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. 2014 Oct;95(10):1940-5.
doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.06.002. Epub 2014 Jun 19.

Determinants of use of a walking device in persons with Parkinson's disease

Mon S Bryant  1 , Diana H Rintala  2 , James E Graham  3 , Jyhgong Gabriel Hou  4 , Elizabeth J Protas  3
Affiliations

Determinants of use of a walking device in persons with Parkinson's disease

Mon S Bryant et al. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: To identify determinants for the use of a walking device in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Design: Cross-sectional study of participants with PD.

Setting: Laboratory.

Participants: Persons with PD (N=85; 60 men) were studied. Their mean age was 69.4±8.9 years. The average time since diagnosis was 7.9±5.3 years.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: Age, sex, disease duration, disease severity, and motor impairment were recorded. Participants were asked whether they usually used any walking device (eg, cane or walker) and were categorized as either an "independent walker" or a "device walker." Clinical balance measures including functional reach, turn duration, 5-meter timed Up and Go (5m-TUG) test, and Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale were investigated for their contribution to the prediction of walking with a device.

Results: Thirty-one participants (36.5%) reported that they usually used a walking device. Classification and regression tree analysis determined that the 5m-TUG test and the ABC scale were important factors in differentiating participants who used a walking device from those who did not. Critical thresholds included 13 seconds for the 5m-TUG test and a score of 75 for the ABC scale in determining device walking. Using only these 2 determinants, the classification and regression tree model correctly classified 81% of the patients as either independent or needing a walking device.

Conclusion: The 5m-TUG test and the ABC scale may be useful in clinical assessments of the need for a walking device in persons with PD.

Keywords: Assistive devices; Parkinson's disease; Rehabilitation.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Classification and regression tree analysis. Two determinants differentiated participants based on their device walking status. The 5m-TUG test was the strongest determinant in the total sample with a cut-point of 13 seconds. Among participants who took more than 13 seconds to complete the 5m-TUG, the ABC scale further differentiated participants with a cut-point score of 75.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • The authors respond.
    Bryant MS, Graham JE, Rintala DH, Protas EJ. Bryant MS, et al. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2015 Apr;96(4):762-3. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.12.006. Epub 2015 Feb 13. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2015. PMID: 25683446 No abstract available.
  • Walking safety and preventing falls in Parkinson's disease.
    Celik B. Celik B. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2015 Apr;96(4):762. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.11.027. Epub 2015 Feb 13. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2015. PMID: 25683447 No abstract available.

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