Biomedical subjects

Eli Carmeli

Publications and source records attributed to Eli Carmeli.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

A comparison between older persons with down syndrome and a control group: clinical characteristics, functional status and sensorimotor function.

The increase in life expectancy within the general population has resulted in an increasing number of elderly adults with intellectual disability, and this is reflected in the increased life expectancy in persons with Down syndrome, currently about 56 years. The aim of this study was to study the clinical characteristics, the functional status and sensori-motor function of 10 older persons with Down syndrome (mean age 59 years), 13 younger persons with Down syndrome (mean age 44 years) and compare them with 38 adults with intellectual disability without Down syndrome and a control group of people without intellectual disability. All the persons with Down syndrome and intellectual disability resided in two residential living centres in Israel, while the 31 older persons without intellectual disability (mean age 75 years), who served as the control group, lived in an independent living facility. The study considered demographic data, medical backgrounds, physical and functional tests. The results showed that the older persons with Down syndrome in the study were more obese, shorter and had more medical problems than both the older persons with intellectual disability and the control group. The functional performance of the older adults with Down syndrome was more impaired in comparison with both other groups. It is postulated that their slower responses may be explained by a less physically active lifestyle, that may accelerate the onset of disease, resulting in symptoms associated with aging that are detrimental to health.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Long-term effects of activity status in the elderly on cardiorespiratory capacity, blood pressure, blood lipids, and body composition: a five-year follow-up study.

It is generally recognized that physical activity levels in the elderly do not remain constant over time, and typically there is a marked reduction in physical activities in the elderly. The long-term benefits of regular physical training programs in the elderly are still not fully understood. This is a study of 55 elderly healthy subjects (over 65 years old) and re-evaluated for the effects of different physical activity patterns (sedentary, moderately active, and highly active) on several physiological parameters (pre- and post-training) after a 5-year period (5.30 +/- 1.14 years). Measurements included: body composition, blood lipid profiles, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, maximal oxygen uptake, and pulmonary function. Results indicated a larger decrease in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in the group of elderly sedentary individuals (1.5 +/- 0.5 l/min) compared to the moderately active (1.7 +/- 0.6 l/min) and the highly active groups (1.9 +/- 0.4 l/min). An active lifestyle was not sufficient to increase the physiological function of an individual. This study could not clearly demonstrate favorable differences for the physically active groups over the sedentary group with regard to several important physiological factors over the 5-year follow-up and it appears that the recommendation for, and the initiation of, adopting active lifestyles may not be sufficient on their own to significantly increase an individual's physiological functioning.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Elderly persons with intellectual disability: a study of clinical characteristics, functional status, and sensory capacity.

Longer life expectancy is resulting in increasing numbers of elderly adults with intellectual disability (ID). There has been the question whether persons with ID demonstrate early signs of aging before the general population. The aim of this study was to determine if persons with ID (with and without Down syndrome) showed premature aging changes compared with a control group. Elderly persons (n = 24, average age of 61) from one residential care center in Israel and younger adults from another center (n = 37, average age of 45) were compared with elderly residents without ID in an independent living facility. The study considered demographic data, medical data, anthropometric measurements, body fat and body mass index, flexibility, and sensorimotor function tests. The results showed that the persons with ID had basically similar body composition to that of persons without ID, however, the functional performance of elderly adults with ID was more impaired. We postulate that the slower functioning responses may be explained by a less physically active lifestyle, that may accelerate the onset of disease and result in symptoms associated with aging that are detrimental to health. It is therefore important that persons with ID participate in physical activity and exercises in order to promote health and prevent disease.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Creative problem solving and social cooperation of effective physical therapy practice: a pioneer study and overview.

Action research (AR) has an important role to play in educating physical therapists. Increasing efforts should be encouraged to instigate AR programs in physical therapy practice and clinical education. Such programs commonly require considerable effort and understanding by clinical instructors, and require adoption of new educational methods. AR programs can lead physical therapists and clinicians to be more questioning and reflective in evaluating practical questions regarding patient therapy and education. The purpose of this article is to educate the readers on the importance of AR and to provide a few relevant references on that topic. A specific study is described in this paper in which physical therapy clinical instructors participated in a structured workshop designed to demonstrate the values of AR and how such values can be incorporated in teaching their students. AR can lead to improved therapist-patient interaction and help solve specific practical problems arising during therapy sessions.

Cooperative Behavior↗

PubMed2003

Expression of matrix metalloproteinases, inhibitor, and acid phosphatase in muscles of immobilized hindlimbs of rats.

External fixation procedures of limb immobilization provide excellent experimental models to study mechanisms involved in muscle disuse atrophy and recovery. Female Wistar rats (7-8 months old) had their right hindlimbs immobilized by an external fixation procedure for 5, 10, 21, and 30 days. Muscle mass of the gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscles was reduced by 41-46% in comparison with contralateral nonimmobilized legs. Acid phosphatase activities were significantly increased after 21 and 30 days of hindlimb immobilization. Histochemical staining for acid phosphatase activities increased in myofibers after the external fixation and also in macrophages in the adjacent extracellular matrix. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2 and MMP-9) activities assessed by gel zymography and also a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) assessed by Western blot were elevated in the immobilized hindlimb muscles. Our study demonstrated that metalloproteinases are expressed relatively late after limb immobilization and appear to be responsible to a large degree for degradation of the extracellular matrix in experimental disuse atrophy.

Acid Phosphatase↗

PubMed2003

The influence of early aerobic training on the functional capacity in patients with cerebrovascular accident at the subacute stage.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of early aerobic training on the aerobic and functional abilities of patients in the subacute stage of cerebrovascular accident (CVA). DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Rehabilitation unit in Israel. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-two patients who had a first CVA were randomly assigned to an exercise-training group or to a control group. INTERVENTION: Aerobic training with a leg cycle ergometer for 8 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Workload, exercise time, resting and submaximal blood pressure and heart rate, and functional abilities. RESULTS: A trend toward improvement was found in all aerobic parameters for the experimental group, but only heart rate at rest (P=.02), workload, and work time (P<.01) improved significantly. A trend for improvement was also found in all parameters of function for the experimental group, but only stair climbing was significantly better (P<.01). An interaction (95% confidence interval, 1.7-17.21) was found between age and aerobic training on walking distance. Although no significant effect was found in the group of younger patients (aged <65y), a significant difference in favor of training was noted in the group of older patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CVA in the subacute stage improved some of their aerobic and functional abilities after submaximal aerobic training.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

The aging hand.

Hand function decreases with age in both men and women, especially after the age of 65 years. A review is presented of anatomical and physiological changes in the aging hand. The age-related changes in prehension patterns (grip and pinch strength) and hand dexterity in the elderly population are considered. Deterioration in hand function in the elderly population is, to a large degree, secondary to age-related degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal, vascular, and nervous systems. Deterioration of hand function in elderly adults is a combination of local structural changes (joints, muscle, tendon, bone, nerve and receptors, blood supply, skin, and fingernails) and more distant changes in neural control. These age-related changes are often accompanied by underlying pathological conditions (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatic arthritis, and Parkinson's disease) that are common in the elderly population. Assessment of hand function and prehension patterns is needed in order to determine specific treatment approaches.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2003

Five clinical tests to assess balance following ball exercises and treadmill training in adult persons with intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: Incidence rates of falling increase progressively with aging. Preventing or delaying the onset of functional decline is a crucial important goal, because more individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are living well into their sixth and seventh decades. The question of whether walking and ball exercises can effect balance performance has never been reported. This pilot study was conducted to determine the effects of therapeutic training on improving balance capabilities in adults with mild ID. METHODS: The study included 13 women and 4 men, aged 50-67 years (mean age 56.5 years) residing in a residential care center. Five clinical tests were used to determine the "real" picture of the locomotor function and balance before and after the training protocol. Baseline values were determined using 2 control groups of age-matched adults with and without ID. The tests included modified get-up-and-go, full turn, forward reach, sit-to-stand, and one-legged standing. Therapeutic training for 6 months included dynamic ball exercises and treadmill walking with a 2-3% positive inclination. RESULTS: Participants in the program showed little to no improvement in terms of their static and dynamic balance compared to their initial values. Thus, only 2 of the tests showed statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of improvement was noted in both postural and balance control in adults with mild ID as a result of 6 months of intervention by means of ball exercise and treadmill training.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

The effect of early aerobic training on independence six months post stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether early aerobic training has a beneficial effect on stroke patients' independence in daily and social activities six months after the event. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Rehabilitation unit. SUBJECTS: Ninety-two patients after a first stroke. INTERVENTIONS: Forty-six patients participated in an eight-week programme of aerobic training, using a leg cycle ergometer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) measured twice, at entry to programme (pre-event score) and six months after the onset of the event. RESULTS: Despite the significant improvement of study group patients' functional abilities immediately after the intervention compared with controls, no significant difference was found in FAI mean score between groups six months post event. An interaction effect was noted between event severity, intervention and FAI total score. Mean FAI score declined significantly less in the less severely impaired study group patients. CONCLUSIONS: Early, moderately intense aerobic training has no direct impact on independence in daily and social activities as measured by FAI total score six months after a stroke.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2003

[Combined tests to measure functional capability in elderly people].

BACKGROUND: Several diagnostic tests and questionnaires on the health and functional status of elderly people are used in the clinical practice. The evaluation procedures are geared to determine function and health issues distinct from that of the quality of life. The use of broad assessment complex protocols may be unrealistic, false or impractical. OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were: a) to explore the relationship between a subjects perception and two functional tests, and b) to measure if Tinetti balance test and Berg balance test provide similar results. METHODS: Four common evaluation procedures were used prior and following 12 weeks of balance and exercise training: two are considered as objective tests (Tinetti and Berg), and two are considered as subjective questionnaires (Short-Form Health Survey--SF-36 and self satisfaction questionnaires). The procedures were applied to 38 independent elderly residents (aged 79 +/- 3.4) who live in a nursing home. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to measure the reliability for the self-assessment of subjects who reported as "no change" "improvement" or as "worse". Pearson correlation coefficient was used to investigate the correlation between the tests. The self-assessed report differed from the clinical outcome tests. In the self-assessment questionnaire two subjects rated "worse" whereas no deterioration was noticed in Tinetti and Berg tests. Moreover, after 12 weeks of balance training, using a self-rated questionnaire, 7 subjects reported "no change", and in the clinical tests 13 subjects showed "no change". CONCLUSIONS: The combined test of Tinetti and SF-36 can provide an improved picture of the functional capability and perception in elderly persons in nursing homes.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

The biochemistry of aging muscle.

Between the ages of 20 and 80, humans lose approximately 20-30% of their skeletal muscle mass. This age-related loss of muscle mass, sometimes described as 'sarcopenia of old age', is the consequence of complicated multifactorial processes and is commonly associated with osteopenia or osteoporosis. Consequences of the aging changes in muscle are declining physiological function and loss of muscle strength, typically associated with reduced physical activities. Consequently, falls and subsequent serious injuries are prevalent in the elderly. Thus, it is imperative to try and understand the processes, leading to age-related muscle loss, in order to develop means to retard this phenomenon leading to improved quality of life in the elderly. It is possible to divide the causes of muscle aging to intrinsic factors, involving changes at the molecular and cellular levels, and to extrinsic or environmental factors. The purpose of this review is to describe some of the biochemical processes and the possible mechanisms of muscle aging and to evaluate the importance of various extrinsic factors such as nutrition, exercise and limb immobilization. Changes in the aging skeletal muscle are reviewed with regard to: (a) enzyme activities, protein turnover and repair capacities (b) mitochondrial functioning and energy reserve systems (c) ion content and regulation (d) oxidative stress and free radicals (e) nutrition and caloric restriction (f) exercise and limb immobilization.

Aging↗

PubMed2002

Effects of a treadmill walking program on muscle strength and balance in elderly people with Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Longer life expectancy is resulting in increasing numbers of elderly adults with mental retardation. In elderly adults with Down syndrome (DS), the maintenance of muscle strength, endurance, and dynamic balance are important to ensure quality of life and functional independence. The objective of this study was to compare isokinetic leg strength and dynamic balance of aged mentally retarded individuals with DS (n = 16, mean age 63) before and after a treadmill walking program lasting 6 months in comparison with a nonwalking control group (n = 10) with similar physical characteristics. METHODS: Participants in the study undertook leg strength testing on a dynamometer. Parameters measured included peak torque, peak torque % body weight, and average power % body weight. A "timed get-up and go" functional test for dynamic balance was also analyzed and compared prior to and after the treadmill program. RESULTS: Knee extension and flexion isokinetic strength in elderly individuals with DS showed significant improvement after 6 months of treadmill training. Dynamic balance performance was also significantly improved (p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: Aged adults with DS can significantly improve muscle strength and balance by adopting suitable programs of treadmill walking.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Isokinetic leg strength of institutionalized older adults with mental retardation with and without Down's syndrome.

This study compared isokinetic leg strength of aged individuals with mental retardation (MR) with and without Down's syndrome (DS). Nine subjects with MR and DS (mean age = 61) and 16 subjects with MR but without DS (mean age = 63) performed a leg strength test on a Biodex dynamometer. Parameters measured were peak torque, peak torque percent body weight (ratio displayed as a percentage of the maximum torque production to the subject's body weight), and average power percent body weight. In addition, anthropometric measurements (height, weight, skinfolds, and body mass index) and intelligence quotient (IQ) were also analyzed and compared. The results indicate a significant increase of scores for isokinetic knee extension and flexion in the group with MR but without DS over the subjects in the group with MR and DS. As a group, the individuals with MR and DS tended to be smaller and fatter. No significant difference in IQ was observed between the 2 groups with MR. It was concluded that the strength of individuals with MR but without DS is greater than the group of subjects with MR and DS. When comparing their results to aged individuals without MR, a significant decline in muscle strength can be observed among people with MR.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Activities of antioxidant scavenger enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) in erythrocytes in adult women with and without type II diabetes.

It is widely believed that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of type II diabetes. The present study was undertaken to examine the functioning of two antioxidant scavenger enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), in erythrocytes in a population of healthy aging adult women compared with a similar population with type II diabetes. Blood samples were examined from 42 female adult healthy subjects at different ages and from 59 female patients with type II diabetes. A significant increase in SOD activities was correlated with aging in erythrocytes of the healthy control subjects (r =.550, P =.001); however, this correlation was not found in subjects with type II diabetes (r =.250, P <.07). A trend showing a reduction in glutathione peroxidase activities was demonstrated with aging (r = -.331, P =.228); however, this trend was not found in diabetic subjects (r =.031, P <.820). The results indicate a possible imbalance in the antioxidant system in erythrocytes of aging adult women, which is even more pronounced in cases of type II diabetes. This study may indicate possible therapeutic treatment or preventive measures to limit oxidative damage and reduce complications of diabetes.

Aging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Blindness in adolescents in Israel.

Adolescents with blindness or visual impairment, in order to go through the trying time of adolescence, require extra strength to overcome their disability. This short communication looks at prevalence data for blindness in children and adolescents that range from about 3 per 10,000 children in developed countries (60 blind children per million total population) to 15 per 10,000 in the poorest countries (600 blind children per million total population). Data from the year 2000 in Israel showed a total of 18,509 persons with blindness registered in Israel, including 168 children between the age 0-5 years and 788 between 6-18 years. Children and adolescents comprised 5.2% of the total with a small male dominance (520 males, 436 females). The total prevalence rate for children and adolescents (0-18 years) in Israel was 4.5 per 10,000 and 5.3 per 10,000 for the 6-18 year olds. The causes of blindness for children and adolescents in Israel are also presented, with optic atrophy the most common cause.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Physical activity in adolescence. A review with clinical suggestions.

Despite some inconsistencies in research methodologies, most findings support a positive correlation between participation in physical activities and well-being in adulthood. The results are consistent across the life span of both genders. Favorable connection between physical exercise to physical, psychological, emotional and educational benefits has been constantly proven. Despite such results a comparison between present to past findings show a global tendency for sedentary life style and reduced physical activities in many countries across ages and genders. There are claims that achieving an adult healthy life style is rooted in habits acquired at early ages, thus pointing at childhood and adolescence as the starting point of an active and healthy adulthood. The present article reviews the current literature and findings relating to physical activity with better health and an emphasis on adolescence. Factors correlated to participation of adolescents in physical activities are presented and some clinical issues to promote such activity are discussed. The authors strongly recommend enhanced initiation of community based easily accessed physical exercise programs, for children and adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A review of physical activity and well-being.

The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Based on this declaration the construct of well-being has been researched. Many researchers have set a clear path between physical exercise and feeling better or the connection of reduced physical activity and diminished health. Nevertheless the allusive subjective psychological construct of well-being has not been directly connected to physical activity. Despite abundance of technical evidence that supports notions of correlations between physical exercise and well-being, the scientific proof is not within our reach yet. Some of the basic reasons are the facts that the definition of well-being is unclear, not many RCT's (Randomized Control Trials) have been performed, dose related results are scarce and many articles use small populations and different methodology. Until an actual research based connection will be found between physical exercise and well-being, the authors strongly recommend physical activity as part of everyone's leisure time, since there are enough proven physical mental, and social benefits to physical activity besides well-being.

Chronic Disease↗