Effects of Variation in Cushion Thickness on the Sit-to-Stand Motion of Elderly People

This study was done to investigate whether cushion thickness affected elderly people during the sit-to-stand motion (STS motion). Fourteen elderly subjects aged 79 or over were recruited from the outpatients at a rehabilitation clinic. Their STS motions were evaluated and analyzed using a digital video camera and analyzing software. As the thickness of the cushion increased, it was difficult to identify the pelvic movement during STS motion, although the trunk was inclined more anteriorily and the load to the knee extensors was greater. Furthermore, three of the fourteen subjects had difficulties performing STS motion when the pelvis was contoured by a thick cushion. These results suggests that if an older person has a knee extensor strength below an appropriate level and/or the cushion thickness is enough large to contour the subject’s pelvis, the risk of falling during STS motion is higher

Comparison of alterations in cerebral hemoglobin oxygenation in late life depression ans Alzheimer's disease as assessed by near-infrared spectroscopy

BACKGROUND: Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) often present with apathy symptoms resembling the decreased motivation observed in depressed patients. Therefore, differentiating the initial phase of AD from late life depression may be difficult in some cases. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a functional neuroimaging modality that uses near-infrared light to measure changes in hemoglobin concentration on the cortical surface during activation tasks. The objective of this study was to investigate differences in brain activation associated with late life depression and with AD by means of NIRS. METHODS: NIRS was performed in 30 patients with depression, 28 patients with AD, and 33 healthy controls, all aged 60 years or older. During two tasks, a verbal fluency task and a visuospatial task, changes in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the frontal and parietal cortices were investigated. RESULTS: In the visuospatial task, cortical activation was lower in the depressed group than in the AD group, and significant differences were observed in the parietal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: NIRS can detect differences in brain activation between patients with late life depression and those with AD. NIRS is a promising tool for the differential diagnosis of late life depression and AD.ArticleBEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS. 10:8 (2014)journal articl

内側型変形性膝関節症における歩行時の外部膝関節内反モーメントと下肢筋機能に関する研究

広島大学(Hiroshima University)博士(保健学)Hygienedoctora