Fine and Gross Motor Function and Relationship With Muscle Tone in Older Adults With and Without Dementia

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study was (1) to investigate changes in gait, balance, fine motor function, and muscle tone, and (2) to find out if there is a correlation between muscle tone/presence of paratonia and motor function (gross and fine) in mild and moderate dementia.Three groups of participants were included in the study: healthy elderly (n=60), participants with mild dementia (n=31) and participants with moderate dementia (n=31). Measurements of fine motor function, balance, gait, presence of paratonia and muscle tone measurements were performed.

Official Title
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Fine and Gross Motor Function and Relationship With Muscle Tone in Older Adults With and Without Dementia

Conditions
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Dementia, Gait, Balance, Muscle Tone, Fine Motor Function, Paratonia

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Gait accelerometry
* Other: balance accelerometry
* Other: Fine motor skill test
* Diagnostic Test: Paratonia Assessment Instrument (PAI)
* Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: age >= 65 years walk independently for at least 11 meters HC: no cognitive deterioration, MiD: dementia, Global Deterioration Scale<5, MoD: dementia, Global Deterioration Scale 5 or 6 Exclusion Criteria: recent (≤ 6 months) orthopedic surgery

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: cross-sectional
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: HC<br>Healthy controls, i.e. older adults without cognitive impairment | Other: Gait accelerometry<br>* accelerometric assessment of gait (Dynaport Hybrid): 7m walk in 3 conditions (normal pace, fast, double task)<br>Other: balance accelerometry<br>* accelerometric assessment of balance (Dynaport Hybrid) during 10 seconds trial in 3 conditions (side-by-side, semitandem, tandem)<br>Other: Fine motor skill test<br>* assessment of fine motor skills with Purdue Pegboard, with dominant hand, non-dominant hand and bimanual<br>Diagnostic Test: Paratonia Assessment Instrument (PAI)<br>* diagnosis of paratonia based on passive movement of the four limbs<br>Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone<br>* MyotonPRO measurement of muscle tone<br>|
| Other: MiD<br>older adults with mild dementia | Other: Gait accelerometry<br>* accelerometric assessment of gait (Dynaport Hybrid): 7m walk in 3 conditions (normal pace, fast, double task)<br>Other: balance accelerometry<br>* accelerometric assessment of balance (Dynaport Hybrid) during 10 seconds trial in 3 conditions (side-by-side, semitandem, tandem)<br>Other: Fine motor skill test<br>* assessment of fine motor skills with Purdue Pegboard, with dominant hand, non-dominant hand and bimanual<br>Diagnostic Test: Paratonia Assessment Instrument (PAI)<br>* diagnosis of paratonia based on passive movement of the four limbs<br>Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone<br>* MyotonPRO measurement of muscle tone<br>|
| Other: MoD<br>older adults with moderate dementia | Other: Gait accelerometry<br>* accelerometric assessment of gait (Dynaport Hybrid): 7m walk in 3 conditions (normal pace, fast, double task)<br>Other: balance accelerometry<br>* accelerometric assessment of balance (Dynaport Hybrid) during 10 seconds trial in 3 conditions (side-by-side, semitandem, tandem)<br>Other: Fine motor skill test<br>* assessment of fine motor skills with Purdue Pegboard, with dominant hand, non-dominant hand and bimanual<br>Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone<br>* MyotonPRO measurement of muscle tone<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| walking speed | gait speed parameter | through study completion, an average of 3 years | 
| step regularity | gait parameter representing regularity, autocorrelation (method Moe-Nilssen 2004), value between 0 and 1, with 1 representing perfect regularity | through study completion, an average of 3 years | 
| mediolateral jerk | balance smoothness and coordination, lower jerk values correspond with better smoothness of balance | through study completion, an average of 3 years | 
| anteroposterior jerk | balance smoothness and coordination, lower jerk values correspond with better smoothness of balance | through study completion, an average of 3 years | 
| Fine motor function | score on the Purdue pegboard test, maximal amount of (pairs of) pegs placed in 30 seconds (max. 25) | through study completion, an average of 3 years | 
| presence of paratonia | Paratonia Assessment Instrument, resistance against passive movements of the four limbs is evaluated (Hobbelen 2008) | through study completion, an average of 3 years | 
| MyotonPRO measurement of muscle tone | MyotonPRO measurement | through study completion, an average of 3 years | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MyotonPRO measurement of elasticity | MyotonPRO measurement | through study completion, an average of 3 years | 
| MyotonPRO measurement of mechanical stiffness | MyotonPRO measurement | through study completion, an average of 3 years |