Nadja Schott

Physical Fitness in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder.

The protective effects of physical activity and fitness on cardiovascular health have clearly been shown among normally developed children. However, data are currently lacking pertaining to children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The purpose of this study was to examine differences in fitness measures, body composition, and physical activity among children with and without DCD. A cross-sectional design was implemented examining 261 children (118 girls, 143 boys) ages 4–12 years (mean age 7.8 ± 1.9 years). Children were categorized as having DCD if they scored less than or equal to the 5th percentile (n = 71) or between the 6th and the 15th percentile (n = 52) on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC; Henderson & Sugden, 1992). The typically developing children had scores between the 16th and the 50th percentile (n = 106) or above the 50th percentile (n = 32) on the MABC. The age-related body mass index was used to characterize body composition. Physical fitness was assessed with a 6-min run, 20-m sprint, jump-and-reach test, medicine ball throw, curl-ups, and sit-and-reach test. Physical activity was estimated with a questionnaire. The percentage of overweight and obese children ages 10–12 years were significantly higher in the DCD groups (severe: 50%, moderate: 23.1%) than in the typically developing groups (medium: 5.6%, high: 0%; p < .05). Significant interactions (MABC x Age Group) were found for the fitness tests (p values < .05), except flexibility; whereby specifically, compared to the children in the typically developing groups children in the DCD groups ages 4–6 years achieved significantly worse results for the 20-m sprint, and children of the DCD groups ages 10–12 years achieved significantly worse results for the 6-min run, jump-and-reach test, and medicine ball throw. The study demonstrates poorer performance in fitness tests with high demands on coordination in children with DCD compared to their typically developing peers. Furthermore, the differences in fitness increased with age between children in the DCD groups versus the typically developing groups.

Der Fragebogen zur Erfassung des motorischen Funktionsstatus (FFB-Mot)

Zusammenfassung. Die korperliche Fitness steht in vielfaltigem Zusammenhang mit spezifischen Erkrankungsrisiken und unterschiedlichen Aspekten der physischen und psychischen Gesundheit. Der Erfassung der korperlichen Fitness kommt daher in der Gesundheitsforschung, insbesondere in Gesundheitssurveys eine bedeutsame Rolle zu. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Entwicklung eines Fragebogens zur Erfassung des motorischen Funktionsstatus (FFB-Mot). Der FFB-Mot umfasst insgesamt 28 Selbsteinschatzungsfragen zu den motorischen Fahigkeiten Kraft, Ausdauer, Beweglichkeit und Koordination. Den Kern der Skala fur Normalpopulationen bilden 20 Items (Standardskala). Weiterhin steht eine 12 Items umfassende Kurzform auch fur telefonische Befragungen zur Verfugung. Jeweils vier weitere Items messen die minimale korperliche Leistungsfahigkeit (ADL-Skala) und die sportliche Leistungsfahigkeit (Sport-Skala). Die Skalen wurden mit den Daten zweier unterschiedlicher Validierungsstudien auf ihre psychometrischen Eigenschaf...

Deutsche Adaptation der “Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale„ zur Erfassung der sturzassoziierten Selbstwirksamkeit

The present study investigates the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the German adaptation of the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale (Powell & Myers, 1995) for the evaluation of falls-related self-efficacy in community-dwelling older adults. The German adaptation of the ABC using a forward-backward procedure was administered to 113 older adults (age 68.9+/-8.5 years). The following internationally accepted instruments were used for validation: The Short Form Health Survey SF 36, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the Trail Making Test and the Letter Number Sequencing Test, and motor tests (balance, strength, mobility). The internal consistency (0.91-0.95) as well as the test-retest reliability of the subscales was excellent (0.94-0.98). The correlation coefficients with the validation instruments ranged between 0.33 and 0.58. Significant differences in the ABC-D scores were found in older adults with and without falls. Older adults with a recent fall history scored lower on the ABC-D than older adults without a recent fall history. To conclude, the German version of the ABC has properties analogous to the original English version and is apparently useful in assessing falls-related self-efficacy.The present study investigates the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the German adaptation of the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale (Powell & Myers, 1995) for the evaluation of falls-related self-efficacy in community-dwelling older adults. The German adaptation of the ABC using a forward-backward procedure was administered to 113 older adults (age 68.9+/-8.5 years). The following internationally accepted instruments were used for validation: The Short Form Health Survey SF 36, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the Trail Making Test and the Letter Number Sequencing Test, and motor tests (balance, strength, mobility). The internal consistency (0.91-0.95) as well as the test-retest reliability of the subscales was excellent (0.94-0.98). The correlation coefficients with the validation instruments ranged between 0.33 and 0.58. Significant differences in the ABC-D scores were found in older adults with and without falls. Older adults with a recent fall history scored lower on the ABC-D than older adults without a recent fall history. To conclude, the German version of the ABC has properties analogous to the original English version and is apparently useful in assessing falls-related self-efficacy.

Age-Related Differences in Motor Imagery: Working Memory as a Mediator

Background/Study Context: Although motor imagery is a well-established phenomenon in healthy younger adults, it seems necessary to determine if older adults are still able to accurately perform imagery tasks before investigating the application of motor imagery in rehabilitation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if there is a progressive decline in motor imagery performance with age. Furthermore, we wanted to verify whether the effects of age on motor imagery were due to (or mediated by) deficits of working memory. Methods: This study examined the key characteristics of the motor imagery ability in three groups of healthy older men and women (60–69, 70–79, and ≥80 years; mean age M = 73.8, SD = 8.3) and 40 younger subjects aged 20 to 30 years (M = 28.87, SD = 2.5). Imagery ability was measured using the Movement Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ), the Controllability of Motor Imagery (CMI) test, and two different chronometry tests. To estimate the mediational effect of working memory on age differences in the imagery measures, we employed latent variable structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: The main findings indicated that motor imagery ability (generation, visual and kinesthetic imagery ability, controllability, and temporal organization) were better in young adults compared with older adults 70 years and older, but not in older adults 60 to 69 years of age. The analysis of the mediational effect of working memory on age differences in the motor imagery measures showed that the inclusion of working memory increased the amount of explained variance in the MIQ (ΔR 2 = .03), in the CMI test (ΔR 2 = .15), as well as in the mental chronometry tests (ΔR 2 = .16) Conclusion: Our findings suggest that there is potential for motor imagery to be compromised in the older age ranges, which may limit motor imagery as a rehabilitative strategy in older and in cognitively impaired individuals.

Relationship between motor skill competency and executive function in children with Down's syndrome

BACKGROUND Previous studies suggest that children with Downs syndrome (DS), a genetically based neurodevelopmental disorder, demonstrate motor problems and cognitive deficits. The first aim of this study was to examine motor skills and executive functions (EFs) in school-age children with DS. The second aim was to investigate the relationship between these two performance domains. METHODS The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2), the Movement Assessment Battery Children-2 checklist (MABC2-checklist) and the Trail-Making Test for young children (Trails-P) were used to assess motor and cognitive performances of 18 children (11 boys, 7 girls) with DS aged between 7 and 11 years (9.06 ± 0.96) and an age- and sex-matched sample of 18 typically developing (TD) children (11 boys, 7 girls; 8.99 ± 0.93). RESULTS Individuals with DS showed the expected difficulties in attentional control, response suppression and distraction, as well as in locomotor and object control skills, as indicated by poorer performance than TD individuals. Motor performance (bottom-up as well as top-down measures) and EF correlated positively, with regard to the group with DS only though. In the most complex task (distraction), the children of the DS group achieving lower locomotor scores showed lower efficacy scores on the Trails-P. Additionally, strong relationships were found for the perspective of teachers on all sections of the MABC2-Checklist and EF. CONCLUSION The findings from this study suggest that children with DS are not only impaired in higher-order EF, but showing also deficits in locomotor and object control skills. This study stresses the importance of early interventions facilitating cognitive abilities and motor skills.

Korrelate der Sturzangst im Alter

Zusammenfassung. Mit der vorliegenden Untersuchung wurde der Zusammenhang von Sturzangst (Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly: SAFE), funktionalem Gleichgewicht/Mobilitat (Timed-Up-and-Go-Test, TUG; Gehgeschwindigkeit) und korperlicher Funktionsfahigkeit (SAFE Aktivitaten, Reduktionen; SF-36) bei alteren Erwachsenen untersucht. Daruber hinaus sollte die Mediatorfunktion sturzassoziierter Selbstwirksamkeit (Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale) in einem Strukturgleichungsmodell an 91 Erwachsenen (17 Manner, 74 Frauen) im Alter von 60 bis 93 Jahren ohne Sturzhistorie gepruft werden. Man findet signifikant negative Pfade von der Subskala SAFE Angst auf die sturzassoziierte Selbstwirksamkeit (β = -0.931; t = -8.117, p.001), d. h. dass altere Menschen ohne aktuelle Sturzbiographie und nur geringer Sturzangst eine hohe sturzassoziierte Selbstwirksamkeit berichten. Ebenso ist der Effekt von Sturzangst auf die korperliche Funktionsfahigkeit hochsignifikant (β = -0.432, t = -2.686...

Motor imagery: lessons learned in movement science might be applicable for spaceflight

Before participating in a space mission, astronauts undergo parabolic-flight and underwater training to facilitate their subsequent adaptation to weightlessness. Unfortunately, similar training methods can’t be used to prepare re-adaptation to planetary gravity. Here, we propose a quick, simple and inexpensive approach that could be used to prepare astronauts both for the absence and for the renewed presence of gravity. This approach is based on motor imagery (MI), a process in which actions are produced in working memory without any overt output. Training protocols based on MI have repeatedly been shown to modify brain circuitry and to improve motor performance in healthy young adults, healthy seniors and stroke victims, and are routinely used to optimize performance of elite athletes. We propose to use similar protocols preflight, to prepare for weightlessness, and late inflight, to prepare for landing.

Stürze bei älteren Erwachsenen: Risikofaktoren – Assessment – Prävention

Zusammenfassung. Sturze gehoren zu den haufigsten und komplexesten geriatrischen Syndromen. Sie tragen nicht nur zu einem betrachtlichen Anteil zur erhohten Krankheits- und Sterberate bei, sondern auch zu funktionalen Einbusen, der Angst erneut zu sturzen sowie der fruhzeitigen Einweisung in das Pflegeheim. Es lassen sich zahlreiche Ursachen und Risikofaktoren fur Sturze benennen, die die Diagnose, Behandlung und Pravention zu einer schwierigen Herausforderung werden lassen. In den letzten Jahren wurde seitens der Forschung als auch der Gesundheitsversorgung das Augenmerk verstarkt auf die Identifikation effektiver Interventionen zur Vermeidung von Sturzen bzw. sturzbedingten Verletzungen bei alteren Erwachsenen gelegt. So gibt es eine ganze Anzahl randomisierter, kontrollierter Studien und systematische Reviews, die der Frage nach der gunstigsten Kombination von Interventionen zur Sturzpravention nachgehen. In diesem Beitrag wird ein kurzer Uberblick uber die Epidemiologie von Sturzen, deren Hauptursache...

Erfassung der Gleichgewichtsfähigkeit bei selbstständig lebenden Erwachsenen

The purpose of this study was to validate the German translation of the originally English Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (FAB-D). The 10-item test battery is a performance-based measure that addresses the multiple dimensions of balance. The German FAB-D using a forward-backward procedure was examined by a sample of n = 96 community dwelling older adults (71,6 ± 7,5 years of age) who had reported no history of a fall in the previous 6 months (non-fallers) and 66 older adults (age 75,3 ± 7,3 years of age) who reported falling one or more times (recurrent fallers). The following internationally accepted instruments were used for validation: The Berg-Balance-Scale (BBS), the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC-D) scale, the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE), the Trail-Making-Test (TMT), and motor tests (balance, strength, mobility). Explorative and confirmative factor analysis showed the best fit for a one dimensional solution. Cronbachs alpha of the German version of the FAB-D was 0.988. Test-retest reliability for the total score was 0.965 and ranged from 0.86-0.88 for individual items. The scales correlate with convergent measures assessing postural control and falls-related confidence (BBS, r = 0.685; Timed-Up-and-Go-Test, r = -0.632; ABC-D, r = 0.561). Criterion validity of the FAB-D was established by statistically significant correlations between the total scale, and the subdimensions of the SF-36 (physical 0.52, mental 0.38), the PASE (0.29), the TMT A (-0.30) and B (-0.41), the Chair Rising Test (0.59) and the 10 m walk (normal velocity -0.49; fast velocity -0.56). Significant differences in the FAB-D scores were found in older adults with (30,3 ± 8,6) and without falls (36,1 ± 4,2). Older adults with a recent fall history scored lower on the FAB-D than older adults without a recent fall history. To conclude, the German version of the FAB-D has properties analogous to the original English version and is apparently useful in assessing the multiple dimensions of balance in community dwelling older adults.

Trail walking test for assessment of motor cognitive interference in older adults : development and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the procedure

BACKGROUND Activities of daily living (ADL), such as walking, often involve the added complexity of walking while doing other activities (i.e. dual task walking). A complex walking task may require a greater motor and mental capacity, resulting in decrements in gait performance not seen for simple walking tasks. AIM The purpose of this study was to determine if the trail walking test (TWT), the mobile adaptation of the trail making test (TMT), could be a reliable and valid early detection tool to discriminate between non-fallers and fallers. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study examined dual task costs of a cognitive and a sensorimotor task (walking) in 94 older adults aged 50-81 years (average age M = 67.4 years, SD ± 7.34). Based on the idea of the paper and pencil TMT, participants walked along a fixed pathway (TWT-1), stepped on targets with increasing sequential numbers (i.e. 1, 2, 3, TWT-2), and increasing sequential numbers and letters (i.e. 1, A, 2, B, 3, C, TWT-3). The dual task costs were calculated for each task. Additionally, the following tests were conducted: TMT, block tapping test (BTT), timed up and go (TUG) test, 30s chair rising test, 10 m walking time test with and without head turns, German physical activity questionnaire (German PAQ-50 +) and the activities-specific balance confidence (ABC-D) scale. RESULTS The TWT performance times as well as errors increased with increasing age. Reliability coefficients were high (interclass correlation ICC > 0.90). Correlations between the different TWT conditions and potential falls-related predictors were moderate to high (r = -0.430 to 0.699). Of the participants 34 % reported falling in the past year. The stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that the dual task costs for the numbers and letters (odds ratio OR 1.162, 95 % confidence interval CI 1.058-1.277, p = 0.002), the ABC-D (OR 0.767, 95 % CI 0.651-0.904, p = 0.002) and exercise (OR 1.027, 95 % CI 1.008-1.046, p = 0.006) were significantly related to falls and 91.6 % of cases were correctly classified. CONCLUSION The results indicate that high-level cognitive processes interfere with automatic processes such as walking. The TWT which converts a relevant fall risk-associated standard neuropsychological test (TMT) with increasing cognitive load into a mobility task, was shown to be a feasible, reliable and valid tool for older adults to discriminate between non-fallers and fallers.