Which Neuromuscular Attributes Are Associated With Changes in Mobility Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?

OBJECTIVES: To identify neuromuscular attributes associated with mobility and changes in mobility over 2 years of follow-up among patients with and without symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (SLSS). DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults ≥65 years with self-reported mobility limitations (N=430). SLSS was determined using self-reported symptoms of neurogenic claudication and imaging-detected lumbar spinal stenosis. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Basic and advanced mobility as measured by the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI). RESULTS: Among 430 community-dwelling older adults, 54 (13%) patients met criteria for SLSS, while 246 (57%) did not. On average LLFDI basic and advanced mobility scores decreased significantly from baseline through year 2 for participants with SLSS (basic: P=.04, 95% CI 0.18, 5.21; advanced P=.03, 95% CI 0.39, 7.84). Trunk extensor muscle endurance (trunk endurance) and leg strength were associated with baseline basic mobility (R2=0.27, P<.001) while leg strength and knee flexion range of motion (ROM) were associated with baseline advanced mobility among participants with SLSS (R2=0.47, P<.001). Among participants without SLSS trunk endurance, leg strength and ankle ROM were associated with baseline basic mobility (R2=0.38, P<.001), while trunk endurance, leg strength, leg strength asymmetry, and knee flexion ROM were associated with advanced mobility (R2=0.20, P<.001). Trunk endurance and leg strength were associated with change in basic mobility (R2=0.29, P<.001), while trunk endurance and knee flexion ROM were associated with change in advanced mobility (R2=0.42, P<.001) among participants with SLSS. Among participants without SLSS trunk endurance, leg strength, knee flexion ROM, and ankle ROM were associated with change in basic mobility (R2=0.22, P<.001), while trunk endurance, leg strength, and knee flexion ROM were associated with change in advanced mobility (R2=0.36, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SLSS experience greater impairment in the neuromuscular attributes: trunk endurance, leg strength, leg strength asymmetry, knee flexion and extension ROM, and ankle ROM compared to patients without SLSS. Differences exist in the neuromuscular attributes associated with mobility at baseline and decline in mobility over 2 years of follow-up for patients with and without SLSS. These findings may help guide rehabilitative care approaches for patients with SLSS.

Association of Neuromuscular Attributes With Performance-Based Mobility Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: To identify differences in health factors, neuromuscular attributes, and performance-based mobility among community-dwelling older adults with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis; and to determine which neuromuscular attributes are associated with performance-based measures of mobility. DESIGN: Cross-sectional; secondary data analysis of a cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years with self-reported mobility limitations and symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (N=54). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Short Physical Performance Battery score, habitual gait speed, and chair stand test. RESULTS: Symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis was classified using self-reported symptoms of neurogenic claudication and imaging. Among 430 community-dwelling older adults, 54 (13%) met criteria for symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis. Compared with participants without symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis, those with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis had more comorbidities, higher body mass index, greater pain, and less balance confidence. Participants with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis had greater impairment in trunk extensor muscle endurance, leg strength, leg strength asymmetry, knee flexion range of motion (ROM), knee extension ROM, and ankle ROM compared with participants without symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis. Five neuromuscular attributes were associated with performance-based mobility among participants with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis: trunk extensor muscle endurance, leg strength, leg strength asymmetry, knee flexion ROM, and knee extension ROM asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS: Community-dwelling older adults with self-reported mobility limitations and symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis exhibit poorer health characteristics, greater neuromuscular impairment, and worse mobility when compared with those without symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis. Poorer trunk extensor muscle endurance, leg strength, leg strength asymmetry, knee flexion ROM, and knee extension ROM asymmetry were associated with performance-based mobility among participants with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis.

The clinical course of advanced dementia.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a leading cause of death in the United States but is underrecognized as a terminal illness. The clinical course of nursing home residents with advanced dementia has not been well described. METHODS: We followed 323 nursing home residents with advanced dementia and their health care proxies for 18 months in 22 nursing homes. Data were collected to characterize the residents' survival, clinical complications, symptoms, and treatments and to determine the proxies' understanding of the residents' prognosis and the clinical complications expected in patients with advanced dementia. RESULTS: Over a period of 18 months, 54.8% of the residents died. The probability of pneumonia was 41.1%; a febrile episode, 52.6%; and an eating problem, 85.8%. After adjustment for age, sex, and disease duration, the 6-month mortality rate for residents who had pneumonia was 46.7%; a febrile episode, 44.5%; and an eating problem, 38.6%. Distressing symptoms, including dyspnea (46.0%) and pain (39.1%), were common. In the last 3 months of life, 40.7% of residents underwent at least one burdensome intervention (hospitalization, emergency room visit, parenteral therapy, or tube feeding). Residents whose proxies had an understanding of the poor prognosis and clinical complications expected in advanced dementia were much less likely to have burdensome interventions in the last 3 months of life than were residents whose proxies did not have this understanding (adjusted odds ratio, 0.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.04 to 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: Pneumonia, febrile episodes, and eating problems are frequent complications in patients with advanced dementia, and these complications are associated with high 6-month mortality rates. Distressing symptoms and burdensome interventions are also common among such patients. Patients with health care proxies who have an understanding of the prognosis and clinical course are likely to receive less aggressive care near the end of life.

Neurovascular coupling is impaired in slow walkers: the MOBILIZE Boston Study.

OBJECTIVE: Neurovascular coupling may be involved in compensatory mechanisms responsible for preservation of gait speed in elderly people with cerebrovascular disease. Our study examines the association between neurovascular coupling in the middle cerebral artery and gait speed in elderly individuals with impaired cerebral vasoreactivity. METHODS: Twenty-two fast and 20 slow walkers in the lowest quartile of cerebral vasoreactivity were recruited from the MOBILIZE Boston Study. Neurovascular coupling was assessed in bilateral middle cerebral arteries by measuring cerebral blood flow during the N-Back task. Cerebral white matter hyperintensities were measured for each group using magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Neurovascular coupling was attenuated in slow compared to fast walkers (2.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.9 to 6.6 vs 8.2%; 95% CI, 4.7-11.8; p = 0.02). The odds ratio of being a slow walker was 6.4 (95% CI, 1.7-24.9; p = 0.007) if there was a high burden of white matter hyperintensity; however, this risk increased to 14.5 (95% CI, 2.3-91.1; p = 0.004) if neurovascular coupling was also attenuated. INTERPRETATION: Our results suggest that intact neurovascular coupling may help preserve mobility in elderly people with cerebral microvascular disease.

Geriatric syndromes in older homeless adults.

BACKGROUND: The average age of the US homeless population is increasing. Little is known about the prevalence of geriatric syndromes in older homeless adults. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of common geriatric syndromes in a sample of older homeless adults, and to compare these prevalences to those reported in the general older population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and forty-seven homeless adults aged 50-69 recruited from eight homeless shelters in Boston, MA. MAIN MEASURES: Interviews and examinations for geriatric syndromes, including functional impairment, cognitive impairment, frailty, depression, hearing impairment, visual impairment, and urinary incontinence. The prevalences of these syndromes in the homeless cohort were compared to those reported in three population-based cohorts. KEY RESULTS: The mean age of the homeless cohort was 56.0 years, and 19.8% were women. Thirty percent of subjects reported difficulty performing at least one activity of daily living, and 53.2% fell in the prior year. Cognitive impairment, defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination score <24, was present in 24.3% of participants; impaired executive function, defined as a Trail Making Test Part B duration >1.5 standard deviations above population-based norms, was present in 28.3% of participants. Sixteen percent of subjects met criteria for frailty, and 39.8% had major depression, defined as a score ≥10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9. Self-reported hearing and visual impairment was present among 29.7% and 30.0% of subjects, respectively. Urinary incontinence was reported by 49.8% of subjects. After multivariate adjustment for demographic characteristics, homeless adults were more likely to have functional impairment, frailty, depression, visual impairment and urinary incontinence compared to three population-based cohorts of older persons. CONCLUSIONS: Geriatric syndromes that are potentially amenable to treatment are common in older homeless adults, and are experienced at higher rates than in the general older population.

Scales for the evaluation of end-of-life care in advanced dementia: sensitivity to change.

The paucity of valid and reliable instruments designed to measure end-of-life experiences limits advanced dementia and palliative care research. Two end-of-life in dementia (EOLD) scales that evaluate the experiences of severely cognitively impaired persons and their health care proxies (HCP) have been developed: (1) symptom management (SM) and (2) satisfaction with care (SWC). The aim of this study was to examine the sensitivity of the EOLD scales in detecting significant differences in clinically relevant outcomes in nursing home residents with advanced dementia. The SM-EOLD scale was sensitive to detecting changes in comfort among residents with pneumonia, pain, dyspnea, and receiving burdensome interventions. The SWC-EOLD scale was sensitive to detecting changes in HCP satisfaction with the care of residents when addressing whether the health care provider spent >15 minutes discussing the resident's advanced care planning, whether the physician counseled about the resident's live expectancy, whether the resident resided in a special care unit, and whether the physician counseled possible resident health problems. This study extends the psychometric properties of the EOLD scales by showing the sensitivity to clinically meaningful change in these scales to specific outcomes related to end-of-life care and quality of life among residents with end-stage advanced dementia and their HCPs.

Validity of an exercise test based on habitual gait speed in mobility-limited older adults.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a customized exercise tolerance testing (ETT) protocol based on an individual's habitual gait speed (HGS) on level ground would be a valid mode of exercise testing older adults. Although ETT provides a useful means to risk-stratify adults, age-related declines in gait speed paradoxically limit the utility of standard ETT protocols for evaluating older adults. A customized ETT protocol may be a useful alternative to these standard methods, and this study hypothesized that this alternative approach would be valid. DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of older adults with observed mobility problems. Screening was performed using a treadmill-based ETT protocol customized for each individual's HGS. We determined the content validity by assessing the results of the ETTs, and we evaluated the construct validity of treadmill time in relation to the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) and the Late Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI). SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling, mobility-limited older adults (N=141). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cardiac instability, ETT duration, peak heart rate, peak systolic blood pressure, PASE, and LLFDI. RESULTS: Acute cardiac instability was identified in 4 of the participants who underwent ETT. The remaining participants (n=137, 68% female; mean age, 75.3 y) were included in the subsequent analyses. Mean exercise duration was 9.39 minutes, with no significant differences in durations being observed after evaluating among tertiles by HGS status. Mean peak heart rate and mean peak systolic blood pressure were 126.6 beats/min and 175.0 mmHg, respectively. Within separate multivariate models, ETT duration in each of the 3 gait speed groups was significantly associated (P<.05) with PASE and LLFDI. CONCLUSIONS: Mobility-limited older adults can complete this customized ETT protocol, allowing for the identification of acute cardiac instability and the achievement of optimal exercise parameters.

Grief among family members of nursing home residents with advanced dementia.

OBJECTIVES: To describe preloss and postloss grief symptoms among family members of nursing home (NH) residents with advanced dementia, and to identify predictors of greater postloss grief symptoms. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: 22 NHs in the greater Boston area. PARTICIPANTS: 123 family members of NH residents who died with advanced dementia. MEASUREMENTS: Preloss grief was measured at baseline, and postloss grief was measured 2 and 7 months postloss using the Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale. Independent variables included resident and family member sociodemographic characteristics, resident comfort, acute illness, acute care prior to death, family member depression, and family member understanding of dementia and of resident's prognosis. RESULTS: Levels of preloss and postloss grief were relatively stable from baseline to 7 months postloss. Feelings of separation and yearning were the most prominent grief symptoms. After multivariable adjustment, greater preloss grief and the family member having lived with the resident prior to NH admission were the only factors independently associated with greater postloss grief 7 months after resident death. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of grieving for some family members of NH residents with advanced dementia is prolonged and begins before resident death. Identification of family members at risk for postloss grief during the preloss period may help guide interventions aimed at lessening postloss grief.

Increased trunk extension endurance is associated with meaningful improvement in balance among older adults with mobility problems.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether trunk extension endurance changes with training are associated with clinically meaningful improvements in balance among mobility-limited older adults. DESIGN: Longitudinal data from a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation research center. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults (N=64; mean age, 75.9y) with mobility limitations as defined by a score of 4 to 10 on the Short Physical Performance Battery. INTERVENTIONS: Sixteen weeks of progressive resistance training. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes were the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Unipedal Stance Time (UST). Predictors included leg strength, leg power, trunk extension endurance, and the product of heart rate and blood pressure (RPP) at the final stage of an exercise tolerance test. We performed an analysis of data from participants who completed 16 weeks of training by using binary outcomes defined by a clinically meaningful change (CMC) from baseline to completion of the intervention (BBS=4 units; UST=5s). The association of predictor variables with balance outcomes was examined separately and together in multivariate adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: Trunk extension endurance in seconds (1.04 [1.00-1.09]) was independently associated with CMC on the BBS. Trunk extension endurance (1.02 [1.00-1.03]) was independently associated with CMC on the UST. Other physical attributes were not associated with meaningful change in balance. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in trunk extension endurance were independently associated with CMCs in balance in older adults. Leg strength, leg power, and RPP were not associated with CMC in balance. Poor trunk extension endurance may be a rehabilitative impairment worthy of further study as a modifiable factor linked to balance among older adults.

Prediction of 6-month survival of nursing home residents with advanced dementia using ADEPT vs hospice eligibility guidelines.

CONTEXT: Estimating life expectancy is challenging in advanced dementia, potentially limiting the use of hospice care in these patients. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively validate and compare the performance of the Advanced Dementia Prognostic Tool (ADEPT) and hospice eligibility guidelines to estimate 6-month survival in nursing home residents with advanced dementia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective cohort study conducted in 21 nursing homes in Boston, Massachusetts, of 606 residents with advanced dementia who were recruited between November 1, 2007, and July 30, 2009. Data were ascertained at baseline to determine the residents' ADEPT score (range, 1.0-32.5; higher scores indicate worse prognosis) and whether they met Medicare hospice eligibility guidelines. Survival was followed up to 6 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessment and comparison of the performance of the ADEPT score and hospice guidelines to predict 6-month survival using sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. RESULTS: At baseline, the residents' mean (SD) ADEPT score was 10.1 (3.1) points and 65 residents (10.7%) met hospice eligibility guidelines. Over 6 months, 111 residents (18.3%) died. The AUROC for the ADEPT score's prediction of 6-month mortality as a continuous variable was 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-0.72). The AUROC for Medicare hospice eligibility guidelines was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.51-0.59), the specificity was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.86-0.92), and the sensitivity was 0.20 (95% CI, 0.13-0.28). Using a cutoff of 13.5 on the ADEPT score, which also had specificity of 0.89, the AUROC was 0.58 (95% CI, 0.54-0.63) and the sensitivity was 0.27 (95% CI, 0.19-0.36). CONCLUSIONS: When prospectively validated at the bedside and used as a continuous measure, the ability of the ADEPT score to identify nursing home residents with advanced dementia at high risk of death within 6 months was modest, albeit better than hospice eligibility guidelines. Care provided to these residents should be guided by their goals of care rather than estimated life expectancy.

Phenomenological subtypes of delirium in older persons: patterns, prevalence, and prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is an acute confusional state that is common, preventable, and life-threatening. OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the phenomenology of delirium severity as measured with the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale among 441 older patients (age 65 and older) admitted with delirium in post-acute care. METHODS: Using latent class analysis, they identified four classes of psychomotor-severity subtypes of delirium: 1) hypoactive/mild; 2) hypoactive/severe; 3) mixed, with hyperactive features/severe; and 4) normal/mild. RESULTS: Among those with dementia (N=166), the hypoactive/mild class was associated with a higher risk of mortality. Among those without dementia (N=275), greater severity was associated with mortality, regardless of psychomotor features, when compared with the normal/mild class. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that instruments measuring delirium severity and psychomotor features provide important prognostic information and should be integrated into the assessment of delirium.

Chronic musculoskeletal pain and the occurrence of falls in an older population.

CONTEXT: Chronic pain is a major contributor to disability in older adults; however, the potential role of chronic pain as a risk factor for falls is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether chronic musculoskeletal pain is associated with an increased occurrence of falls in a cohort of community-living older adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly (MOBILIZE) Boston Study is a population-based longitudinal study of falls involving 749 adults aged 70 years and older. Participants were enrolled from September 2005 through January 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Participants recorded falls on monthly calendar postcards mailed to the study center during an 18-month period. RESULTS: There were 1029 falls reported during the follow-up. A report of 2 or more locations of musculoskeletal pain at baseline was associated with greater occurrence of falls. The age-adjusted rates of falls per person-year were 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.23) for the 300 participants with 2 or more sites of joint pain, 0.90 (95% CI, 0.87-0.92) for the 181 participants with single-site pain, and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.74-0.81) for the 267 participants with no joint pain. Similarly, more severe or disabling pain at baseline was associated with higher fall rates (P < .05). The association persisted after adjusting for multiple confounders and fall risk factors. The greatest risk for falls was observed in persons who had 2 or more pain sites (adjusted rate ratio [RR], 1.53; 95% CI, 1.17-1.99), and those in the highest tertiles of pain severity (adjusted RR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.12-2.08) and pain interference with activities (adjusted RR, 1.53; 95%CI, 1.15-2.05), compared with their peers with no pain or those in the lowest tertiles of pain scores. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain measured according to number of locations, severity, or pain interference with daily activities was associated with greater risk of falls in older adults.

Telephone interview for cognitive status: Creating a crosswalk with the Mini-Mental State Examination.

BACKGROUND: Brief cognitive screening measures are valuable tools for both research and clinical applications. The most widely used instrument, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), is limited in that it must be administered face-to-face, cannot be used in participants with visual or motor impairments, and is protected by copyright. Screening instruments such as the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) were developed to provide a valid alternative, with comparable cut-point scores to rate global cognitive function. METHODS: The MMSE, TICS-30, and TICS-40 scores from 746 community-dwelling elders who participated in the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS) were analyzed with equipercentile equating, a statistical process of determining comparable scores based on percentile equivalents for different forms of an examination. RESULTS: Scores from the MMSE and TICS-30 and TICS-40 corresponded well, and clinically relevant cut-point scores were determined. For example, an MMSE score of 23 is equivalent to 17 and 20 on the TICS-30 and TICS-40, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that TICS and MMSE scores can be linked directly. Clinically relevant and important MMSE cut points and the respective ADAMS TICS-30 and TICS-40 cut-point scores are included, to identify the degree of cognitive impairment among respondents with any type of cognitive disorder. These results will help in the widespread application of TICS in both research and clinical practice.

Health care proxy grief symptoms before the death of nursing home residents with advanced dementia.

OBJECTIVES: The loss experienced by family members of dementia patients before their actual death is known as "predeath grief." This study's objectives were to identify and describe factors associated predeath grief symptoms among health care proxies (HCPs) of nursing home (NH) residents with advanced dementia, and distinguish grief symptoms from those of depression. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Twenty-one Boston-area NHs. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred fifteen NH residents with advanced dementia and their HCPs. MEASUREMENTS: Factor analysis was used to distinguish predeath grief and depression symptoms. Multivariate regression analyses identified factors associated with greater predeath grief measured on a 10-item summary scale of grief symptoms. Independent variables included sociodemographic information and health status of HCPs and residents, and depressive symptoms, physician communication, preparedness for death, and satisfaction with care of HCPs. RESULTS: Predeath grief symptoms were distinct from depressive symptoms. The mean predeath grief scores was 15.0 +/- 5.6 (range, 10-49), suggesting relatively low levels of overall grief. Yearning (i.e., separation distress) was the most frequently experienced grief symptom (sometimes, 27%; often, 18%; or always, 15%). Variables associated with greater predeath grief included HCPs whose primary language was not English, HCPs who lived with a resident before institutionalization, more depressive symptoms of HCPs, less satisfaction with care of HCPs, and younger resident age. CONCLUSIONS: Family members of NH residents with advanced dementia experience predeath grief symptoms, particularly separation distress. Predeath grief symptoms are associated with, but distinct from, those of depression. Several factors identified HCPs at higher risk for predeath grief and who may benefit from early interventions to reduce suffering.

Hospice care for patients with dementia: does volume make a difference?

Using the repository of 2005 Family Evaluation of Hospice Care data, this study examined whether bereaved family members report higher quality of care when hospices care for greater vs. lesser proportions of dementia patients. This organization-level analysis included 396 hospices meeting the study's eligibility criteria. Using hospice percentages of the "proportion of decedents with dementia," categories representing the lower three, the fourth and highest quintile values were created (i.e., <13%, > or =13%-19%, and > or =19%). Analyses were stratified by for-profit vs. not-for-profit because preliminary analyses showed differential associations by profit status. In for-profit hospices, hospices with the highest vs. lowest proportion of dementia patients (> or =19% vs. <13%) had significantly lower unmet pain needs (-1.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] -3.1%, -0.2%). However, for both profit groups, caring for > or =19% dementia decedents (vs. <13%) was associated with a lower proportion of "excellent" care ratings (-2.3%, 95% CI -4.5%, -0.2%). Statistically significant associations between higher volume and better ratings were not observed for the remaining (six) outcomes, although this trend was found more among for-profit hospices. Thus, profit status appears to modify the association between volume of dementia care and care ratings. Further study is needed to understand the nonintuitive negative association between higher volume and lower satisfaction. This study emphasizes the need for examination of quality outcomes by profit status.

Which impairments are most associated with high mobility performance in older adults? Implications for a rehabilitation prescription.

OBJECTIVE: To test which rehabilitative impairments are associated with higher mobility performance among community-dwelling, mobility-limited older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from participants within a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation research center. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults (N=138; mean age, 75.4 y) with mobility limitations as defined by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Balance measured via the Berg Balance Scale, leg strength, leg velocity, submaximal aerobic capacity, body mass index (BMI), and mobility performance as measured by the SPPB. RESULTS: Each of the 5 physiologic attributes (unipedal balance, leg strength, leg velocity, submaximal aerobic capacity, BMI) was categorized into tertiles by using lower values as reference for impairment status. Within an adjusted model, measures associated with higher SPPB performance (>9) included a BBS score greater than or equal to 54 (odds ratio [OR]=4.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-18.60), leg strength greater than or equal to 21.5 N/kg (OR=30.35; 95% CI, 5.48-168.09), leg velocity .0101 to .0129 m.s(-1).kg(-1) (OR=5.31; 95% CI, 1.25-22.57), and leg velocity greater than or equal to .0130 m.s(-1).kg(-1) (OR=22.86; 95% CI, 3.88-134.75). CONCLUSIONS: Our investigation highlights the importance of rehabilitative impairments in leg strength, leg velocity, and balance as being associated with mobility status as measured by the SPPB. In our sample of participants within an exercise trial, submaximal aerobic capacity and BMI status were not associated with mobility performance. These findings suggest that the augmentation of not only leg strength and balance but also leg velocity may be important in the rehabilitative care of mobility-limited older adults.

Risk factors for delirium at discharge: development and validation of a predictive model.

BACKGROUND: Persistent delirium at the time of hospital discharge is associated with poor outcomes. The objectives of this study were to develop and validate a predictive model for persistent delirium at hospital discharge. METHODS: This study followed a prospective validation design. For the development cohort, 491 consecutive patients 70 years or older admitted to the hospital without delirium and surviving to discharge were enrolled from the general medical units of an academic teaching hospital. For the validation cohort, 461 comparable subjects were enrolled. Twenty-two candidate risk factors were examined, including 12 baseline factors (present on admission) and 10 precipitating factors (hospital related). The primary outcome was delirium at hospital discharge, measured by the Confusion Assessment Method. RESULTS: Delirium at discharge was present in 58 patients (11.8%) in the development cohort. Five independent risk factors for delirium at discharge were identified: dementia (odds ratio [OR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-3.7); vision impairment (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3-3.2); functional impairment (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-3.0); high comorbidity (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.6); and use of physical restraints during delirium (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.9-5.2). A risk stratification system was created by adding 1 point for each factor present. Rates of delirium for the low-risk (0-1 factors), intermediate-risk (2-3 factors), and high-risk (4-5 factors) groups were 4%, 18%, and 63%, respectively (P < .001). The corresponding rates in the validation cohort, where 28 patients (6.1%) had delirium at discharge, were 3%, 14%, and 27% (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A predictive model based on 5 risk factors has been successfully validated for prediction of delirium at discharge in hospitalized older patients. At least 4 of these risk factors are amenable to intervention strategies.

Inability to Perform the Repeated Chair Stand Task Predicts Fall-Related Injury in Older Primary Care Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine whether the chair stand component of the Short Physical Performance Battery predicts fall-related injury among older adult primary care patients. DESIGN: A 2-yr longitudinal cohort study of 430 Boston-area primary care patients aged ≥65 yrs screened to be at risk for mobility decline was conducted. The three components of the Short Physical Performance Battery (balance time, gait speed, and chair stand time) were measured at baseline. Participants reported incidence of fall-related injuries quarterly for 2 yrs. Complementary log-log discrete time hazard models were constructed to examine the hazard of fall-related injury across Short Physical Performance Battery scores, adjusting for age, sex, race, Digit Symbol Substitution Test score, and fall history. RESULTS: Participants were 68% female and 83% white, with a mean (SD) age of 76.6 (7.0). A total of 137 (32%) reported a fall-related injury during the follow-up period. Overall, inability to perform the chair stand task was a significant predictor of fall-related injury (hazard ratio = 2.11, 95% confidence interval = 1.23-3.62, P = 0.01). Total Short Physical Performance Battery score, gait component score, and balance component score were not predictive of fall-related injury. CONCLUSIONS: Inability to perform the repeated chair stand task was associated with increased hazard of an injurious fall for 2 yrs among a cohort of older adult primary care patients.

Association between psychomotor activity delirium subtypes and mortality among newly admitted post-acute facility patients.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is common among hospitalized elders and may persist for months. Therefore, the adverse impact of delirium on independence often occurs in the post acute care (PAC) setting. The effect of psychomotor subtypes on delirium remains uncertain. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between psychomotor activity delirium subtypes and 1-year mortality among 457 newly admitted delirious PAC patients. METHODS: Patients were screened for delirium on admission to PAC facilities after an acute hospitalization, and patients with "Confusion Assessment Method"-defined delirium were enrolled. Psychomotor activity was assessed using the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale, and patients were classified as to their delirium subtype (hyperactive, hypoactive, mixed, or normal). One-year mortality data were obtained from the National Death Index. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and a proportional hazards analysis using indicator (dummy) variables with normal psychomotor activity as the referent were performed. RESULTS: The normal psychomotor activity group had the lowest 1-year mortality rate, followed by the hyperactive, mixed, then hypoactive groups in increasing order. Independent of age, gender, comorbidity, dementia, and delirium severity, hypoactive patients were 1.60 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-2.35) times more likely to die during the 1-year follow-up period than were patients with normal psychomotor activity. The hyperactive (hazard ratio = 1.30; 95% CI, 0.73-2.31) and mixed (hazard ratio = 1.25; 95% CI, 0.72-2.17) psychomotor groups had nonsignificant elevated risks relative to the normal psychomotor behavior group. CONCLUSIONS: All three psychomotor disturbance subtypes had an elevated risk of dying during the 1-year follow-up relative to the normal psychomotor group, though the hypoactive group had the highest mortality risk and was the only group with a statistically significantly elevated risk relative to the normal group.

Terminal trajectories of functional decline in the long-term care setting.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the terminal trajectories of functional decline among long-term care (LTC) residents dying with different diseases. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on 747 individuals aged 65 or older who died between January 1994 and December 2004 in a 675-bed LTC facility in Massachusetts. Three study groups were created: advanced dementia, n = 314 (42%); terminal cancer, n = 63 (8%); and organ failure (congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), n = 370 (50%). Quarterly scores of 7 activities of daily living (ADLs) during the last year of life derived from the Minimum Data Set were compared among the three groups. Each activity was rated from 0 to 4 (higher scores indicate more dependence; total range, 0-28). RESULTS: The mean age of all individuals at death was 91 +/- 6 (standard deviation) years. Functional decline was greatest during the last 3 months of life, but this decline was most precipitous in the terminal cancer and organ failure groups compared to the advanced dementia group. The mean change in ADL scores during the last year of life differed among the three groups (p <.001), with the greatest decline in the terminal cancer group (from initial score 13 to final score 25), followed by the organ failure group (13 to 22), and finally, the advanced dementia group (24 to 27). CONCLUSIONS: The terminal trajectories of functional decline among LTC residents vary by underlying diseases. An understanding of these trajectories may be useful to clinicians and families caring for LTC residents near the end of life.