Assessment of physical function in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate implementation of at test battery for assessing physical function in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS).


METHODS
Forty-three adults with PWS, 20 men and 23 women, mean age 29 +/- 9 years. Body mass index (BMI) and body composition were measured. A test battery a.m. Guralnik for standing balance, 2.4 m and 10 m walk and repeated rising from a chair was scored and evaluated.


RESULTS
Mean BMI was 29.4 +/- 9.1 kg/m(2), body fat mass (FM) 26.0 +/- 16.1 kg. The adults with PWS managed the test battery well, and high scores were achieved for standing balance and 2.4 m walk. In contrast, only 13 managed maximum score in the repeated rising from a chair and 31 to walk 10 m for 6 s or faster. Significant correlations were seen between 2.4 m walk and FM ( p = 0.041) and between 10 m walk and BMI ( p = 0.001) and FM ( p = 0.019).


CONCLUSIONS
Repeated rising from a chair and 10 m walk are useful assessments in clinical practice to identify adults with PWS with reduced physical function. Reduced performance was related to higher BMI and FM emphasising the importance of efforts to keep normal body weight and body composition in adults with PWS. These measures might be useful in monitoring effects of intervention.
Sode-Carlsen
Rasmus
R
Department of Paediatrics, Aarhus University Hospital Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark. rasmus.sode-carlsen@ki.au.dk
Farholt
Stense
S
Rabben
Kai Fr
KF
Bollerslev
Jens
J
Sandahl Christiansen
Jens
J
Höybye
Charlotte
C
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric