Leg power curves in individuals with Parkinson's disease: A pilot study
Abstract
There has been limited research regarding the impact of Parkinson’s disease on aerobic capacity and activity, strength assessment, and strength training interventions. No research could be found regarding power curve trends and Parkinson’s disease. This pilot study assessed leg power curves in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Power testing was performed on 8 individuals (4 females, 4 males) diagnosed with mild to moderate Parkinson’s for at least one year. Leg power testing was performed on a Keiser pneumatic leg extension machine interfaced with a computer software program that calculated work and power during the concentric phase of each repetition by sampling the system pressure and position 400 times a second. To eliminate “noisy data” generated at the beginning and end of the range of motion, only data collected between 5% and 95% of the concentric phase was used to calculate power. Peak power was assessed on two separate occasions separated by at least 48 hours. Results of power testing were fitted to a mixed-linear models and non-linear, or quadratic, models with gender included as a categorical variable. The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), or goodness of fit measure, indicated the mixed-linear model was the better model for this data. Seven of the eight subjects experienced peak power at 80% of their 1 repetition maximum. These pilot results suggest that this linear relationship may be unique to older adults with Parkinson’s in that it does not follow the typical power curve, or bell curve, that has been observed in populations of similar age without Parkinson’s disease.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Harper, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Aging|Public health
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