McGough and company looked into older adults with amnestic MCI, a more common sub-classification with a higher risk of progressing to AD, and their relation to physical performance and executive function. Subjects in this study performed four tests including calculating their gait speed, a Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test, the Trail Making Test part B (TMT-B), and the Stroop Word Color Test. Results indicated that a slower walking pace paired with a lower performance on the TMT-B, which looked for mental flexibility, and a decreased Stroop-Interference was associated conflicting stimuli. Therefore, the authors concluded that an individual ambulating at a slower pace may be compensating to preserve their accuracy during their activities of daily
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Subjects were diagnosed and placed into one of the three following categories- subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) and MCI, mild AD, and moderate AD. Participants then performed a series of cognitive assessments followed by balance assessments. Their balance was evaluated using the BESTest which is split into six subgroups- anticipatory postural adjustments, biomechanical constraints, stability in gait, stability limits/verticality, sensory orientation, and postural responses. The results showed that each participant category presented differently on all six of the subgroups with “stability in gait” showing the largest difference and lowest scores. Sensory orientation, stability limits, and postural responses were shown to have scored the highest for all three groups. The author’s main findings were that subjects with moderate AD performed the worst and those with mild AD were evaluated to perform worse than the SCI/MCI …show more content…
Fall risk will increase as postural response declines and proprioception becomes less acute; an estimated 30% of individuals with AD have difficulty with falls. To assist with this regression, moving about in an open area, with few objects creating obstacles, can reduce the risk, along with appropriate lighting in the space. Physical therapy can assist with maintaining mobility, posture, breathing techniques, and endurance. It is common for those with AD to be restless and wander, where constructive exercising may help ward off these side effects. Activity lasting a minimum of five minutes, completed in the same order each time, and is not overly stimulating can be extremely beneficial for patients with
Subjects were diagnosed and placed into one of the three following categories- subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) and MCI, mild AD, and moderate AD. Participants then performed a series of cognitive assessments followed by balance assessments. Their balance was evaluated using the BESTest which is split into six subgroups- anticipatory postural adjustments, biomechanical constraints, stability in gait, stability limits/verticality, sensory orientation, and postural responses. The results showed that each participant category presented differently on all six of the subgroups with “stability in gait” showing the largest difference and lowest scores. Sensory orientation, stability limits, and postural responses were shown to have scored the highest for all three groups. The author’s main findings were that subjects with moderate AD performed the worst and those with mild AD were evaluated to perform worse than the SCI/MCI …show more content…
Fall risk will increase as postural response declines and proprioception becomes less acute; an estimated 30% of individuals with AD have difficulty with falls. To assist with this regression, moving about in an open area, with few objects creating obstacles, can reduce the risk, along with appropriate lighting in the space. Physical therapy can assist with maintaining mobility, posture, breathing techniques, and endurance. It is common for those with AD to be restless and wander, where constructive exercising may help ward off these side effects. Activity lasting a minimum of five minutes, completed in the same order each time, and is not overly stimulating can be extremely beneficial for patients with