-side sway did not. The test had low sensitivity, so it should not replace a full fall risk assessment.
• PTOTCohort2017Change in hand dexterity and habitual gait speed reflects cognitive decline over time in healthy older adults: a longitudinal study.Journal of physical therapy scienceChanges in 5-m habitual walking time and peg-moving task time were significantly associated with changes in cognitive test scores over three years in healthy older adults. This observational finding cannot show that either change causes the other.
• PTOTOther2017Lateral Perturbation-Induced Stepping: Strategies and Predictors in Persons Poststroke.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTWhen pushed sideways, people with chronic stroke rarely stepped with their weak leg. They mostly used their strong leg and took multiple steps. Poor sensation in the weak foot made them avoid using it. This suggests therapy should target stepping with the affected side.
• OTOther2017Relationship of health, sociodemographic, and economic factors and life satisfaction in young-old and old-old elderly: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging.Journal of physical therapy scienceAmong Korean adults aged 65 or older, lower life satisfaction was associated with depression, cognitive impairment, more daily dependence, less education, less family contact, lower assets, and Medical Aid. For those 80+, age and one kind of social activity were associated; chronic disease was not.
• PTOTOther2017Maximum Step Length Test Performance in People With Parkinson Disease: A Cross-sectional Study.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTPeople with Parkinson disease step significantly shorter backward than forward or sideways. Medication improves step length slightly, but the change is too small to be clinically meaningful. The test correlates strongly with balance and walking endurance measures.
• PTOTCohort2017A modified seated side tapping test in which the arms are crossed also reflects gait function in community-dwelling elderly.Journal of physical therapy scienceA seated test where elderly people cross their arms and tap shoulder pads correlates with walking speed and Timed Up and Go scores. This suggests trunk control, not arm strength, drives the link between seated tapping tasks and gait function.
• PTOTCohort2017The relationship between ground reaction force in sit-to-stand movement and lower extremity function in community-dwelling Japanese older adults using long-term care insurance services.Journal of physical therapy scienceLetting frail older adults place their hands on the chair seat during sit-to-stand allowed 52 of 53 to complete the test, compared with 39 of 53 when arms were crossed. Ground reaction force measures from this method correlated with walking and balance speed, offering a feasible single-repetition assessment.
• PTOTOther2017Disability in older adults with acute low back pain: the study Back Complaints in the Elderly - (Brazil).Brazilian journal of physical therapyIn older adults with acute low back pain, pain intensity was not associated with disability. The oldest old did daily activities less often, and oldest old living with a partner did personal activities less often than those living alone.
• OTSurvey2018Assistive technology unmet needs of independent living older Hispanics with functional limitations.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyOlder Puerto Ricans with functional limitations often owned glasses, pill organizers, canes, hand showers, and grab bars. They most wanted jar openers, seat lifts, and wheeled laundry baskets. Many rejected electronic devices. Willingness to use devices was higher with more conditions and lower income.