Measuring Outdoor Walking Capacities Using Global Positioning System in People with Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical and Methodological Insights from an Exploratory Study.

We aimed at showing how Global Positioning System (GPS) along with a previously validated speed processing methodology could be used to measure outdoor walking capacities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). We also deal with methodological issues that may occur when conducting such measurements, and explore to what extent GPS-measured outdoor walking capacities (maximal walking distance [MWD] and usual walking speed) could be related to traditional functional outcomes (6-min total walking distance) in people with MS. Eighteen people with MS, with an Expanded Disability Status Scale score ≤6, completed a 6-min walking test and an outdoor walking session (60 min maximum) at usual pace during which participants were wearing a DG100 GPS receiver and could perform several walking bouts.

Comparison of Activity Monitors Accuracy in Assessing Intermittent Outdoor Walking.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine and compare the accuracy of different activity monitors in assessing intermittent outdoor walking in both healthy and clinical populations through the development and validation of processing methodologies.

Methods: In study 1, an automated algorithm was implemented and tested for the detection of short (≤1 min) walking and stopping bouts during prescribed walking protocols performed by healthy subjects in environments with low and high levels of obstruction. The following parameters obtained from activity monitors were tested, with different recording epochs0.

Simulator-based assessment of ankle arterial systolic blood pressure measurement skills.

Objective: Learning basic vascular examination is a complex process. Very few studies have focused on the ability to measure the arterial systolic blood pressure at the ankle (ASBPa). The aim of this study was to objectively assess the effects of a 1-h practical educational intervention on the ability to measure ASBPa among medical students.

Evaluation of short food-frequency questionnaires to assess the dietary pattern associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases are strongly related to dietary habits. Diet can be assessed using dedicated questionnaires that can be self-completed by subjects but with the risk of errors.

Aim: To compare the completion error rate of two questionnaires designed to assess dietary pattern linked to cardiovascular diseases and to study the correlation between the two questionnaires.