Poster Session #1: UC Ballroom
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
James Laskin, PhD
Faculty Mentor’s Department
School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
Abstract / Artist's Statement
The act of walking is a complex series of actions involving a number of different body systems and is considered a critical contributor to quality of life. One’s gait, the manner of walking, can therefore be used by healthcare providers to evaluate patient health, functionality, and prognosis.
Accelerometers serve as both a valid and reliable instrument to measure activity level in able-bodied persons over extended periods of time. Currently, the Actical® (Mini Mitter, Bend, OR, USA) accelerometer includes age, gender, height, and weight data in its calculations. For individuals with locomotor dysfunction, however, current algorithms do not suffice for accurate estimates as they underpredict actual energy expenditure. Thus, there is a need for a variable(s) to take into account the magnitude of gait impairment and produce a revised equation to accurately estimate energy expenditure.
In search of those variables this study explored various functionality measurements of subjects (n=35) with gait impairments diverse in both etiology and extent. The Timed Up and Go (TUG), 10 Meter Walk (10mW), 30-second Chair Stand (30CS), 4 stage standing balance (4SB), and Six Minute Walk (6MWT) tests were used.
Using the conservative statistical model of backwards regression analyses produced an R=0.718 by taking into account variables of gender, weight, age, 30CS, 4SB, the fast 10mW, and its difference to the slow 10mW. The best regression model produced an R=0.724 and included height, TUG, and 6MWT in addition to those variables of the more conservative model.
Demand for accelerometer use in gait impaired individuals requires a revised equation taking into account important and frequently tested functionality variables. These variables demonstrate themselves as quality tests for better energy expenditure estimates and can lead physical therapists and healthcare professionals to the potential of providing gait impaired patients Actical® technology for more accurate results and therefore improve care.
Category
Life Sciences
Functionality Variables and Accelerometry Energy Expenditure Estimate Improvement in Individuals with Locomotor Dysfunction
The act of walking is a complex series of actions involving a number of different body systems and is considered a critical contributor to quality of life. One’s gait, the manner of walking, can therefore be used by healthcare providers to evaluate patient health, functionality, and prognosis.
Accelerometers serve as both a valid and reliable instrument to measure activity level in able-bodied persons over extended periods of time. Currently, the Actical® (Mini Mitter, Bend, OR, USA) accelerometer includes age, gender, height, and weight data in its calculations. For individuals with locomotor dysfunction, however, current algorithms do not suffice for accurate estimates as they underpredict actual energy expenditure. Thus, there is a need for a variable(s) to take into account the magnitude of gait impairment and produce a revised equation to accurately estimate energy expenditure.
In search of those variables this study explored various functionality measurements of subjects (n=35) with gait impairments diverse in both etiology and extent. The Timed Up and Go (TUG), 10 Meter Walk (10mW), 30-second Chair Stand (30CS), 4 stage standing balance (4SB), and Six Minute Walk (6MWT) tests were used.
Using the conservative statistical model of backwards regression analyses produced an R=0.718 by taking into account variables of gender, weight, age, 30CS, 4SB, the fast 10mW, and its difference to the slow 10mW. The best regression model produced an R=0.724 and included height, TUG, and 6MWT in addition to those variables of the more conservative model.
Demand for accelerometer use in gait impaired individuals requires a revised equation taking into account important and frequently tested functionality variables. These variables demonstrate themselves as quality tests for better energy expenditure estimates and can lead physical therapists and healthcare professionals to the potential of providing gait impaired patients Actical® technology for more accurate results and therefore improve care.