Background: Exercise may improve executive function among people living with all-cause dementia (PWD), but more evidence is needed. The aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to examine whether exercise plus usual care improves the primary outcome of executive function, and secondary physiological (inflammation, metabolic aging, epigenetics) and behavioral (cognition, psychological health, physical function, and falls) outcomes compared to usual care alone among PWD.
Methods And Study Design: The strEngth aNd BaLance exercise on Executive function in people living with Dementia (ENABLED) protocol is a pilot parallel, 6-month assessor-blinded RCT (1:1) in residential care facilities, including n = 21 receiving exercise plus usual care and n = 21 usual care alone [NCT05488951].
Int J Environ Res Public Health
January 2022
Fall-risk screening and prevention is within the scope of physical-therapy practice. Prior research indicates United States-based physical therapists (PTs) and physical-therapist assistants (PTAs) use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) toolkit for community-based fall-risk screenings of older adults. However, clinically based fall-risk screenings and knowledge and use of the STEADI by PTs and PTAs is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncorporating evidence-based community programs into clinical care recommendations and goals may help bridge the clinic-to-community transition for older adults. Engagement in evidence-based programs can help older adults manage chronic conditions and reduce fall risk through behavior change and self-management following a clinical episode of care. This paper describes evidence-based fall prevention and physical activity programs, provides resources to locate programs, and strategies to match older adults to the right programs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhysical therapists (PTs) are integral team members in fall prevention in clinical settings; however, few studies have investigated PTs' engagement in pro-bono community-based falls prevention. Therefore, we aimed to describe the characteristics of PTs and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) in the United States who conduct community-based fall screenings, the reach of screenings, their knowledge and utilization of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's fall-risk screening toolkit (STEADI, Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries), and therapists' knowledge and referrals to evidence-based programs (EBPs) and community resources. A cross-sectional survey distributed to a convenience sample of PTs/PTAs in the United States through news-blasts, and social media.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhysiother Theory Pract
March 2022
Acromegaly is an endocrine disease caused by the excess secretion of growth hormone and is responsible for the development of multiple comorbidities that can reduce physiologic reserve. The hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) affects virtually every organ in the body and can predispose an individual to frailty; a state of vulnerability resulting from cumulative decline across multiple systems. Frailty results in a loss of physiologic reserve and vulnerability to adverse outcomes such as morbidity and mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF