Rehabilitation Physiology Lab: Recent Publications

Pendergast DR, E Calkins, NM Fisher and R Vickers. Muscle Rehabilitation in Nursing Home Residents with Cognitive Impairment: a Pilot Study. Am J Alzheimer Care Rel Dis July/August:: 20-25, 1987.

Many residents of nursing homes have Alzheimer's disease or other disorders that alter cognitive function. In addition, home residents is significantly greater than in age matched independent living elderly. the purposes of the present study were to determine if the muscle function of nursing home residents with severe cognitive impairments were less than age matched nursing home residents with normal cognitive function, and to determine the effect of a muscle rehabilitation program. Maximal isometric knee extension force at a 90 degree angle was determined at three muscle lengths. The maximal force of the cognitive impaired group was 13.97 +/- 4.22, 11.67 +/- 2.46, and 10.92 +/- 4.61 kg. for the three muscle lengths from shortest to longest (resting length). Values for the group without cognitive impairment were 9.13 /- 1.47, 9.1 /- 1.42 and 8.65 /- 2.5 kg for the same muscle lengths. For both groups, force values were not different from each other, while they were both significantly lower than age matched independently living subjects. There was significant improvement (-70 and 39 percent) in muscle function in both groups, but there was no significant difference in the improvement between the two groups. In summary, severe cognitive impairment did not prevent significant improvement in response to an intense muscle rehabilitation program. However, the program did require a significantly greater level of staff involvement.

OTHER ABSTRACTS

Perini R, NM Fisher, A Veicsteinas, DR Pendergast. Aerobic Training and Cardiovascular Responses at Rest and during Exercise in Older Men and Women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 34:700-708, 2002.

Pendergast DR, NM Fisher and E Calkins. Cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and metabolic alterations with age leading to frailty . J Gerontol: Biol Sci 48(Special Issue):61-67, 1993.

Perini R, S Milesi, NM Fisher, DR Pendergast, A Veicsteinas. Heart Rate Variability during Dynamic Exercise in Elderly Males and Females. Eur J Appl Physiol 82(1-2):8-15, 2000.

Fisher NM, DR Pendergast. Improved cardiac output after exercise in the head-down tilt position in elderly subjects. Gerontologist 39 Special Issue I:466, 1999.

Fisher NM, DR Pendergast and E Calkins. Maximal Isometric Torque of Knee Extension as a Function of Muscle Length in Subjects of Advancing age. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 71(10):729-734, 1990.

Fisher NM, DR Pendergast and E Calkins. Muscle Rehabilitation in Impaired Elderly Nursing Home Residents. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 72(3):181-185, 1991.