Page 33 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2021. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo / Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 33
effect of physiotherapy on the mobility of patients fizioterapija in zdravje starejših odraslih | physiotherapy and health of the elderly
with cognitive impairment
Kristina Batič, Marjetka Gomboc
University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction. Good mobility is crucial for achieving a good quality of life among
the elderly. Factors that affect mobility include aging, disease, and injury, but al-
so cognitive decline. Complications associated with these factors are a com-
mon reason for the admission of an elderly person to hospital care. A common
reason for admitting an elderly person to hospital care are complications asso-
ciated with the factors mentioned above. Being admitted to the hospital caus-
es additional stress among the elderly, which in practice manifests itself as a risk
factor for reduced mobility during hospitalization. The aim of the present study
was to determine the effect of a 14-day physical therapy aiming at maintaining
or improving the patient’s mobility.
Methods. We used a quantitative retrospective design. The study included
36 patients, 25 of whom were women (73.5 %) and 9 were men (26.5 %).
They were divided into 3 groups, based on the number of points each indi-
vidual achieved in the Mini-Mental State Examination test (MMSE). They were
grouped according to the guidelines of validated Slovenian version of MMSE as
follows: 23–19 points – mild cognitive impairment (17 patients), 18–11 points
– moderate cognitive impairment (12 patients) and 10 points or less – severe
cognitive impairment (5 patients). Patients included in the study were admit-
ted to the gerontopsychiatric unit of the University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana
between October 2020 and April 2021. Inclusion criteria were: aged 60 years
or older, confirmed cognitive decline with MMSE, and inclusion in the physical
therapy. Exclusion criteria included: worsening of chronic disease, acute deteri-
oration of health or a fall during hospitalization. To assess the patient’s mobility,
we used the de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI). Due to the abnormal distri-
bution of the analysed data, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to exam-
ine the differences between the first and second assessment with the DEMMI
test. The statistical significance of p < 0.05 was taken into account.
Results. In the second assessment, the results of the DEMMI test in all three
groups improved. The most visible improvement is observed in the group with
a moderate cognitive decline (18 ≤ MMSE ≤ 11 points), which is statistically sig-
nificant (p = 0.005). A statistically significant improvement was also observed in
the group with mild cognitive impairment (19 ≤ MMSE ≤ 23 points) (p = 0.005).
The improvement in the second assessment with the DEMMI test, which is ev-
ident in the group with severe cognitive impairment, is not statistically signifi-
cant (p = 0.109).
Discussion and conclusions. Existing research shows the importance of adequate
physiotherapy treatment of people with cognitive impairment. Our research
has also shown that targeted physical therapy preserves or even improves the
mobility of people with cognitive impairment, regardless of the degree of the
latter.
Keywords: cognitive impairment, mobility, physiotherapy
31
with cognitive impairment
Kristina Batič, Marjetka Gomboc
University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction. Good mobility is crucial for achieving a good quality of life among
the elderly. Factors that affect mobility include aging, disease, and injury, but al-
so cognitive decline. Complications associated with these factors are a com-
mon reason for the admission of an elderly person to hospital care. A common
reason for admitting an elderly person to hospital care are complications asso-
ciated with the factors mentioned above. Being admitted to the hospital caus-
es additional stress among the elderly, which in practice manifests itself as a risk
factor for reduced mobility during hospitalization. The aim of the present study
was to determine the effect of a 14-day physical therapy aiming at maintaining
or improving the patient’s mobility.
Methods. We used a quantitative retrospective design. The study included
36 patients, 25 of whom were women (73.5 %) and 9 were men (26.5 %).
They were divided into 3 groups, based on the number of points each indi-
vidual achieved in the Mini-Mental State Examination test (MMSE). They were
grouped according to the guidelines of validated Slovenian version of MMSE as
follows: 23–19 points – mild cognitive impairment (17 patients), 18–11 points
– moderate cognitive impairment (12 patients) and 10 points or less – severe
cognitive impairment (5 patients). Patients included in the study were admit-
ted to the gerontopsychiatric unit of the University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana
between October 2020 and April 2021. Inclusion criteria were: aged 60 years
or older, confirmed cognitive decline with MMSE, and inclusion in the physical
therapy. Exclusion criteria included: worsening of chronic disease, acute deteri-
oration of health or a fall during hospitalization. To assess the patient’s mobility,
we used the de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI). Due to the abnormal distri-
bution of the analysed data, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to exam-
ine the differences between the first and second assessment with the DEMMI
test. The statistical significance of p < 0.05 was taken into account.
Results. In the second assessment, the results of the DEMMI test in all three
groups improved. The most visible improvement is observed in the group with
a moderate cognitive decline (18 ≤ MMSE ≤ 11 points), which is statistically sig-
nificant (p = 0.005). A statistically significant improvement was also observed in
the group with mild cognitive impairment (19 ≤ MMSE ≤ 23 points) (p = 0.005).
The improvement in the second assessment with the DEMMI test, which is ev-
ident in the group with severe cognitive impairment, is not statistically signifi-
cant (p = 0.109).
Discussion and conclusions. Existing research shows the importance of adequate
physiotherapy treatment of people with cognitive impairment. Our research
has also shown that targeted physical therapy preserves or even improves the
mobility of people with cognitive impairment, regardless of the degree of the
latter.
Keywords: cognitive impairment, mobility, physiotherapy
31
