title: Effect of an exercise program on functional performance of institutionalized elderly.
abstract: This study determined the effectiveness of a 6-month program of regular exercises for the improvement of functional performance of the elderly living in a nursing home. The 40 subjects aged 60 to 99 who took part in this trial were assigned either to a comparative group or an exercise group. The following variables were measured: functional performance with the use of an obstacle course, a lower-limb function test, and a 6-minute walk test (gait velocity); isometric strength of the knee extensors; proprioception of the lower limbs; mental status through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); and depression symptoms with the use of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). In the exercise group, 19 subjects completed the program and attended an average of 32 (68%) sessions. At the end of the trial, the exercise subjects showed significant performance improvement in quantitative and qualitative obstacle course scores, lower-limb function test, gait velocity test, knee extensors strength, and the GDS, while the nonexercise subjects showed significant decrease in qualitative obstacle course score, lower-limb function, gait velocity, MMSE, and the GDS.
authors.affiliation: The University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. alebastone@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Alessandra de Carvalho
authors.initials: Ade C
authors.lastname: Bastone
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jacob Filho
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength; D011434:Proprioception