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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.

1,442 PAPERS · PAGE 15 OF 29 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOther2020Assessing gait efficacy in older adults: An analysis using item response theory.Gait & postureThe 10-item walking confidence questionnaire could be shortened to 7 items, and possibly 3 with small losses. It still gives clinicians similar information about older adults' confidence in walking.
• PTSystematic Review2020Step width variability as a discriminator of age-related gait changes.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHealthy older adults had more side-to-side step variation than younger adults. In group-based thresholds, values above 2.50 cm were labelled excessive, while values below 1.97 cm were within the younger adult reference range.
• PTOTOther2020Association between preoperative sleep disturbance and low muscle mass in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.Journal of physical therapy sciencePreoperative patients with gastrointestinal cancer who reported poor sleep quality were significantly more likely to have low muscle mass than those with good sleep quality. This association persisted after adjusting for inflammation and depression. Screening for sleep quality may help identify patients at risk for sarcopenia before surgery.
• PTPilot2020The effect of a novel thoracolumbar brace on spinal alignment in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceNine of ten people with Parkinson's disease had at least one posture change while wearing a thoracolumbar brace, but balance measures did not change at the group level. This pilot does not show the brace improves function.
• PTOTOther2020Burden and Patterns of Multimorbidity: Impact on Disablement in Older Adults.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationA higher count of chronic conditions was linked to worse strength, walking, activity and participation in older adults with mobility problems. Specific disease patterns were not linked to these outcomes. The count may be more useful than the condition mix.
• PTOther2020Evaluating the seasonal variations in the circulatory dynamics of community-dwelling older people while exercising outdoors in the early morning.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults doing light outdoor exercise in cold and mild mornings had blood pressure and pulse that did not differ between those with and without hypertension, or before and after exercise in the reported analyses.
• PTOther2020Gait asymmetry pattern following stroke determines acute response to locomotor task.Gait & postureStroke survivors with different step-length asymmetries responded differently to treadmill walking, body-weight support, and guidance of the less affected leg. The first two did not improve symmetry. Guidance sometimes improved timing or step length, but effects varied.
• PTOther2020Association of respiratory function with physical performance, physical activity, and sedentary behavior in older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 62 ambulatory older adults, more sedentary time was linked to lower lung capacity, better chair-stand performance to stronger breathing in, and more non-walking activity to stronger breathing out. No activity, performance, or sedentary factor was linked to the forced breath-out measure.
• PTOTCase-Control2020The influence of trunk muscle strength on walking velocity in elderly people with sarcopenia.Journal of physical therapy scienceElderly people with sarcopenia walked significantly slower than those without, despite having similar leg strength. Their trunk extension strength was markedly lower, and they walked with a more forward-leaning posture. Assessing trunk strength may help explain slow walking in sarcopenia.
• PTOTOther2020Adverse effects of the coexistence of locomotive syndrome and sarcopenia on the walking ability and performance of activities of daily living in Japanese elderly females: a cross-sectional study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn Japanese elderly females, having both locomotive syndrome and sarcopenia was linked to slower Timed Up and Go times and worse daily activity scores than having locomotive syndrome alone or neither condition.
• PTOTPilot2020Unsupervised low-intensity home exercises as an effective intervention for improving physical activity and physical capacity in the community-dwelling elderly.Journal of physical therapy scienceUnsupervised home exercises increased moderate-intensity activity in older women. Resistance band work also improved lung capacity. Both groups exceeded WHO weekly activity guidelines after six months, suggesting low-intensity home routines are feasible and effective for maintaining activity levels.
• PTOTCohort2020Association of Physical Activity and Cognitive Activity With Disability: A 2-Year Prospective Cohort Study.Physical therapyHigh physical activity and high cognitive activity were linked to the lowest rate of 2-year disability onset in older Japanese adults. Cognitive activity without high physical activity was not linked to lower disability.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020Task-Specific Versus Impairment-Based Training on Locomotor Performance in Individuals With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Crossover Study.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairTask-specific stepping training improved walking speed and endurance more than impairment-based exercises in people with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury. However, the stepping group experienced significantly more minor adverse events, including falls. Clinicians must weigh these gains against the increased fall risk and educate patients on safety.
• PTPilot2020Raising and stabilization phase of the sit-to-stand movement better discriminate healthy elderly adults from young subjects: a pilot cross-sectional study.Archives of physiotherapyAfter rising from a chair, older adults showed more sway while settling into standing, especially during stabilization, than young adults. The study did not test falls or treatment.
• PTOTPilot2020COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Considerations and Costs of Telehealth Exercise Programs for Older Adults With Functional Impairments Living at Home-Lessons Learned From a Pilot Case Study.Physical therapyA single stroke survivor completed a 36-session telehealth strength and balance program. He improved in sit-to-stand speed and perceived recovery, but walking speed and daily step count barely changed. The program cost about $158 per session, far exceeding standard Medicare reimbursement rates.
• PTRCT2020Effects of interactive video-game-based exercise on balance in older adults with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHospital-based supervised video-game stepping training improved Berg Balance Scale scores in the group that did it second, but not in the group that did it first, in 24 older adults with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease.
• PTRCT2020The ReWalk ReStore™ soft robotic exosuit: a multi-site clinical trial of the safety, reliability, and feasibility of exosuit-augmented post-stroke gait rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationUsing a soft robotic exosuit for gait training was safe and feasible for stroke patients when supervised by physical therapists. After five sessions, patients walked faster both with and without the device. This pilot shows the technology works in clinics, but it does not prove the device improves long-term walking.
• PTOTOther2020Assessment of dynamic balancing responses following perturbations during slow walking in relation to clinical outcome measures for high-functioning post-stroke subjects.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn slow walking, 44% of stroke subjects fell outside the healthy response range for forward pushes and 27% for backward pushes; outward pushes also showed impaired responses, while inward pushes mostly did not. Routine tests related only to forward pushes.
• PTCohort2020A comparison of turn and straight walking phases as predictors of incident falls.Gait & postureIn 253 older adults, turns and straight walking predicted falls similarly. Higher swing percent linked to lower fall risk in both, while more double support linked to higher fall risk in both. Swing time variability linked to higher risk only during turns.
• PTOTOther2020Thai dance exercises benefited functional mobility and fall rates among community-dwelling older individuals.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoCommunity-dwelling older adults who performed Thai dance exercises for six weeks showed improved functional mobility and fewer falls. Participants walked faster, stood up from a chair more quickly, and the number of fallers dropped from 21 to 5. Benefits appeared within three weeks.
• PTOther2020Recommendations for Hospital-Based Physical Therapists Managing Patients With COVID-19.Physical therapyNo patient outcomes are reported. This document provides consensus-based recommendations for physical therapists on managing hospitalized adults with COVID-19, focusing on safety, respiratory support, and mobilization.
• PTOther2020Fractal auditory stimulation has greater benefit for people with Parkinson's disease showing more random gait pattern.Gait & postureA fractal metronome made stride timing less random in people with Parkinson's disease and older adults, especially those with the most random baseline gait. The fractal music was harder to follow and did not show this benefit.
• PTOther2020Reliability and validity of the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale in patients with spinal cord injury.The South African journal of physiotherapyFor South African adults leaving spinal cord injury rehabilitation, a 21-item questionnaire about discharge readiness gave consistent scores and mostly reflected patients' own readiness. It did not meet every item-level standard.
• PTOther2020Reliability of measurement reliability and optimal number of measurements for mental arithmetic reaction time test.Journal of physical therapy scienceMental arithmetic reaction times stayed consistent when older adults answered simple math while standing or walking freely. Using 10 valid questions gave stable readings in both conditions.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Attenuation of core temperature elevation and interleukin-6 excretion during head-out hot water immersion in elderly people.Journal of physical therapy scienceHead-out hot water immersion failed to raise IL-6 in elderly men, unlike in young men. Core temperature also rose less in the elderly. This method does not replicate the exercise-induced IL-6 response in older adults.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2020Effect of cold oral stimulation on orthostatic hypotension in multiple system atrophy: a case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceHolding an ice cube in the mouth while standing did not prevent blood pressure from dropping in a woman with multiple system atrophy. It changed heart rate variability markers but did not alter blood pressure or heart rate compared to standing without stimulation.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2020Verbal Semantics and the Left Dorsolateral Anterior Temporal Lobe: A Longitudinal Case of Bilateral Temporal Degeneration.AphasiologyA woman with right-sided brain degeneration initially lost the meaning of faces and places but kept her word knowledge. This suggests checking non-verbal semantics and social behavior early, even when standard language tests look normal.
• PTOTCohort2020Factors Associated With Walking in Older Medical Inpatients.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn older medical inpatients, assigned bedrest and devices or treatments that hampered walking were the strongest barriers to daily step count. Higher baseline physical performance predicted more walking, while pain and fatigue did not significantly reduce activity.
• PTOTQualitative2020Integrating Technology Into Clinical Practice for the Assessment of Balance and Mobility: Perspectives of Exercise Professionals Practicing in Retirement and Long-term Care.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationExercise professionals in retirement and long-term care view technology-assisted balance assessment as a useful adjunct, not a replacement. They prioritize tools that allow modular task selection to accommodate residents with cognitive or physical limitations, and value objective data for tracking progress and communicating with families.
• PTSLPOther2020Cardiovascular disease risk is associated with middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity in older adults.Cardiopulmonary physical therapy journalOlder adults with higher cardiovascular disease risk had lower middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity at rest and during exercise. Their cardiovascular risk was also linked to more white matter lesions, but blood flow velocity was not.
• PTOther2020Single question about total lying time for assessing physical inactivity in community-dwelling older adults: a study of reliability and discriminant validity from sleeping time.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 54 healthy older adults, one question about daily lying time gave stable week-to-week answers and averaged 8.4 to 8.7 hours, more than 7.1 hours of sleep.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021Development of a dyadic sleep intervention for Alzheimer's disease patients and their caregivers.Disability and rehabilitationA five-session sleep program for Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers showed promising self-reported improvements in sleep and daily habits. It was not designed to prove efficacy, but it successfully refined materials for a future trial.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Severity of Traumatic Brain Injury in Older Adults and Risk of Ischemic Stroke and Depression.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn older adults with traumatic brain injury, high injury severity was associated with a much higher risk of ischemic stroke but not depression. Stroke risk was 6.68 times higher in the severe group. This suggests monitoring for stroke, not mood, based on injury severity.
• PTOTOther2021Falls After Dysvascular Transtibial Amputation: A Secondary Analysis of Falling Characteristics and Reduced Physical Performance.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn older adults with dysvascular leg amputation, falls were mostly caused by internal balance issues during transfers, not external trips. This suggests therapy should focus on weight-shifting and safe transfer techniques for the first five years after amputation.
• PTRCT2020Biobehavioral Intervention Targeting Physical Activity Behavior Change for Older Veterans after Nontraumatic Amputation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationA 12-week telehealth step-focused program did not increase daily steps or improve reported life participation in veterans with lower-limb loss, although it was safe and acceptable.
• PTOther2020Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Emergency Department Visits Among American Indian and Alaska Native Persons-National Patient Information Reporting System, 2005-2014.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationEmergency department visits for traumatic brain injury among American Indian and Alaska Native persons in Indian Health Service hospitals, tribally managed facilities, or contracted care increased from 2008 to 2014. Falls and assault were the leading causes.
• PTCohort2020Data Mining to Understand How Health Status Preceding Traumatic Brain Injury Affects Functional Outcome: A Population-Based Sex-Stratified Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation10 pre-injury health condition groups were linked to lower relative functional gain in men after TBI; in women, one factor showed this link.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Cause of death in adults with Down syndrome in the United States.Disability and health journalAdults with Down syndrome face much higher death risks from choking, pneumonitis, and early-onset dementia. They also have lower cancer death rates. Clinicians should screen for swallowing issues and start dementia checks by age 35.
• PTOTSLPCohortEvaluating the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Relationships Predicting Suicidal Ideation Following Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationSuicidal thoughts after brain injury were linked to depression, substance misuse, and injury severity. Injury severity predicted these thoughts even when depression was absent. Screen all patients for suicidal thoughts, not just those with diagnosed depression.
• PTOTSurvey2021Rates, patterns, and correlates of fitness tracker use among older adults with multiple sclerosis.Disability and health journalAmong older adults with MS, 28% use fitness trackers. Users report slightly more physical activity than non-users, but this association exists only in those who already have higher income, employment, and less disability.
• PTOTCohort2021Regional Variations in Rehabilitation Outcomes of Adult Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation Investigation.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAdults with traumatic brain injury discharged after inpatient rehabilitation varied widely by U.S. region. After accounting for patient factors, some regions had higher discharge function scores, longer stays, or lower likelihood of going home.
• PTOTQualitative2020Virtual reality in pain therapy: a requirements analysis for older adults with chronic back pain.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOlder adults with chronic back pain prioritized safety, simple controls, and positive reinforcement over complex game stories when designing VR exercises. They feared falling and found the demo too difficult, demanding a seated option, help button, and therapist supervision.
• PTOTCohort2020Is fatness or fitness key for survival in older adults with intellectual disabilities?Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDOlder adults with intellectual disabilities who were unfit had 3.6 to 4.6 times higher mortality risk than those who were fit, regardless of obesity. Fitness predicted survival; weight measures did not. Prioritize improving physical fitness over weight reduction for healthy aging.
• PTOTRCT2020Fall inducing movable platform (FIMP) for overground trips and slips.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new mobile platform successfully induced realistic trips and slips in healthy young adults without restricting their walking. The device attached to the ankle and moved with the person, allowing researchers to capture natural balance recovery reactions that treadmill studies often miss.
• PTPilot2020An Affordable, User-friendly Telerehabilitation System Assembled Using Existing Technologies for Individuals Isolated With COVID-19: Development and Feasibility Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesTen isolated patients with COVID-19 completed a single telerehabilitation session using a tablet, video call, remote control and pulse oximeter. They reported high satisfaction, and the exercise was reported as safe with oxygen monitoring.
• PTCohort2020Strength of Plantar- and Dorsiflexors Mediates Step Regularity During a High Cognitive Load Situation in a Cross-sectional Cohort of Older and Younger Adults.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Healthy older adults showed more irregular side-to-side stepping than younger adults, linked to ankle strength. However, carrying a tray that blocked their view made both groups step more rigidly and regularly. The study found no significant difference in dual-task walking costs between age groups.
• PTCohortNIH Toolbox Cognition Battery in Young and Older Adults: Reliability and Relationship to Adiposity and Physical Activity.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)The NIH Toolbox executive function tests showed acceptable day-to-day stability in healthy adults. Older participants had more consistent scores than younger ones. Age and body fat percentage correlated with cognitive performance, but self-reported physical activity did not.
• PTCohortFrailty and Function in Heart Failure: Predictors of 30-Day Hospital Readmission?Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Lower physical function and higher frailty scores were associated with a greater risk of hospital readmission in older adults with heart failure. However, no specific score on either measure could accurately identify which patients would be readmitted within 30 days.
• PTRCTLong-Term Efficacy of Treatment Effects After a Kyphosis Exercise and Posture Training Intervention in Older Community-Dwelling Adults: A Cohort Study.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)3.0 years after a 3-month kyphosis exercise and posture program, kyphosis measured by kyphometer decreased by 1.5 degrees, not different from the change during the program. Lordosis improved, but several physical function and quality-of-life scores declined.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021Laying the foundation for a primary care core set of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) for community-dwelling older adults: A qualitative study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineCommunity-dwelling older adults prioritized leisure, family relationships, and mobility over physical impairments. They viewed coping and environmental support as central to independence. These patient-focused themes may differ from deficit-oriented clinical assessments.