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Predictive Validity Of The Updrs Postural Stability Score And The Functional Reach Test, When Compared With Ecologically Valid Reaching Tasks, M. E. Jenkins, Andrew M. Johnson, J. D. Holmes, F. F. Stephenson, S. J. Spaulding Mar 2012

Predictive Validity Of The Updrs Postural Stability Score And The Functional Reach Test, When Compared With Ecologically Valid Reaching Tasks, M. E. Jenkins, Andrew M. Johnson, J. D. Holmes, F. F. Stephenson, S. J. Spaulding

Andrew M. Johnson

Balance problems and falls are a common concern among individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Falls frequently occur during daily activities such as reaching into cupboards in the kitchen or bathroom. This study compared the correlation among two standard postural stability tests - the postural stability score on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the Functional Reach Test (FRT) - and ecologically valid reaching tasks that correspond to reaching at different cupboard heights among 20 individuals with PD and 20 age-matched controls. Both the FRT and the UPDRS postural stability tests are quick measures that can be performed during …


Predictive Validity Of The Updrs Postural Stability Score And The Functional Reach Test, When Compared With Ecologically Valid Reaching Tasks, M. Jenkins, Andrew Johnson, J. Holmes, F. Stephenson, S. Spaulding Jun 2010

Predictive Validity Of The Updrs Postural Stability Score And The Functional Reach Test, When Compared With Ecologically Valid Reaching Tasks, M. Jenkins, Andrew Johnson, J. Holmes, F. Stephenson, S. Spaulding

Andrew M. Johnson

Balance problems and falls are a common concern among individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Falls frequently occur during daily activities such as reaching into cupboards in the kitchen or bathroom. This study compared the correlation among two standard postural stability tests - the postural stability score on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the Functional Reach Test (FRT) - and ecologically valid reaching tasks that correspond to reaching at different cupboard heights among 20 individuals with PD and 20 age-matched controls. Both the FRT and the UPDRS postural stability tests are quick measures that can be performed during …


An Exploration Of The Burden Experienced By Spousal Caregivers Of Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Kaitlyn Roland, Mary Jenkins, Andrew Johnson Jan 2010

An Exploration Of The Burden Experienced By Spousal Caregivers Of Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Kaitlyn Roland, Mary Jenkins, Andrew Johnson

Andrew M. Johnson

Although previous research has attempted to identify the needs of caregivers for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), most has focused on the demands associated with the physical needs of the patient, and not on "mental burden." This study used the repertory grid method to capture the full range of caregivers' subjective experience, quantify their perceptions, and to acquire information that might be useful in directing remediation attempts. Within this sample, caregivers reported far greater burden from "mental stress" (e.g., worrying about individual's safety) than from "physical stress" (e.g., lifting individual into bed). Specifically, caregivers were primarily concerned about spousal safety, …


Plantar Cutaneous Sensory Stimulation Improves Single-Limb Support Time, And Emg Activation Patterns Among Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, M. Jenkins, Q. Almeida, S. Spaulding, R. Van Oostveen, J. Holmes, Andrew Johnson, S. Perry Nov 2009

Plantar Cutaneous Sensory Stimulation Improves Single-Limb Support Time, And Emg Activation Patterns Among Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, M. Jenkins, Q. Almeida, S. Spaulding, R. Van Oostveen, J. Holmes, Andrew Johnson, S. Perry

Andrew M. Johnson

Parkinson's disease is a chronic neurological disorder that results in gait and posture impairment. There is increasing evidence that these motor impairments may be partially due to deficits within the sensory system. In this study, the effects of a facilitatory insole that provides increased plantar sensory stimulation, was evaluated during gait, in a group of individuals with Parkinson's disease in comparison with healthy age-matched controls. Spatial-temporal parameters of gait were evaluated using an instrumented carpet, and muscle activation patterns were evaluated using surface EMG. All participants were tested with both a facilitatory (ribbed) insole and a conventional (flat) insole while …


Screening For Parkinson's Disease With Response Time Batteries: A Pilot Study, Andrew Johnson, Philip Vernon, Quincy Almeida, Linda Grantier, Rene Singarayer, Mandar Jog Sep 2004

Screening For Parkinson's Disease With Response Time Batteries: A Pilot Study, Andrew Johnson, Philip Vernon, Quincy Almeida, Linda Grantier, Rene Singarayer, Mandar Jog

Andrew M. Johnson

Background: Although significant response time deficits (both reaction time and movement time) have been identified in numerous studies of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), few attempts have been made to evaluate the use of these measures in screening for PD. Methods: Receiver operator characteristic curves were used to identify cutoff scores for a unit-weighted composite of two choice response tasks in a sample of 40 patients and 40 healthy participants. These scores were then cross-validated in an independent sample of 20 patients and 20 healthy participants. Results: The unit-weighted movement time composite demonstrated high sensitivity (90%) and specificity (90%) in …


A Role Of The Basal Ganglia In Movement: The Effect Of Precues On Discrete Bi-Directional Movements In Parkinson's Disease, Andrew Johnson, Philip Vernon, Quincy Almeida, Linda Grantier, Mandar Jog Dec 2002

A Role Of The Basal Ganglia In Movement: The Effect Of Precues On Discrete Bi-Directional Movements In Parkinson's Disease, Andrew Johnson, Philip Vernon, Quincy Almeida, Linda Grantier, Mandar Jog

Andrew M. Johnson

The effect of a precue on improving movement initiation (i.e., reaction time; RT) is well understood, whereas its influence on movement execution (i.e., movement time; MT) has rarely been examined. The current study investigated the influence of a directional precue (i.e., left vs. right) on the RT and MT of simple and discrete bi-directional movements in a large sample of Parkinson's disease patients and healthy control participants. Both patients and controls were tested twice, with testing sessions separated by 2 hours. Patients were tested first following an overnight levodopa withdrawal and again after they had taken their medication. Both patients …