Article

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.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS