Intervención fisioterápica en el anciano con limitación funcional para las actividades de la vida diaria: estudio comparativo de la efectividad de dos protocolos de entrenamiento específico de la musculatura respiratoria vs. control

Introducción.La pérdida generalizada de masa y fuerza muscular asociada al envejecimiento es causa de deterioro funcional y discapacidad física, especialmente en el anciano de edad avanzada. En este contexto, la función respiratoria puede verse gravemente comprometida, cuando al descenso fisiológico de la fuerza de la musculatura respiratoria (MR), se le suman la comorbilidad y la inmovilidad. Estudios previos han demostrado que el entrenamiento específico de la MR se acompaña de la mejora significativa de la fuerza y la resistencia de esta musculatura, tanto en sujetos sanos como en enfermos. Por lo tanto, puede tratarse de una intervención efectiva para mejorar y mantener las características de la MR, así como prevenir el deterioro clínico y funcional del anciano más vulnerable. Objetivo. Evaluar y comparar entre sí la efectividad de dos protocolos de entrenamiento específico de la MR en la mejora de su fuerza y resistencia, en el anciano institucionalizado con importante limitación funcional. Material y métodos.Setenta y un ancianos institucionalizados con incapacidad para deambular (90% mujeres;edadmedia ± Sx, 85 ± 6 años) fueron asignados aleatoriamente a un grupo control (n= 24) y dos grupos entrenados (grupo Threshold,n= 23; grupo Pranayama, n= 24). Los grupos experimentales siguieron un protocolo de entrenamiento supervisado, cinco días a la semana durante seis semanas consecutivas. Las principales variables de este estudio, las presiones respiratorias estáticas máximas (PImax y PEmax) y la ventilación máxima voluntaria (VMV), fueron medidas en cuatro momentos temporales (semanas 0, 4, 7 y 10) para cada uno de los tres grupos definidos. Resultados. Contrariamente a nuestra hipótesis, el entrenamiento mediante Threshold® IMT no reveló efecto significativo en la fuerza y la resistencia de la MR. Sin embargo, los ejercicios de ventilación controlada, descritos como Pranayama, reflejaron un aumento significativo de la fuerza de laMR sobre los grupos control y Threshold(PImax F6,204= 6,774, p< 0,001, η2= 0,166; PEmax F6,204= 4,257, p< 0,001, η2= 0,111). Adicionalmente, el Pranayama mostró un efecto significativamente mayor de la resistencia de la MR respecto al grupo control (VMV F6,204= 5,322, p< 0,001, η2= 0,135). Conclusión. El entrenamiento mediante Pranayama es una modalidad de ejercicio efectiva y bien tolerada por el anciano que no puede deambular autónomamente. Por lo tanto, es una alternativa beneficiosa para el mantenimiento y mejora de la fuerza y resistencia de la MR en el anciano con perdida significativa de movilidad y capacidad de ejercicio.The global loss of muscle mass and strength associated with aging is a cause of functional impairment and disability, particularly in the frail elderly. Respiratory function can be severely compromised if there is a decrease of respiratory muscle (RM) strength complicated by the presence of comorbidities and physical immobility. Previous studies have shown that RM training is an effective method to increase RM strength, both in healthy people and patients. In this case, RM training may be regarded as a beneficial alternative to improve RM function, and thus prevent physical deterioration in this population. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the effect of two specific RM training protocols on the RM strength and endurance in an elderly population, who were unable to engage in general exercise conditioning. The hypothesis was that RM training would improve RM strength and endurance in the experimental groups vs. control group, who did not participate in RM training. Methods. Seventy-one institutionalized elderlypeople with an inability to walk (90% female, age 85 ± 6 years) were randomly assigned to a control group (n=24), Threshold group (n=23) or Pranayama group (n=24). Both experimental groups performed a supervised RM training, 5 days/week for six consecutive weeks. The maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP and MEP) and the maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) were assessed at four time points in each of the three groups. Results. Contrary to our original hypothesis, Threshold® IMT did not reveal a significant effect on the RM strength and endurance, when compared to the outcomes in the control group. However, Pranayama exercises reflected a significant increase in RM strength, over the control and Threshold groups (MIP F6,204= 6,774, p< 0,001, 2= 0,166; MEP F6,204= 4,257, p< 0,001, 2= 0,111). Additionally, the Pranayama RM trainingwas significantlybetter in increasing RM endurance when compared to the MVVmeasured in the control group (MVV F6,204= 5,322, p< 0,001, 2= 0,135). Conclusion.Pranayama RM training is an effective and well-tolerated exercise regimen in the elderly population. Therefore, RM training is effective in improving RM strength and endurance in a functionally impaired elderly population

Functional and emotional impact of COVID-19 lockdown on older adults with sarcopenia living in a nursing home: A 15-month follow-up

This study aimed to detect the functional and emotional impact of COVID-19 lockdown on institutionalized older adults with sarcopenia during a 15-month follow-up. A prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted in a nursing home. Participants were screened for sarcopenia, and those with a score of ≥4 points according to SARC-F questionnaire were included. Assessments were performed pre-lockdown (T1), 12 months (T2) after, and at a 15-month follow-up (T3). Functional measurements included chair stand test, handgrip, biceps brachii and quadriceps femoris strengths, appendicular skeletal mass, gait speed, Short Physical Performance Battery, and Timed Up-and-Go test. Emotional assessments included Short-Form Health Survey, Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form, and the Mini-Mental State Examination. The analyzed sample showed a reduction in bicep strength, and other upper and lower limb strength variables showed a decreasing trend with no changes regarding muscle mass. Physical performance showed a change, specifically a deterioration in the subtest related to balance. Cognitive and emotional components were affected and quality of life was decreased. It is of paramount importance to focus on sarcopenic older adults since their characteristics can deteriorate when isolation measures are conducte

Feasibility of face mask spirometry during decannulation in head and neck surgery : prospective cohort study

Objectives: To analyse the relationship between spirometric parameters measured with a face mask versus a mouthpiece, as well as the feasibility of face mask spirometric evaluation in a head and neck surgery (HNS) decannulation context. Furthermore, we examine peak inspiratory flow (PIF) cut-off values before and after decannulation. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Otolaryngology HNS Department of a university teaching hospital. Participants: Twenty-four patients were selected. A maximal flow-volume loop was conducted before (with mouthpiece) and after (with mouthpiece and face mask) decannulation. Main outcome measures: Recorded outcomes were forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second, peak expiratory flow, PIF, forced expiratory flow at 50% of FVC and forced inspiratory flow at 50% of FVC. Spearman correlation coefficients between spirometric parameters measured with a face mask versus a mouthpiece were calculated. Wilcoxon test was used to check differences between mouthpiece and face mask values. Results: Correlation between mouthpiece and face mask spirometric values was moderate to high (r = 0.46-0.95). All parameters measured by spirometry were significantly lower with a face mask than those obtained with a mouthpiece (p < 0.05). Before decannulation, the lowest PIF value (tested with mouthpiece) that allowed successful decannulation was 1 L/s. After decannulation, the lowest PIF value tested with mouthpiece and face mask for successful completion of the decannulation process were 0.77 and 0.56 L/s, respectively. Conclusion: Face mask is a feasible option to perform a spirometry when face diseases hinder spirometric evaluation through a mouthpiece in an HNC surgery context

Nueva evidencia sobre la Statistical Anxiety Scale (SAS)

Las asignaturas relacionadas con la estadística suelen tener problemas de rendimiento académico. La ansiedad se relaciona de forma negativa con el rendimiento y en particular, la ansiedad estadística puede ser un constructo clave en la mejora de la enseñanza de esta materia y afines. La Statistical Anxiety Scale (Vigil-Colet, Lorenzo-Seva y Condon, 2008) se creó con la pretensión de ser útil para predecir el rendimiento académico en estadística. Se fundamenta en tres dimensiones de ansiedad referidas a tres aspectos específicos: respecto al examen, cuando se pide ayuda en la comprensión de estadística y en el proceso de interpretación de resultados. Esta estructura de tres factores fue hallada en un primer momento por los autores de la escala y en una primera validación corroborada en estudiantes italianos y españoles. El presente estudio pretende añadir nueva evidencia sobre la fiabilidad y validez de la escala, empleando en el estudio de fiabilidad técnicas estadísticas robustas, y ampliando el estudio de la validez respecto a su principal criterio, el rendimiento académico, ya que no puede ser considerado sinónimo de autoeficacia

Frailty and Sarcopenia in Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure

In patients with cirrhosis, sarcopenia is a critical reduction in skeletal muscle mass and frailty represents a status of global physical dysfunction caused by under nutrition, muscle wasting, and functional impairment. Both are prevalent conditions in liver transplant candidates and have shown to be independent predictors of adverse outcome. Evidence supports their incorporation into clinical practice both as a prognostic factor guiding clinical decision making and as a tool to identify candidates for physical and nutritional interventions. The wide heterogeneity of instruments used for sarcopenia and frailty measurement, the absence of a single suitable instrument for sarcopenia and frailty assessment in the outpatient versus inpatient acute- on-chronic clinical scenario, and the lack of strong evidence showing a beneficial effect of sarcopenia and frailty improvement on outcomes before and after transplantation are some of the questions that remain unanswere

Kihon Checklist to assess frailty in older adults: Some evidence on the internal consistency and validity of the Spanish version

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the internal consistency, hypothesis testing and criterion-related validity of the Spanish versions of the Kihon Checklist (KCL) - the original 25-item and reduced 15-item versions - for screening frailty in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between March and September 2018 in Valencia province (Spain). A sample of 251 participants was recruited. Construct validity was assessed using four different frailty instruments, and alternative measures corresponding to the KCL domains (handgrip strength, gait speed, the Short Physical Performance Battery, skeletal muscle mass index, physical activity level, functional status, cognitive function, depressive mood, health-related quality of life and nutritional status). Fried's Frailty Phenotype was used to evaluate criterion validity. Results: Internal consistency assessed with Kuder-Richardson Formula had a value of 0.69 for the 25-item version, slightly lower than the usual 0.7 for considering good reliability, and 0.71 for the 15-item version. There were significant correlations between KCL versions and Fried's Frailty Phenotype, Edmonton Scale, Tilburg Indicator and FRAIL Scale. Consistent significant correlations were also obtained with all frailty measurements and instrumental activities of daily living, physical strength, eating, socialization, and mood domains of the KCL. The KCL closely correlated with other standardized measurements of physical function, cognitive function, depressive mood, and health-related quality of life. The KCL also showed satisfactory diagnostic accuracy for frailty (area under the curve 0.891 for KCL-25; area under the curve 0.857 for KCL-15). The optimal cut-off points were 5/6 and 3/4, respectively. Conclusions: The findings suggest that both versions of the KCL, especially KCL-15, showed adequate evidence of validity and internal consistency as a preliminary screening of frailty among community-dwelling older adults in Spain

Spanish adaptation and validation of the child- and parent-report cystic fibrosis questionnaire-revised (CFQ-R)

Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish versions of the child- and parent-report cystic fibrosis questionnaire-revised (CFQ-R). Methods: A Spanish adaptation of the CFQ-R was performed; 68 children with CF (6-13 years) and their parents completed the child- and parent-report CFQ-R, respectively, and the Revidierter KINDer Lebensqualitätsfragebogen (KINDL) questionnaire. The CFQ-R was completed twice, 7-10 days apart, and its psychometric properties were analyzed. Results: The internal consistency of both CFQ-R versions was adequate (child-report version, Cronbach's α >.60 for all domains except 'Treatment Burden' [α = .42] and 'Social Functioning' [α = .57]; parent-report version, α > .60 for all domains except 'Social Functioning' [α = .58]). For the child-report version, the lowest measurement error was for 'Emotional Functioning' (standard error of measurement [SEM]: 8.3%; minimal detectable change [MDC90 ]: 19.3%), and the highest was for 'Body Image' (SEM: 15%; MDC90 : 35%). For the parent-report version, the lowest measurement error was for 'Physical Functioning' (SEM: 7.1%; MDC90 : 16.5%), and the highest was for 'Weight' (SEM: 17.2%; MDC90 ; 40.1%). The correlation between the versions showed higher agreement for the domains related to observable signs ('Physical Functioning') and lower agreement for 'Emotional Functioning.' There was a significant correlation between the CFQ-R and KINDL. Conclusion: Both the child- and parent-report versions of the Spanish CFQ-R have adequate reliability and validity for clinical and research purposes. These versions can be administered before and after starting modulator therapy to assess its effect on daily functioning. The MDC90 can help identify, with a high probability, whether real changes have occurred in the quality-of-life subscales in children with CF

La competencia aprender a aprender y su relación con el rendimiento académico en alumnado de ciencias de la salud

Learning to learn (LtL) is a concept present in the literature since the 80s of the last century. The European Commission established it as a key competency for the European educational systems. Generally speaking, it has been thought that this competence was a teaching-learning objective for pre-university education because university students handled it adequately when beginning their higher studies, also assuming that their management improved throughout these studies. However, there is not enough data in this regard. In this study we tried to concrete how university students of Health Sciences handled the competence, what were the usage profiles and how LtL was related to academic performance. We worked with a sample of 396 subjects from different courses of three degrees in Health Sciences at the University of Valencia, by using the QELtLCUS questionnaire to assess the competence. The level of competence management for all the sample was acceptable, although with low scores in some relevant components. Two groups of subjects with two different management profiles were found, one of them high and the other one lower. Those subjects with high level of proficiency had better scores than those ones with less management, with significant differences. It was also found that the management of LtL was a good predictor for academic performance in both groups. No significant differences were found in LtL according to gender, age and academic grade. These results justify the need for teaching the competence systematically in university degrees and some guidelines are provided for this.Aprender a aprender (AaA) &nbsp;es un concepto presente en la literatura desde los años 80 del siglo pasado. La Comisión Europea lo estableció como competencia clave para los sistemas educativos europeos. Generalmente se pensaba que era un objetivo de enseñanza-aprendizaje para la enseñanza preuniversitaria porque los/las universitarios/as la manejaban con suficiencia al comenzar sus estudios superiores, suponiéndose también que su manejo mejoraba a lo largo de estos estudios. Sin embargo, no hay datos suficientes al respecto. En este estudio pretendíamos delimitar cómo manejaban la competencia los/as estudiantes universitarios/as de Ciencias de la Salud, cuáles eran los perfiles de uso y cómo se relacionaba AaA con el rendimiento. Se utilizó una muestra de 396 sujetos de diferentes cursos de tres grados de Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad de Valencia, haciendo uso del cuestionario CECAPEU para evaluarla. El nivel de manejo de la competencia fue aceptable, aunque con puntuaciones bajas en algunos componentes relevantes. Se hallaron dos grupos de sujetos con perfiles diferentes de manejo, uno alto y otro más bajo. Los de alto manejo de la competencia tuvieron mejores calificaciones que los de menor competencia con diferencias significativas. Se encontró, también, que el manejo de la competencia era un buen predictor del rendimiento académico en ambos grupos. No se encontraron diferencias significativas en AaA en función del género, edad y grado académico. Estos resultados justifican la necesidad de la enseñanza de la competencia de forma sistemática en los grados universitarios y se aportan algunas pautas para ello

Functional and Clinical Characteristics for Predicting Sarcopenia in Institutionalised Older Adults: Identifying Tools for Clinical Screening

Background: Recently, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) has updated the sarcopenia definition based on objective evaluation of muscle strength, mass and physical performance. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between sarcopenia and clinical aspects such as functionality, comorbidity, polypharmacy, hospitalisations and falls in order to support sarcopenia screening in institutionalised older adults, as well as to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in this population using the EWGSOP2 new algorithm. Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted on institutionalised older adults (n = 132, 77.7% female, mean age 82 years). Application of the EWGSOP2 algorithm consisted of the SARC-F questionnaire, handgrip strength (HG), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Clinical study variables were: Barthel Index (BI), Abbreviated Charlson's Comorbidity Index (ACCI), number of medications, hospital stays and falls. Results: Age, BI and ACCI were shown to be predictors of the EWGSOP2 sarcopenia definition (Nagelkerke's R-square = 0.34), highlighting the ACCI. Sarcopenia was more prevalent in older adults aged over 85 (p = 0.005), but no differences were found according to gender (p = 0.512). Conclusion: BI and the ACCI can be considered predictors that guide healthcare professionals in early sarcopenia identification and therapeutic approach

Using the Updated EWGSOP2 Definition in Diagnosing Sarcopenia in Spanish Older Adults : Clinical Approach

Recently the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) has updated diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia, which consist of one or more measures of muscle strength, muscle mass, and physical performance, plus an initial screening test called SARC-F. The main objective was to compare the number of cases of sarcopenia, using the different measurements and screening options. A cross-sectional study was conducted on Spanish older adults (n = 272, 72% women). Combining the different measures proposed by the steps described in the EWGSOP2 algorithm, 12 options were obtained (A-L). These options were studied in each of the three models: (1) using SARC-F as initial screening; (2) not using SARC-F; and (3) using SARC-CalF instead of SARC-F. A χ2 independence test was statistically significant (χ2(6) = 88.41, p < 0.001), and the association between the algorithm used and the classification of sarcopenia was moderate (Cramer's V = 0.226). We conclude that the different EWGSOP2 measurement options imply case-finding differences in the studied population. Moreover, when applying the SARC-F, the number of people classified as sarcopenic decreases. Finally, when SARC-CalF is used as screening, case finding of sarcopenic people decreases. Thus, clinical settings should consider these outcomes, since these steps can make preventive and therapeutic interventions on sarcopenia vary widely