Ameliorating Disability through Power Training

描述(由申请人提供)：行动不便几乎影响到每4个65岁以上的人中的1个，并已被证明是残疾和住院的预兆。在那些最有限的情况下，肌肉力量，即每单位时间执行肌肉工作的能力，与预测残疾的功能任务密切相关。肌肉力量是一个独立的属性，不同于晚年力量急剧下降。老年肌肉力量的保存最近被认为是老年学研究的高度优先事项。应聘者是一名理疗师，一名临床研究员，拥有运动生理学硕士学位，专门从事老年康复。申请者的目标是评估八件背心运动(一种肌肉力量训练(MPT)的形式)对行动不便的老年人功能丧失的影响。通过对行动不便的老年人的初步研究，申请者和他的合作者已经证明了腿部肌肉力量与重要的功能表现任务之间的密切关系。此外，试点研究表明，MPT不仅安全，而且在纠正下肢运动损伤方面比力量训练更有效。最后，申请人正在调查加权背心练习的可能性，初步结果表明其有效性。该奖项围绕以下活动进行：1)利用加权背心练习进行一项试点干预试验，这是一种在行动能力严重受限的老年人中潜在的家庭类型的MPT；2)通过继续参与研究密切相关问题的RO1，增强我的职业发展计划；3)完成临床试验方法学研究，并将这些先前的经验作为随机对照试验的基础，该试验适当地评估非基于机器的MPT对所有残疾结果(包括残疾)的影响；以及4)发展技能、专业知识和经验，以成为老年康复领域一名成功的独立临床科学家。该提案包含一个强有力的环境和指导计划，其中包括老龄和康复领域的主要机构和个人。它将为运动在维持晚年生活功能中的作用提供重要的见解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Limitations in mobility affect almost one in 4 individuals over 65 and have been demonstrated to be predictive of disability and institutionalization. In those most limited, muscular power, the ability to perform muscular work per unit time, is closely associated with the functional tasks that predict disability. Muscular power is a separate attribute from strength declining more precipitously in late life. The preservation of muscular power in late life has been recently identified as high priority for gerontological research. The candidate in this application is a physiatrist, a clinician researcher with a Masters in Exercise Physiology, who specializes in geriatric rehabilitation. It is the applicant's goal to evaluate the influence of eight Vest Exercise a form of muscle power training (MPT) on functional loss in mobility limited elders. Through pilot studies in elders with mobility limitations, the applicant and his collaborators have demonstrated the close relationship between lower extremity muscular power and important tasks of functional performance. Additionally, pilot studies have shown that MPT is not only safe, but also more potent than strength training at correcting lower extremity motor impairments. Lastly, the applicant is investigating the potential of Weighted Vest Exercise, having preliminary results demonstrating its effectiveness. This award is framed around the following activities: 1) conducting a pilot intervention trial utilizing weighted vest exercise, a potential home-based type of MPT in elders with significant mobility limitations; 2) enhance my career development plan through continued involvement as co-investigator in an RO1 studying closely related issues; 3) completing studies in clinical trial methodology and utilizing these previous experiences as the basis for a randomized controlled trial, that is appropriately powered to evaluate the influence of non-machine based MPT on all disablement outcomes, including disability; and 4) develop the skills, expertise and experience to become a successful independent clinician scientist within the field of geriatric rehabilitation. This proposal contains a strong environment and mentorship plan containing leading institutions and individuals from the fields of Aging and Rehabilitation. It will provide important insights into exercise's role in preserving late life functioning.