Activities of daily living (ADL) structure of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, including adults.
OBJECTIVE
To study the activities of daily living (ADL) structure of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Seventy-two patients with DMD (mean [SD] age, 17.2 [8.1] years), recruited in 160-bed regional center for neuromuscular disease. methods: We assessed 72 participants with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM SM), and determined the difficulty order of the FIM SM items with the percentage of patients who were independent (6 or 7) for each FIM item (% independence).


RESULTS
The ADL of patients with DMD had an order in terms of difficulty. For the motor subscale, the most difficult item was stairs, and the easiest item was locomotion. On the cognitive subscale, problem solving was the most difficult item. When we compared item difficulty between patients <15 years of age and those > or =15 years, the % independence was lower in the older age group for all motor items. The decrease in the % independence of the eating item with age was significant; however bladder management was well maintained.


CONCLUSIONS
ADL of patients with DMD has a specific difficulty order. The order of difficulty is based on the relative level of independence/dependence. The difficulty order was maintained, although the structure of ADL changed with age.
Fujiwara
Toshiyuki
T
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku, Tokyo, Japan tofuji@xc5.so-net.ne.jp
Tanabe
Aya
A
Uchikawa
Ken
K
Tsuji
Tetsusya
T
Tanuma
Akira
A
Hase
Kimitaka
K
Liu
Meigen
M
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003672:Defecation; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004435:Eating; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010045:Outpatients; D014554:Urination; D055815:Young Adult