Jaya Shanker Tedla

Normal motor development of Indian children on Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2).

Purpose: To compare normal motor development scores of children in Mangalore, India, on the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2) with the normative scores provided with the instrument. Methods: The PDMS-2 were administered to 300 children from Mangalore, India, between birth and 60 months of age. Participants’ scores were compared with those of the normative sample given in the PDMS-2 manual. Results: The Indian children’s scores varied with some differing from the normative sample (p < 0.0001) whereas others did not differ across age groups and the different subtests of the PDMS-2. Conclusions: It is not possible to develop assessment tools that are culturally sensitive across different geographical regions and environments, but it is necessary to evaluate the cultural sensitivity of such tests for use in a particular region and ethnic group, especially when these assessment tools are being used to diagnose and plan treatment for a child.

Normal Values of Functional Reach and Lateral Reach Tests in Indian School Children

Purpose: To establish normal values for functional reach (FR) and lateral reach (LR) in school children and to study the correlation of anthropometric measures with FR and LR values and the association between FR and LR scores. Methods: A total of 350 children aged 6 to 12 years were randomly selected. Three successive trials of FR and LR with the child standing with feet shoulder width apart were performed and the mean of 3 trials was calculated. Results: Normal values of FR and LR were obtained. Pearson product moment correlation was used to examine the association of FR and LR to age, gender, and anthropometric measures. Stepwise regression analysis was done to obtain normal values of FR and LR with respect to height. Functional reach values significantly predicted LR values and vice versa. Conclusion: Normal mean values of FR and LR range from 22.7 cm to 37 cm and 16.3 cm to 22.5 cm, respectively. Height significantly correlates with both FR and LR.

Comparison of two walk tests in determining the claudication distance in patients suffering from peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the six-minute walk test (6MWT) and the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) in terms of the initial onset of pain (IOP), maximal claudicating pain (MCP), maximum walking distance (MWD), initial ankle brachial index (IABI), post ankle brachial index (PABI), and difference in ankle brachial index (DFABI), as well as to correlate changes in IOP and MWD, MCP and MWD, IABI and MWD, PABI and MWD, and DFABI and MWD in the 6MWT and ISWT. Materials and Methods: Participants (n = 19, 17 men and 2 women) were randomly allocated to the 6MWT or ISWT and crossed over to the other test after 24 hours. The baseline ankle brachial index (ABI) measurements were taken using the Doppler, following which the participants performed the tests. Post-test MWD, IOP, MCP, and ABI were measured. The paired t test was used pre- and post the walk test and the Pearson correlation was used to find any relationship between the desired variables. Results: The paired t test at 95% confidence interval for IABI and PABI (P > 0.05) was insignificant for the 6MWT and ISWT. The Pearson correlation of MWD with IOP showed a fair correlation, and the correlation of MWD to MCP showed a strong correlation in ISWT. Conclusion: ISWT can be of vital importance as a tool to assess the functional status of patients suffering from Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD) in both the clinical and research areas, and reflects a better assessment of the functional limitation when walking with PAOD as compared to the 6MWT.