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Biomedical subjects

H Ring

Publications and source records attributed to H Ring.

78 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

ELGAM--extra-laboratory gait assessment method: identification of risk factors for falls among the elderly at home.

Gait and balance disturbances are recognized risk factors for falls among elderly persons. The prevention of falls and their adverse complications is one of the challenges in geriatric care, requiring the early detection of risk factors. Heretofore, gait assessment procedures have required considerable investment in equipment for sophisticated biomechanical testing. This has limited the use of gait-testing procedures to the laboratory or clinic. We describe a simple and effective method for at-home or community gait testing, ELGAM (extra-laboratory gait assessment method). ELGAM was field-tested as part of a study of 36 community-dwelling elderly in Beer Sheba, Israel. The ELGAM parameters studied included step length, walking speed, initial starting style of walking, ability to turn head while walking, and static balance. Slow walking speed (less than 0.5 m/s), small steps, difficulty in turning the head, and impaired balance were significantly associated (chi-square analyses, p less than 0.01) with unstable gait. The parameters were also positively associated one with another, except for head turning. The ELGAM parameters were significantly related to self-assessed fall frequency, and reported 'near falls' among women only. In addition, among women only, slow walking speed was associated with depressive symptoms as detected by a validated screening test, the Short Geriatric Depression Scale, and with poor subjective health rating. Among 58% of this independently living elderly sample, ELGAM detected one or more risk factors. ELGAM is a 'low-tech', functionally based, effective method for direct recording of gait parameters that is applicable for community studies of the early detection of risk factors for falls and mobility problems.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gait and activity in the elderly: implications for community falls-prevention and treatment programmes.

Falls are the major cause of accidents in the elderly. Falls result from the interaction of medical, psychosocial and age-related changes with environmental conditions. Since many of these factors are amenable to change, theoretically many falls are preventable. As part of a multi-method community fall prevention programme we developed a gait assessment method (ELGAM). We report here on the association between ELGAM parameters and measures of social and physical activity, tested among 36 elderly community-dwelling persons. Social and physical activity were associated with only some of the gait parameters (turning head while walking and walking speed). However, the findings about gait are consistent with other research based on larger samples, and some of the findings from intervention research. Together they suggest the importance of social and physical activity in fall prevention programmes.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Electrophysiological findings in poliomyelitis patients at the subacute phase.

Electrodiagnostic tests-needle EMG, nerve conduction and somatosentory evoked potential (SEP) studies of the upper and the lower limbs were performed in three patients during the subacute phase of poliomyelitis. Although poliomyelitis is traditionally considered a "pure motor" disease, involvement of the sensory system was demonstrated by prolonged sensory nerve conduction and by delayed latencies and amplitude asymmetries of SEPs obtained from the lower limbs. Sensory deficit in poliomyelitis is well known to exist during the acute phase of illness. The present report describes the electrophysiological findings in patients during the subacute phase, several months after onset of illness. Sensory nerve action potentials and sensory evoked potentials were abnormal, especially those elicited by lower limb stimulation although the patients had no overt signs of sensory loss at that time. The associated EMG findings are described, and the probable pathologic changes of the motor unit are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Psychological and social problems of Parkinson's disease.

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegnerative disorder which is frequently associated with psychological, psychiatric and social problems. The association of psychological symptoms and a neurological disorder that has clear neuropathology provides researchers with the exciting prospect of finding biological models for common behavioural states.

Dementia↗