Why have people with dementia problems with walking and balance?

Rakt, Jan and Mccarthy-Grunwald, Steven ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4873-5068 (2023) Why have people with dementia problems with walking and balance? Medical Research Archives, 11 (7.1).

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Abstract

Introduction: The walking performance and the balance are elements that change by people with dementia even before the diagnosis -dementia – is established. The reason is still a mystery, still there are investigations that think on an increase of pathological neurological increasing tone -paratonia. Investigations of that tone-increase are done in the beginning of this disease but mostly in a sitting-relax- position. But then is often a slight or even no increase present, but to know the impact, the tone measurement should be measure when people are performed this activity.

Method: To invest the impact of movements by people with dementia, we have taken the Rikli and Jones - Senior Fitness Test- by 35 participant with the diagnosis dementia. Further we did tests as the B.B.S., Tinetti, Statiek test and the tone measurement -Mas-P when walking or immediately after in stand or when stand was no option in sit.

Results: All participants give a worse results on the elements, balance, speed and walking and scored almost equal with age equal persons without dementia on the other items. The other tests (B.B.S., Tinetti, Statiek test) were also lesser and all had a higher tone when this measurement was done immediately after the walking/balance performance and certainly when they are doing the performance.

Conclusion: The impact of the pathological neurological tone (paratonia) was evident in this investigation of 35 people with dementia. The tone was the most important factor that interfered with the speed, walking and balance performance. But this asked for further investigation what walking and balance do with the tone of people with dementia. Further is it a question of an treatment as fall prevention on the way given now, has an effect or maybe has an negative influence on the balance performance. To get a better treatment than must the tone decrease, to get the possibilities of selectivity and speed possible and that is only possible in an gravity decreasing environment as par example water. That should be THE therapy that can slowdown the disease and stimulated the balance performance much longer than when the situation has to deal with gravity and thus an increase tone.

Item Type:	Article
Journal / Publication Title:	Medical Research Archives
Publisher:	European Society of Medicine
ISSN:	2375-1924
Departments:	Institute of Health > Rehabilitation and Sport Science
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	18 Jul 2023 14:32
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2024 15:16
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/7234

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