title: Modified six-minute walk test: number of steps per second.
abstract: The 6-min walk test (6MWT) has been used to examine subjective dyspnea, predict mortality and measure clinical outcomes in studies of patients with chronic pulmonary or heart disease. Although the 6MWT is useful to assess the general ability to perform daily physical activity, it is difficult to evaluate time-dependent responses. To improve the 6MWT, we devised a new index, which is the number of steps walked per second (NSPS). We performed the 6MWT in 11 healthy subjects and 7 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and calculated the NSPS. The mean NSPS was significantly higher in the healthy subjects than in the COPD patients, while the coefficient of variation of the NSPS was significantly smaller in healthy subjects compared with COPD patients. Calculation of the NSPS was useful to evaluate the walking pattern. This modified 6MWT may be helpful for assessing the efficacy of rehabilitation and drug therapy for COPD.
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Naoto
authors: N
authors: Burioka
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Akari
authors: A
authors: Imada
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Akiko
authors: A
authors: Kiyohiro
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Fumika
authors: F
authors: Sugitani
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Takenori
authors: T
authors: Fujii
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Akari
authors: A
authors: Hosaka
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Sachiko
authors: S
authors: Nakamoto
authors: † Department of Biological Regulation, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Amisaki
authors: ‡Division of Medical Oncology and Molecular Respirology, Department of Multidisciplinary Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
authors: Eiji
authors: E
authors: Shimizu
keywords: 6-min walk test; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; dyspnea; walking pattern