Background and Purpose: The Otago exercise program is a strengthening, balance, and walking program designed to decrease falls among community-dwelling older adults. Few studies have examined the effects of the Otago program in an assisted living environment. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of an Otago-based home exercise program in decreasing falls and the risk of falls among older adults living in an assisted living facility. Methods: A retrospective chart review of 30 individuals residing at either of 2 assisted living facilities in central Florida was undertaken. Participants had a mean age of 87 years, were at risk for falls as determined by the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), and were provided with an Otago-based intervention by home health physical therapy. The outcome measures were the number of falls in the previous year, the number of falls in the year following the intervention, and Tinetti POMA scores pre- and post-intervention. Results and Discussion: The mean (SD) number of falls significantly decreased from 1.4 (0.9) to 0.5 (0.7) fall per person per year after home health physical therapy with the tailored Otago based-exercise intervention. The intervention resulted in a statistically significant improvement in Tinetti POMA scores from 11.8 (2.5) to 17.6 (3.8). Conclusions: An Otago-based strengthening, balance, and walking home exercise program can potentially be used to decrease the number of falls and the risk of falling among older adults residing in an assisted living facility.

Objectives: The purpose of this retrospective study is to further the limited body of evidence regarding the effects of a group-based boxing intervention for those with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Design: A retrospective cohort study was performed analyzing data collected on outcome measures at 6-month intervals up to 2 years. Individuals participated in the standardized “Rock Steady Boxing” (RSB) program for up to 24 months. Every 6 months, measures were taken of balance (Fullerton Advanced Balance [FAB] Scale), functional mobility (Timed-Up and Go [TUG]), lower extremity strength (30-second Chair Stand [30CST]), and gait speed (10 Meter Walk Test [10MWT]). Methods: Statistical significance (P < .05) was determined by a two-tailed t test. Data were collected from RSB-affiliated programs at 4 locations across the southeastern United States. Current and/or past participants in RSB with baseline and at least one subsequent outcome measure were included, resulting in 68 participants (54 male, 14 female, and mean age of 71.2 years ± 8.56 standard deviation). Results: Statistically significant improvements in FAB scale, TUG, and 30CST over time were found at both 6- and 12-month time points. Significant changes continued through 18 months for FAB and 30CST. No significant changes in 10MWT were observed; however, a moderate effect size was observed at the 1-year point. Conclusions: Participants with PD were able to achieve statistically significant improvements in standard measures of functional mobility, balance, and strength within the timeline of this study. Limitations include the retrospective nature, an inability to monitor adherence, and lack of control over pharmaceutical or other interventions.

Background/Objectives: Cerebellar strokes account for only 2–3% of all strokes occurring annually in the United States but represent a disproportionally higher share of morbidity and mortality. Evidence examining the effect of inpatient rehabilitation on functional outcomes following a cerebellar stroke is limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of inpatient rehabilitation on balance and walking speed in individuals with cerebellar stroke. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine the length of inpatient rehabilitation stay of the included patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using review of patient records during their inpatient rehabilitation stay from January 2021 to February 2022 at a large hospital system in the southeast United States. Balance and gait outcomes were examined on admission and discharge from inpatient rehabilitation that included physical therapy interventions. A paired t-test examined for changes in outcomes from admission to discharge. Pearson correlation examined for the association between length of stay and outcomes. Results: A total of 15 records were reviewed. There were significant improvements in the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke (PASS), and the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT) (p’s < 0.01) from admission to discharge with large effect sizes (range d = 0.70–1.67) following inpatient rehabilitation. The average length of stay was 12.67 days (SD = 6.5) and the mean total hours of combined occupational, physical, and speech therapy was 27.33 (SD = 6.52) h. There was a moderate association between length of stay and PASS (r = 0.525, p = 0.04) and BBS (r = 0.546, p = 0.04) outcomes. Conclusions: Patients who underwent inpatient rehabilitation following acute cerebellar strokes demonstrated improvements in balance and gait speed. Study results could assist clinicians designing interventions for patients with cerebellar strokes in the inpatient rehabilitation setting.

Background and Purpose: The global and individual impact of Parkinson plus syndromes and secondary parkinsonism requires more insight into the treatment and management of these conditions. Previous studies highlighted the benefits of amplitude-based training on persons with Parkinson disease. However, there is a lack of evidence on the effects of this intervention on persons with Parkinson plus syndromes and secondary parkinsonism. The purpose of this case series is to examine the impact of amplitude-based training exercises on the gait, functional strength, dynamic balance, and balance confidence of five individuals with Parkinson plus syndrome or secondary Parkinsonism. Case Description: Five individuals were included in this case series including 3 subjects with vascular dementia with parkinsonism and 2 patients with multiple system atrophy. Intervention: The individuals received amplitude-based training exercises four times a week for four weeks in an outpatient setting. Each session was 60 minutes in length and comprised seven standardized exercises focusing on movement amplitude. Training on four different activities of daily living, sit-to-stand transfer, and gait training were also included in every session. Outcomes: All the participants showed improvement in outcome measures for gait speed, functional lower extremity strength, dynamic balance, and balance confidence with several individuals exceeding the minimum detectable change. Discussion: These findings highlight the success of amplitude-based training exercises in improving activity limitations and participation restrictions in persons with Parkinson plus syndromes, in particular those with vascular dementia with parkinsonism and multiple systems atrophy.