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Full-Text Articles in Rehabilitation and Therapy

Freezing Of Gait: Mechanisms, Mechanics, And Management, Peter S. Myers Dec 2018

Freezing Of Gait: Mechanisms, Mechanics, And Management, Peter S. Myers

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease with multiple motor and non-motor symptoms, including postural instability, gait impairments, and cognitive deficits. More than 50% of individuals with PD experience a symptom called freezing of gait (FOG), described as a transient inability to take another step forward. Individuals with PD who experience FOG (freezers) have further postural, gait, and cognitive impairments compared to individuals with PD without FOG (non-freezers). While degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra is accepted as the primary etiology of the disease, research shows that the disease has a global impact on the brain, accounting …


Functional And Skeletal Muscle Impairments In Progressive Diabetic Ckd, Daniel Bittel Aug 2018

Functional And Skeletal Muscle Impairments In Progressive Diabetic Ckd, Daniel Bittel

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

1-in-3 persons with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) develop chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is characterized by progressive renal dysfunction leading to end-stage renal disease. In response to elevated blood glucose and systemic inflammation of diabetes, a process of active thickening of the renal glomerular basement membrane ensues with concomitant damage to the structural supports (podocytes) of the kidneyճ filtration barrier. This results in impaired renal filtration. The metabolic sequelea of T2DM and CKD also, synergistically, alter skeletal muscleճ degradative pathways, satellite cell function (muscle reparative cells), and mitochondrial health (muscle energetic machinery) -- resulting in muscle breakdown, poor muscle quality, …


Effects Of Resistance Exercise On Postprandial Metabolism In Obese Men With Prediabetes, Adam Bittel Aug 2018

Effects Of Resistance Exercise On Postprandial Metabolism In Obese Men With Prediabetes, Adam Bittel

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prediabetes is a metabolic condition defined by elevated fasting (impaired fasting glucose (IFG)) and/or postprandial (impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)) glucose. Prediabetes affects nearly 86 million adults in the United States, with most (up to 70%) progressing to type 2 diabetes within as little as one year. Recent studies have indicated that elevated post-prandial glycemia and hypertriglyceridemia are early indicators of prediabetes, and are major risk factors for complications of prediabetes, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, elevated blood pressure, and obesity. Resistance exercise is a central component of exercise recommendations for individuals with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, but the effect …


Prospective Memory Impairment In Parkinson Disease Without Dementia: Cognitive Mechanisms And Intervention, Erin R. Foster May 2018

Prospective Memory Impairment In Parkinson Disease Without Dementia: Cognitive Mechanisms And Intervention, Erin R. Foster

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive impairment among non-demented individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) produces significant disability, reduced quality of life, and restricted participation. This dissertation will cover PD-related impairment in prospective memory, or the ability to remember to execute delayed intentions at the appropriate moment in the future. Prospective memory impairment in PD is increasingly recognized as a functionally and clinically relevant problem and viable target for cognitive intervention. To lay the groundwork for the development of effective interventions for prospective memory in PD, this dissertation examines the cognitive mechanisms underlying prospective memory impairment in PD and the potential of training in a targeted …