OBJECTIVE Physical performance measures can be used to predict functional decline and increased dependency in older persons. However, few studies have assessed the feasibility or reliability of such measures in hospitalized older patients. Here we assessed the feasibility and inter-rater reliability of four simple measures of physical performance in acutely admitted older medical patients. DE...

In 1983–1984, a 29-year-old battery factory worker gradually developed gait difficulties and tremor. In 1984, he was found to have severely elevated serum manganese levels and retired from work. Clinical examination in 1984 (videos 1–3 on the Neurology Web site at www.neurology.org) showed bilateral foot dystonia and profound parkinsonism. His gait was shuffling, although he lifted his knees re...

BACKGROUND Depressive symptoms and physical performance are inversely associated, but it is unclear whether their association is bidirectional. We examined whether the association between depressive symptoms and physical performance measured using gait speed is bidirectional. METHODS We used a national sample of 4,581 community-dwelling people aged 60 years and older from the English Longitud...

BACKGROUND The 9-hole peg test (9-HPT) and 10-meter walk test (10-MWT) are commonly used to test finger motor function and walking ability. The aim of this present study was to investigate the efficacy of these tests for evaluating functional loss in Chinese Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. METHODS Thirty-four Chinese CMT patients (CMT group) from August 2015 to December 2016 were evaluated...

We report the cases of a father and his son with spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7), a disorder rarely reported in Japan. The father had noticed dysarthria at age 38, and gait instability at age 46. Visual disturbance was noted 3 years later. Neurological examination at age 54 revealed visual disturbance, dysarthria, and cerebellar ataxia in all four extremities and the trunk. Cranial MRI sho...

Fieke M. Cox, MD Jan J.G.M. Verschuuren, MD, PhD Umesh A. Badrising, MD, PhD SECTION 1 A 70-year-old man presented with progressive gait unsteadiness for 5 years. He also had to use his arms to climb stairs or to get up from a chair. He reported no pain, sensory symptoms, or fatigue. He had pulmonary sarcoidosis at age 24 years, which remained in remission after treatment with corticotropin and...

Gait is an important health indicator and poor gait is strongly associated with disability and risk of falls. Thyroid dysfunction is suggested as a potential determinant of gait deterioration, but this has not been explored in a population-based study. We therefore investigated the association of thyroid function with gait patterns in 2645 participants from the Rotterdam Study with data availab...

Modern fast-growing broilers spend excessive periods resting and their activity further decreases with age. Inactivity has been suggested to increase impaired gait and the incidence of leg disorders. Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is a common leg pathology in broilers. A more complex environment might facilitate more activity and improve leg health. Perches or elevated platforms bring variety to ...

BACKGROUND The purpose of the current study was to examine objective and subjective differences between three severity groups of ankle fractures patients compared to healthy controls. METHODS This was a case-controlled study. 92 patients with an ankle fracture injury of which 41 patients were eligible to participate in the study. 72 healthy people served as controls. All patients underwent a ...