TOPIC

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.

1,442 PAPERS · PAGE 13 OF 29 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOther2018The relationships between compensatory stepping thresholds and measures of gait, standing postural control, strength, and balance confidence in older women.Gait & postureStrength, balance confidence, single-leg stance, and obstacle crossing were linked to older women's ability to recover with a step, but no single standard test captured it.
• PTOther2018Reliability of sagittal vertical axis measurement and association with measures of age-related hyperkyphosis.Journal of physical therapy scienceSagittal vertical axis measurement was highly reliable in older adults with hyperkyphosis. It did not track Cobb angle kyphosis, and more men than women had abnormal sagittal balance at a 5 cm threshold.
• PTCohort2018Longitudinal changes and body composition assessment using bioelectrical impedance in elderly patients with mild disequilibrium and different care needs.Journal of physical therapy scienceDuring follow-up, women with mild disequilibrium and higher care needs had whole-body muscle mass decrease, while women with lower care needs had lower-leg muscle mass increase. The study did not compare exercise with no exercise.
• PTOTCohort2019Falls resulting in health care among older people with intellectual disability in comparison with the general population.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDROlder people with intellectual disability had more fall-related health care contacts than matched peers, especially at institutions and during daily activities like eating or hygiene. They sustained more head, hip, and leg injuries, required longer hospital stays, and were readmitted more often.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2019Goal-setting in geriatric rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitationGoal-setting did not improve physical functioning, quality of life, or reduce rehabilitation duration in older adults compared to usual care. The evidence was low quality, and usual care often already included some form of goal-setting, making it hard to see a benefit from standardized methods.
• PTCohort2019Dynamic balance and instrumented gait variables are independent predictors of falls following stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAfter stroke discharge, people who fell had less side-to-side pelvic movement during fast walking, measured by a motion camera. The step test and Timed Up and Go also flagged falls risk; static balance and gait speed did not. This is not yet routine.
• PTOther2018On the use of approximate entropy and sample entropy with centre of pressure time-series.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor quiet-standing sway, sample entropy was more stable across analysis settings than approximate entropy. It separated older adults with and without recent falls only for selected settings, mainly in 60-second front-to-back data.
• PTCohort2019Failure on the Foam Eyes Closed Test of Standing Balance Associated With Reduced Semicircular Canal Function in Healthy Older Adults.Ear and hearingPeople with lower horizontal semicircular canal function were less likely to pass standing on foam with eyes closed. Ankle position sense and other inner ear tests were not related. The test may point to canal function, not all vestibular loss.
• PTRCT2019Postural sway, falls, and self-reported neuropathy in aging female cancer survivors.Gait & postureIn older female cancer survivors after chemotherapy, side-to-side sway frequency was associated with self-reported falls. Neuropathy symptoms were associated with higher-frequency sway. Overall sway magnitude was not associated with falls across the whole survivor group.
• PTPilot2019Effects of a Nintendo Wii exercise program versus Tai Chi Chuan on standing balance in older adults: a preliminary study.Journal of physical therapy scienceNeither Nintendo Wii nor Tai Chi was clearly better; both improved some standing balance scores in 12 older adults. The sample was too small to change routine balance training.
• PTOther2019Differences in physical activity between seasons with and without snowfall among elderly individuals residing in areas that receive snowfall.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 35 adults aged 50 or older in snowy Japan, daily steps fell from 8,127 in September to 6,420 in the snowfall season, and moderate-to-vigorous activity fell from 22 to 17 minutes. This shows seasonal association, not a treatment effect.
• PTOTNarrative Review2019Mobility related physical and functional losses due to aging and disease - a motivation for lower limb exoskeletons.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAging and disease reduce lower limb strength, power, walking speed, endurance and daily steps, while falls rise. Exoskeletons are proposed to assist or train mobility, not shown to work.
• PTOther2019Differences in postural stability and dynamic visual acuity among healthy young adults in relation to sports activity: a cross sectional study.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy young adults who regularly played sports stood more steadily while turning their head and read numbers more accurately than non-sports peers. Quiet standing was similar, and the study cannot show sports caused this.
• PTOTOther2019Comparison of range of motion during movement from supine to sitting position in healthy young and elderly participants.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy elderly participants had larger shoulder extension and elbow flexion angles and reached the measured joint angles earlier when getting up from lying, compared with healthy young participants.
• PTOTOther2019A postural unloading task to assess fast corrective responses in the upper limb following stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA robotic arm test that removes a background load gave steadier results in healthy people and identified more stroke-related arm control problems than a test that adds a load, especially trouble slowing the arm.
• PTRCT2019Effects of Taekkyon training on balance control during stair descent in community-dwelling older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults who took part in a Taekkyon programme showed greater increases in foot-pressure movement while going downstairs than those who received wellness education. The study did not show fewer falls.
• PTOTSurvey2019Global Consensus From Clinicians Regarding Low Back Pain Outcome Indicators for Older Adults: Pairwise Wiki Survey Using Crowdsourcing.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesClinicians ranked returning to 80% of prior daily activities, independent walking, and grocery shopping as the most important low back pain outcomes for older adults. Pain scores and straight-leg raise ranked low.
• PTCase Report2019Reduction of Scheuermann's deformity and scoliosis using ScoliBrace and a scoliosis specific rehabilitation program: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceKyphosis fell from 79° to 63°, scoliosis from 30° to 25°, disability and pain were lower after a custom brace, heel lift, ScoliRoll stretching and strengthening exercises in a 26-year-old man. Single case, not proof the brace caused improvement.
• PTOther2019Correlation of falls in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with objective measures of balance, strength, and spasticity.NeuroRehabilitationIn ambulatory adults with ALS, lower-limb strength was related to recent self-reported falls. Walking speed, spasticity, and Berg Balance scores were not.
• PTOther2019Vestibular Physical Therapy in Individuals With Cognitive Impairment: A Theoretical Framework.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTThis paper outlines how to adapt vestibular therapy for patients with cognitive impairment using strength-based strategies, but it reports no results. It offers a guide for practice, not evidence that the approach works.
• PTRCT2019A single session of trip-specific training modifies trunk control following treadmill induced balance perturbations in stroke survivors.Gait & postureOne session of trip-specific training improved trunk control in chronic stroke survivors, but did not reduce falls. Those who fell before training showed the most improvement, resembling non-fallers, though effects were absent at the largest perturbation level.
• PTOTCohort2019Impact of heart failure on functional recovery after hip fracture.Journal of physical therapy scienceHip fracture patients with heart failure gained 34.1% of possible daily-living score improvement, versus 51.6% without heart failure, after adjusting for age, gender and pre-fracture walking. They were also less likely to return to the same residence.
• PTOTSystematic Review2019Utility of Functional Metrics Assessed During Acute Care on Hospital Outcomes: A Systematic Review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn acute care, higher function on measures such as the Barthel Index or FIM was linked with shorter stays, lower mortality, discharge home more often, and better recovery. These are predictors, not proof that measuring function improves outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2019Comorbid Conditions Among Adults 50 Years and Older With Traumatic Brain Injury: Examining Associations With Demographics, Healthcare Utilization, Institutionalization, and 1-Year Outcomes.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder adults with TBI and acute hospital complications had longer stays and higher rehospitalization rates. Those with chronic disease burdens also faced higher rehospitalization risks. Substance abuse clusters were linked to institutionalization but not 1-year functional outcomes. These patterns highlight distinct risk profiles for discharge planning.
• PTOTCohort2019The Association Between Social Engagement, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Falls Among Older Primary Care Patients.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMild cognitive impairment was linked to more prior-year falls in 430 older primary care patients at risk of mobility decline. Higher social engagement was linked to fewer falls, and among those with high engagement, MCI was not linked to falls. These are associations.
• PTPilot2019Ankle power biofeedback attenuates the distal-to-proximal redistribution in older adults.Gait & postureHealthy older adults could increase ankle push-off power by 14% with real-time feedback during treadmill walking, and they used less hip power. When they recalled the change overground, preferred walking speed became faster.
• PTOTSurvey2019Late life disability and experienced wellbeing: Are economic resources a buffer?Disability and health journalOlder adults whose impairments interfered more with regular activities reported lower emotional wellbeing during daily tasks. Middle income softened this link. Wealth did not buffer it, and higher wealth was tied to lower wellbeing.
• PTOTSurvey2019Physical activity patterns and multimorbidity burden of older adults with different levels of functional status: NHANES 2003-2006.Disability and health journalOlder adults with activity limitations or difficulty with daily tasks moved less and spent more time sedentary than high-functioning peers. Their activity rose later and peaked lower, especially in morning and midday, when differences were largest.
• PTOTSystematic Review2019Effects of Dopamine on Motor Recovery and Training in Adults and Children With Nonprogressive Neurological Injuries: A Systematic Review.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairEvidence for dopamine medication was mixed. Some levodopa stroke studies showed motor improvement, but evidence for traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injury was weak.
• PTOTOther2019A path analysis of the interdependent relationships between life space assessment scores and relevant factors in an elderly Japanese community.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 212 Japanese older adults, age, lower muscle mass, more fear of falling, and slower Timed Up and Go were directly linked to narrower life-space mobility. Cognition and chair-stand time appeared only through other factors.
• PTOTCohort2019Relationships between gait variability and ambulatory activity post stroke.Topics in stroke rehabilitationStroke survivors who showed more variable step timing when walking in a busy lobby took fewer daily steps and had shorter walking bouts. This link was absent when they walked in a quiet hallway, suggesting clinic tests may miss real-world activity predictors.
• PTRCT2019Does severity of motor impairment affect reactive adaptation and fall-risk in chronic stroke survivors?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn a lab, people with chronic stroke improved reactive balance after repeated slip-like perturbations, with fewer falls and better stability. Those with greater leg impairment adapted at lower perturbation intensity, and gains were still present after 3 weeks.
• PTOTCase Report2019A case of an elderly hip disarticulation amputee with rheumatoid arthritis who regained the ability to walk using a hip prosthesis.Journal of physical therapy scienceAn elderly woman with rheumatoid arthritis and a hip amputation learned to walk with a hip prosthesis fitted with easier fastening. This is a single person's course, not evidence that the method works.
• PTOTSLPCohort2019The Effect of Frailty on Discharge Location for Medicare Beneficiaries After Acute Stroke.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationFrail Medicare patients were less likely to go to inpatient rehab than non-frail patients with similar stroke severity. They were instead sent to skilled nursing facilities or home. This suggests pre-stroke frailty, not just stroke severity, drives discharge location.
• PTRCT2019Effects of increased daily physical activity on mental health and depression biomarkers in postmenopausal women.Journal of physical therapy scienceDepression scores did not differ between groups after 8 weeks of increased daily activity in postmenopausal women. Serum BDNF and serotonin rose in the active group, but oxidative stress markers did not improve.
• PTOTCase-Control2019Stepping characteristics during externally induced lateral reactive and voluntary steps in chronic stroke.Gait & postureStroke survivors initiated voluntary steps slower than controls but reacted to perturbations just as fast. They used smaller, medial steps to recover balance, likely because weak hip muscles make the more stable lateral steps too difficult to execute quickly.
• PTOther2019Age-related differences in brain activity during physical and imagined sit-to-stand in healthy young and older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy adults imagined sit-to-stand in similar time to physically standing, and this imagined timing did not differ by age. During imagined standing, older adults showed three brain-wave patterns, while young adults showed different patterns in the top and back of the head.
• PTOTSLPRCT2019Walking to your right music: a randomized controlled trial on the novel use of treadmill plus music in Parkinson's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding rhythmic music to treadmill training improved gait quality, balance, and walking function more than treadmill training alone in people with Parkinson's. Both groups improved, but the music group showed greater gains in the primary gait assessment.
• PTOTCohort2019Physical fitness is predictive for 5-year survival in older adults with intellectual disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDBetter fitness predicted lower 5-year mortality risk in older adults with intellectual disabilities. Manual dexterity, visual reaction time, balance, walking speed, grip strength and cardiorespiratory fitness were associated with survival.
• PTRCT2019Fast and automatic assessment of fall risk by coupling machine learning algorithms with a depth camera to monitor simple balance tasks.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStanding with eyes closed on a foam pad or in a narrow stance let a depth camera and algorithm separate older adults into higher and lower fall-risk groups. It did not test actual falls, so use it as a screening aid, not proof.
• PTCohort2019Dynamic stability during walking in children with and without cerebral palsy.Gait & postureHigh-functioning children with CP did not show less anterior stability than controls during walking. They showed more lateral stability on the non-dominant limb, but this may not protect them from trips.
• PTOther2019Relationship between muscle-strengthening activities recommended by physical activity guidelines and knee extensor strength in the elderly.Journal of physical therapy scienceAmong 223 Japanese adults aged 60 or older, strength training and heavy gardening and farming at least two days a week were linked to higher measured knee extensor strength. Carrying heavy loads and climbing stairs or hills were not linked to higher strength.
• PTOTOther2019Assessment of the effects of a group intervention program used in home-dwelling elderly individuals to promote home exercise and prevent locomotive syndrome.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults who attended every group session showed better walking stride and leg strength at follow-up. Those who missed sessions did not. The study had no comparison group, so it cannot show the program caused the improvements.
• PTCase-Control2019Abnormal trunk control determines postural abnormalities in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.NeuroRehabilitationPeople with ALS swayed more when standing quietly and their upper and lower bodies moved differently when the platform tilted. The authors suggest therapy should train trunk control. No treatment was tested.
• PTRCT2019Time-dependent tuning of balance control and aftereffects following optical flow perturbation training in older adults.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 13 older adults, 10 minutes of treadmill walking with virtual hallway sideways visual disturbances initially made steps wider, shorter, and legs stiffer. Over time, step size and stiffness returned toward normal, and after stopping they took longer, narrower steps with less leg stiffness.
• PTOTSLPOther2019Comparison of foot kinetics and kinematics during gait initiation between young and elderly participants.Journal of physical therapy scienceElderly participants walked slower with shorter strides and showed significantly lower foot joint movement, moment, and power during gait initiation compared to young participants. The reduction in mechanical output was most pronounced in the toe and midfoot joints.
• PTSurvey2019Coping behaviors for skeletal muscle injuries and disorders among community-dwelling elderly persons in Japan.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder Japanese adults reported using hospitals most often for fractures, sprains, and musculoskeletal pain, then Judo therapist offices. Many reported no facility for stiff shoulders or daily fatigue. Ask what care they seek.
• PTOther2019Postural instability in cognitively impaired elderly during forward and backward body leans.Journal of physical therapy scienceDuring maximum forward and backward leans, older adults with cognitive impairment showed more side-to-side sway than healthy older adults. Front-to-back sway was similar.
• PTOTCohort2019Evaluating the Influence of Social Engagement on Cognitive Impairment and Mobility Outcomes Within the Boston RISE Cohort Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn older adults at risk for mobility decline, mild cognitive impairment was linked to worse mobility and lower social engagement. Higher social engagement was linked to better mobility and was associated with the cognitive impairment-mobility link, but this cannot prove causation.
• PTOTOther2019Effects of liaison between physiotherapists and occupational therapists for home-visit rehabilitation: preliminary study.Journal of physical therapy scienceBasic daily living did not differ between older adults receiving coordinated physiotherapy and occupational therapy and those receiving one discipline alone. The coordinated group had higher activity and social participation. This is a small cross-sectional study.