A wheelchair undergoes vibrations while traveling over obstacles and uneven surfaces, resulting in whole body vibration of the person sitting in the wheelchair. According to clinicians, people with spinal cord injury (SCI) report that vibration evokes spasticity. The relatively new Spinergy wheelchair wheels (Spinergy, Inc; San Diego, California) are claimed to absorb more road shock then conventional steel-spoked wheelchair wheels. If this claim is true, this wheel might also reduce spasticity in people with SCI. We hypothesized that Spinergy wheels would absorb vibration, reduce perceived spasticity, and improve comfort in individuals with SCI more than standard steel-spoked wheels. To test this hypothesis, 22 nondisabled subjects performed a passive ramp test so that we could more closely examine the dampening characteristics of the Spinergy versus traditional wheels. Furthermore, 13 subjects with SCI performed an obstacle test with both wheel types. Vibrations were measured with accelerometers, and spasticity and comfort were assessed with subject-reported visual analog scales. The results of the study showed that, within the current experimental setup, the Spinergy wheels neither reduced vibration or perceived spasticity nor improved comfort in people with SCI more than the conventional steel-spoked wheels.
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If being physically fit is of the outmost importance, then what can be said about the fitness of persons with severe or profound intellectual, visual and motor disabilities? Exactly how could their level of physical fitness be measured? Formulated differently, if a person sees little to nothing and in addition has little comprehension of its immediate environment, then how should one go about testing? How motivated would this person be to be subjected to tests and to perform the tasks as well as possible?' Finding an answer to these questions formed the main incentive for this research. The important concrete results of this research are feasible, reliable, and valid tests for assessing physical fitness of persons with severe or profound intellectual and multiple disabilities, which can be directly implemented into the daily practice.
Objectives: To conduct a scoping review to 1) describe findings and determinants of physical functioning in children during and/or after PICU stay, 2) identify which domains of physical functioning are measured, 3) and synthesize the clinical and research knowledge gaps.Data Sources: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Library databases following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines.Study Selection: Two investigators independently screened and included studies against predetermined criteria.Data Extraction: One investigator extracted data with review by a second investigator. A narrative analyses approach was used.Data Synthesis: A total of 2,610 articles were identified, leaving 68 studies for inclusion. Post-PICU/hospital discharge scores show that PICU survivors report difficulties in physical functioning during and years after PICU stay. Although sustained improvements in the long-term have been reported, most of the reported levels were lower compared with the reference and baseline values. Decreased physical functioning was associated with longer hospital stay and presence of comorbidities. A diversity of instruments was used in which mobility and self-care were mostly addressed.CONCLUSIONS: The results show that children perceive moderate to severe difficulties in physical functioning during and years after PICU stay. Longitudinal assessments during and after PICU stay should be incorporated, especially for children with a higher risk for poor functional outcomes. There is need for consensus on the most suitable methods to assess physical functioning in children admitted to the PICU.
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De samenwerking tussen de onderzoeksgroep FRIA van de Vrije Universiteit Brussel, afdeling oudergeneeskunde van het UMCG Groningen en de onderzoeksgroep (lectoraat) Healthy Ageing, Allied health Care and Nursing van de Hanzehogeschool Groningen is gericht op onderzoek naar bewegingsstoornissen bij veroudering. In het bijzonder wordt gekeken naar paratonic, een bewegingsstoornis bij dementie.The International Joint Research group ‘Move in Age’ concluded in a systematic review that paratonia still is a barely understood and devastating phenomenon in dementia and revealed the urgency of gaining more insight in the pathophysiology. Paratonia, a distinctive change in muscle tone, starts in early stages of dementia and develops further with progress of the disease. Resulting in severe discomfort for patients, but also affecting caregivers since daily care becomes increasingly difficult. It is hypothesized that changes in motor control due to dementia influences peripheral neurological control and biomechanical muscle structures (by crosslinking and inflammation caused by advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).This IJRG started in 2018 and aims to develop a long-term comprehensive research program on movement-related impairments at higher age. The three partners have a strong track record on research in the area of movement-related impairments in older persons; however, each focusing on a specific aspect. In fact, the Frailty in Ageing research group (FRIA) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is running focused research program on the triad sarcopenia-dynapenia-inflammation with mainly a bio-gerontological and bio-psycho-medical approach; the department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) has anongoing research line on the medical aspects of mobility impairments in frail elderly persons and in elderly dementia patients; and finally Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen (HUAS) developed a research program on physical, psycho-cognitive and social dimensions of frailty including the functional impact of mobility impairments. In the first 3-5 years, the focus will be on the movement-related impairments that occur in patients with dementia and in specific on paranoia. The programme will be extended towards movement-related impairments in the context of other geriatric syndromes.
Het aantal migrantenouderen neemt sterk toe. Zij hebben een slechtere gezondheid dan autochtone ouderen. Zo komen chronische ziekten zoals obesitas en diabetes type 2 vaker voor. Een van de belangrijkste onderliggende oorzaken van deze ziekten is sarcopenie, verlies van spiermassa en fysiek functioneren van ouderen. Te weinig bewegen en een inadequate eiwitinname spelen een essentiële rol bij sarcopenie en daarbij ook bij chronische ziekten. Inzicht in sarcopenie, het beweegpatroon en de eiwitinname van migrantenouderen zijn onvoldoende beschikbaar. MKB-praktijken voor fysiotherapie en diëtetiek zien businesskansen om specifiek voor deze sterk groeiende doelgroep expertise op te bouwen en daarmee een groot aantal klanten te kunnen bedienen en te behouden. Het ontbreekt de praktijken echter aan de nieuwste kennis en inzichten voor een effectieve behandeling van sarcopenie bij migrantenouderen. Er zijn geen behandelprogramma’s beschikbaar die zij kunnen gebruiken. Daarnaast ondervinden zij met deze doelgroep problemen met de taal, opleidingsniveau en cultuurverschillen. Voor deze vraag van de MKB-praktijken wordt een beweeg- en voeding programma ontwikkeld speciaal gericht op de behoeften van migrantenouderen, fysiotherapeuten en diëtisten. Middels focusgroepen worden de behoeften van professionals en migrantenouderen onderzocht en voorspellers van beweeg- en voedinggedrag in kaart gebracht. Tevens wordt het fysiek functioneren, lichaams-samenstelling, beweeg- en voedingspatroon van verschillende migrantenouderen populaties geanalyseerd. Gebaseerd op deze uitkomsten wordt een nieuw beweeg en voedingsprogramma ontwikkeld om spiermassa en het fysiek functioneren van migrantenouderen te verbeteren (ProMIO programma). Hiervoor kunnen we gebruik maken van het ProMuscle programma, een succesvol voedings- en beweegprogramma voor sarcopenie uitkomsten voor ouderen. Middels een pilot studie wordt het ProMIO programma in de praktijk geëvalueerd op proces, haalbaarheid en bruikbaarheid voor de professional en migrantenouderen en wordt de effectiviteit op sarcopenie uitkomsten getoetst. De resultaten zullen worden gecommuniceerd naar de beroepenvelden en worden ingebed in het HBO-onderwijs.
