Objectively Measured Physical Activity as a COPD Clinical Trial Outcome.

Background: Reduced physical activity is common in COPD and is associated with poor outcomes. Physical activity is therefore a worthy target for intervention in clinical trials; however, trials evaluating physical activity have used heterogeneous methods.

Research Question: What is the available evidence on the efficacy and/or effectiveness of various interventions to enhance objectively measured physical activity in patients with COPD, taking into account the minimal preferred methodologic quality of physical activity assessment?

Study Design And Methods: In this narrative review, the COPD Biomarker Qualification Consortium (CBQC) task force searched three scientific databases for articles that reported the effect of an intervention on objectively measured physical activity in COPD.

Dual vs. Single Tasking During Circular Walking: What Better Reflects Progression in Parkinson's Disease?

Reliable, valid and sensitive measures of dual-task-associated impairments in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) may reveal progressive deficits unnoticed under single-task walking. The aim of this study was to quantitatively identify markers of progressive gait deficits in idiopathic PD while walking over a circular trajectory condition in single-task walking and in different dual-task conditions: (1) circular walking while checking boxes on a paper sheet as fast as possible and (2) circular walking while performing subtraction of 7 as fast as possible. In addition, we aimed to study the added value of dual-tasking assessment over single (circular) walking task assessment in the study of PD progression.

"Can do" versus "do do": A Novel Concept to Better Understand Physical Functioning in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Physical capacity (PC) and physical activity (PA) represent associated but separate domains of physical function. It remains unknown whether this framework may support a better understanding of the impaired physical function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The current study had two aims: (1) to determine the distribution of patients with COPD over the PC-PA quadrants, and (2) to explore whether differences exist in clinical characteristics between these quadrants.

Potential Markers of Progression in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease Derived From Assessment of Circular Gait With a Single Body-Fixed-Sensor: A 5 Year Longitudinal Study.

Development of objective, reliable and easy-to-use methods to obtain progression markers of Parkinson's disease (PD) is required to evaluate interventions and to advance research in PD. This study aimed to provide quantitative markers of progression in idiopathic PD from the assessment of circular gait (walking in circles) with a single body-fixed inertial sensor placed on the lower back. The assessments were performed every 6 months over a (up to) 5 years period for 22 patients in early-stage PD, 27 patients in middle-stage PD and 25 healthy controls (HC).

Gait speed assessed by a 4-m walk test is not representative of daily-life gait speed in community-dwelling adults.

Objectives: Standardized tests of gait speed are regarded as being of clinical value, but they are typically performed under optimal conditions, and may not reflect daily-life gait behavior. The aim of this study was to compare 4-m gait speed to the distribution of daily-life gait speed.

Study Design: The cross-sectional Grey Power cohort included 254 community-dwelling participants aged 18 years or more.

A body-fixed-sensor-based analysis of stair ascent and sit-to-stand to detect age-related differences in leg-extensor power.

Human ageing is accompanied by a progressive decline in leg-extensor power (LEP). LEP is typically measured with specialized and expensive equipment, which limits the large-scale applicability. Previously, sensor-based trunk kinematics have been used to estimate the vertical power required to elevate the body's center of mass during functional tests, but the link with LEP and age remains to be investigated.

The association between age and accelerometry-derived types of habitual daily activity: an observational study over the adult life span in the Netherlands.

Background: Advances in sensor technology allow for objective and high-resolution monitoring of physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Novel epidemiological data is required to provide feedback on an individual's habitual daily activity in comparison to peers and might eventually lead to refined physical activity guidelines.

Methods: We merged data of 762 people between 18 and 99 years of age, who all wore a DynaPort MoveMonitor accelerometer on their lower back during 1 week in daily-life, to provide insight into habitual types and durations of daily activities, and examine the association between age and physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

Older Adults with Weaker Muscle Strength Stand up from a Sitting Position with More Dynamic Trunk Use.

The ability to stand up from a sitting position is essential for older adults to live independently. Body-fixed inertial sensors may provide an approach for quantifying the sit-to-stand (STS) in clinical settings. The aim of this study was to determine whether measurements of STS movements using body-fixed sensors yield parameters that are informative regarding changes in STS performance in older adults with reduced muscle strength.

Instrumented Assessment of Physical Activity Is Associated With Muscle Function but Not With Muscle Mass in a General Population.

Objectives: Self-reported physical activity has shown to affect muscle-related parameters. As self-report is likely biased, this study aimed to assess the association between instrumented assessment of physical activity (I-PA) and muscle-related parameters in a general population.

Method: Included were 156 young-to-middle-aged and 80 older community-dwelling adults.

Assessment of maximal handgrip strength: how many attempts are needed?

Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) is used to identify individuals with low muscle strength (dynapenia). The influence of the number of attempts on maximal HGS is not yet known and may differ depending on age and health status. This study aimed to assess how many attempts of HGS are required to obtain maximal HGS.

The Instrumented Sit-to-Stand Test (iSTS) Has Greater Clinical Relevance than the Manually Recorded Sit-to-Stand Test in Older Adults.

Background: The ability to rise from sitting to standing is critical to an individual's quality of life, as it is a prerequisite for functional independence. The purpose of the current study was to examine the hypothesis that test durations as assessed with the instrumented repeated Sit-To-Stand (STS) show stronger associations with health status, functional status and daily physical activity of older adults than manually recorded test durations.

Methods: In 63 older participants (mean age 83 ±6.

A novel accelerometry-based algorithm for the detection of step durations over short episodes of gait in healthy elderly.

Background: The assessment of short episodes of gait is clinically relevant and easily implemented, especially given limited space and time requirements. BFS (body-fixed-sensors) are small, lightweight and easy to wear sensors, which allow the assessment of gait at relative low cost and with low interference. Thus, the assessment with BFS of short episodes of gait, extracted from dailylife physical activity or measured in a standardised and supervised setting, may add value in the study of gait quality of the elderly.

Quantitative Timed-Up-and-Go Parameters in Relation to Cognitive Parameters and Health-Related Quality of Life in Mild-to-Moderate Parkinson's Disease.

Introduction: The instrumented-Timed-Up-and-Go test (iTUG) provides detailed information about the following movement patterns: sit-to-walk (siwa), straight walking, turning and walk-to-sit (wasi). We were interested in the relative contributions of respective iTUG sub-phases to specific clinical deficits most relevant for daily life in Parkinson's disease (PD). More specifically, we investigated which condition-fast speed (FS) or convenient speed (CS)-differentiates best between mild- to moderate-stage PD patients and controls, which parameters of the iTUG sub-phases are significantly different between PD patients and controls, and how the iTUG parameters associate with cognitive parameters (with particular focus on cognitive flexibility and working memory) and Health-Related-Quality of Life (HRQoL).

The validity of assessing temporal events, sub-phases and trunk kinematics of the sit-to-walk movement in older adults using a single inertial sensor.

The aim of this study was to develop a method to identify temporal events, sub-phases and trunk kinematics of the sit-to-walk (STW) using a single inertial sensor (IS) worn at the lower back and to determine the validity of this method. Twenty-seven healthy older adults performed a STW movement, which started from sitting in a chair and included walking 3m. Participants׳ movements were recorded with the IS, a reference measurement system consisting of an optical motion capture system (3 markers on the IS and one on each foot) and on-off switches located in the seat of the chair.

Intra-Rater, Inter-Rater and Test-Retest Reliability of an Instrumented Timed Up and Go (iTUG) Test in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Background: The "Timed Up and Go" (TUG) is a widely used measure of physical functioning in older people and in neurological populations, including Parkinson's Disease. When using an inertial sensor measurement system (instrumented TUG [iTUG]), the individual components of the iTUG and the trunk kinematics can be measured separately, which may provide relevant additional information.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine intra-rater, inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the iTUG in patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Minimal correlation between physical exercise capacity and daily activity in patients with intermittent claudication.

Background: Walking capacity measured by a treadmill test (TT) reflects the patient's maximal capacity in a controlled setting and is part of the physical exercise capacity (PEC). Daily physical activity (PA) is defined as the total of actively freely produced movements per day. A lower PA level has been increasingly recognized as a strong predictor of increased morbidity and mortality in patients with intermittent claudication (IC).

Physical Performance and Physical Activity in Older Adults: Associated but Separate Domains of Physical Function in Old Age.

Background: Physical function is a crucial factor in the prevention and treatment of health conditions in older adults and is usually measured objectively with physical performance tests and/or physical activity monitoring.

Objective: To examine whether 1) physical performance (PP) and physical activity (PA) constitute separate domains of physical function; 2) differentiation of PA classes is more informative than overall PA.

Design: Cross-sectional study to explore the relationships within and among PP and PA measures.

Effect of bed height and use of hands on trunk angular velocity during the sit-to-stand transfer.

Unlabelled: The ability to rise from a chair or bed is critical to an individual's quality of life because it determines functional independence. This study was to investigate the effect of bed height and use of hands on trunk angular velocity and trunk angles during the sit-to-stand (STS) performance. Twenty-four older persons (median age 74 years) were equipped with a body-fixed gyroscopic sensor and stood up from a bed adjusted to different heights, with and without the use of hands at each height.

Accelerometer-based quantitative analysis of axial nocturnal movements differentiates patients with Parkinson's disease, but not high-risk individuals, from controls.

Introduction: There is a need for prodromal markers to diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD) as early as possible. Knowing that most patients with overt PD have abnormal nocturnal movement patterns, we hypothesised that such changes might occur already in non-PD individuals with a potentially high risk for future development of the disease.

Methods: Eleven patients with early PD (Hoehn & Yahr stage ≤2.

Impaired trunk stability in individuals at high risk for Parkinson's disease.

Background: The search for disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson's disease advances, however necessary markers for early detection of the disease are still lacking. There is compelling evidence that changes of postural stability occur at very early clinical stages of Parkinson's disease, making it tempting to speculate that changes in sway performance may even occur at a prodromal stage, and may have the potential to serve as a prodromal marker for the disease.

Methodology/principal Findings: Balance performance was tested in 20 individuals with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, 12 Parkinson's disease patients and 14 controls using a cross-sectional approach.

Markedly impaired bilateral coordination of gait in post-stroke patients: Is this deficit distinct from asymmetry? A cohort study.

Background: Multiple aspects of gait are typically impaired post-stroke. Asymmetric gait is common as a consequence of unilateral brain lesions. The relationship between the resulting asymmetric gait and impairments in the ability to properly coordinate the reciprocal stepping activation of the legs is not clear.

Estimating activity-related energy expenditure under sedentary conditions using a tri-axial seismic accelerometer.

Activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) is difficult to quantify, especially under sedentary conditions. Here, a model was developed using the detected type of physical activity (PA) and movement intensity (MI), based on a tri-axial seismic accelerometer (DynaPort MiniMod; McRoberts B.V.

Reproducibility of a triaxial seismic accelerometer (DynaPort).

Purpose: To examine the reproducibility of a triaxial seismic accelerometer under controlled conditions and real-life conditions.

Methods: Instrumental reproducibility was examined using a shaker device. The accelerometers (DynaPort MiniMod; McRoberts B.

Athletic skill level is reflected in body sway: a test case for accelometry in combination with stochastic dynamics.

Recent studies on postural control have shown that the variability of body sway during quiet standing may provide valuable information to characterize changes in postural control due to age, pathology, skill and task. The aim of the present study was to determine - as spade work for possible clinical applications - whether body sway measured with a three-axial accelerometer at the trunk can differentiate between three healthy young populations that differ in athletic skill level. The three groups in question (group size: n=22) consisted of regular bachelor students, physical education students and physical education students specialized in gymnastics.

Self-reported physical functioning was more influenced by pain than performance-based physical functioning in knee-osteoarthritis patients.

Background And Objectives: To test the hypothesis that self-reported physical functioning is more influenced by pain than performance-based physical functioning.

Methods: 163 knee-osteoarthritis patients completed the performance-based DynaPort KneeTest (DPKT), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and SF-36 (self-report measures of pain and physical functioning) before, 3, 6, and 12 months after knee replacement.

Results: Correlations between (two) self-reported measures of functioning and (two) pain measures were higher (0.