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Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the upper extremity functions of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to compare them with those of healthy subjects. Methods: Thirty six diabetic participants (mean age: 55.05±5.85 years; 21 female, 15 male) and thirty six healthy participants (mean age: 53.52±7.74 years; 20 female, 16 male) were evaluated in this study. A hand dynamometer was used to examine grip strength of the participants. Upper extremities endurance was evaluated by using the Unsupported Upper Limb Exercise Test (UULEX). Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand Test (DASH-T) was used to determine upper extremity disability level. Results: Diabetic participants evaluated in this study showed lower scores in terms of upper extremity endurance (p0.05) Conclusion: In individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, there is a significant decrease in upper extremity endurance and an increase in the level of upper extremity disability level.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the agreement between physiotherapists (PTS), patients and caregivers about the physiotherapy of patients with hemiparesis. Materials and methods: Fifty-two patients with hemiparesis (M = 24, F = 28), caregivers (N = 52) and PTs (N = 52) who applied for the physiotherapy programme were interviewed. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded. A questionnaire composed of six questions was used to describe the expectations of the PTs, caregivers and patients about the physiotherapy programme. Results: The Kappa calculator revealed a statistically moderate level of agreement between PTs and caregivers (K = 0.532, p =.0001), patients and caregivers (K = 0.496, p =.0001) and PTs and patients (K = 0.401, p =.0001) regarding the expectations of physiotherapy programme. Conclusion: Expectations of the patients and caregivers must be considered for rehabilitation; hence, participation in the therapy and efficacy of the physiotherapy programme will increase. Consequently, we believe that the expectations of the patients and caregivers should be considered by the PTs when preparing a treatment programme for patients with hemiparesis. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Background and Aims: Low back pain is well documented to be an extremely common health problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the low back pain risk among older Turkish adults.

Aim and Scope: The aim of this study was to determine how previous (year 2014) and present (year 2017) conditions influence the satisfaction level of the final year students and lecturers in School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at Pamukkale University (SPTRPAU). Materials and Methods: The study was conducted interviewing face to face with final year physical therapy students (N: 143; mean age=23.1 +/- 1.4 yrs) and lecturers (N: 28; mean age=38.3 +/- 7.4 yrs.). The study completed in 2017. Demographics including gender, age, academic grade average, year of work experience belonging to students and lecturers were recorded. Previous results obtained in 2014 compared with present results obtained in 2017. The same questionnaires created by Erden and Cavlak just used in 2014 were also used in this study of 2017. Questionnaire I (18 suggestions; Cronbach alpha=0,90) consists of statements reflecting the feedback on the content of the education program, canteen-rest areas, training program content, etc. was used by both students and lecturers. Questionnaire II (20 suggestions; Cronbach alpha=0,91) is used by students to rated their lecturers. Results: Mean academic grade of the students was 3.1 +/- 0.37 / 4. Mean work experience of lecturers was 13.4 +/- 6.60 yrs. Questionnaire I showed that the level of satisfaction of students about education program content, grading system, counseling services, internship activities, occupational skills and overall satisfaction increased significantly compared to research 2014 aresults. On the other hand, no differences were found in terms of the other categories in Questionnaire I rated by the students. The lecturers reported improvements in canteens and resting areas only. According to the results of the research 2014, there were significant improvements in terms of satisfaction level of the students and the instructors in all fields except the contents of the training program and the equipment (p

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the agreement between physiotherapists (PTs) and mothers (Ms) about the treatment of children with cerebral palsy (CP) who received treatment in special education and rehabilitation centers., Subjects: Ms of 130 children with CP (75 boys, 55 girls) and 130 PTs who applied rehabilitation programs were interviewed., Methods: Clinical types and gross motor function levels of the children were recorded. A questionnaire consisting of 6 open-ended questions was used to describe the expectations and views of the PTs and Ms about the physiotherapy and rehabilitation programs for the children., Results: The mean age of the children was 89.80±52.05 months. The mean treatment period for the children was 73.62±42.11 months. The mean age of the mothers was 35.47±5.79 years, and the mean age of the PTs was 28.07±7.28 years. We found a statistically moderate level of agreement between the PTs and Ms regarding the appropriateness of the treatment provided to the children. There was statistically insignificant agreement regarding the applied treatment methods and the appropriateness of the applied rehabilitation programs., Conclusion: We believe that the views and expectations of the Ms should be taken into account by the PTs when preparing a treatment program for children with CP. © 2014 The Society of Physical Therapy Science.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia. Gait and postural difficulties supersede tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia as drivers of disease burden in patients with advanced PD. The aim of this study was to describe the effects of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on gait ability and balance performance in patients with PD. Material and methods: We studied 19 consecutive patients who underwent bilateral stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and at the 5th day and 6th month after surgery. Timed Up and Go Test, 12 m Walking Test, Chair Stand Test and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were used to assess mobility and balance performance. Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS III) and Hoehn and Yahr Scale were also used. Results: All the patients' mobility ability and balance performance improved after surgery (p < 0.05). At the 6 th month after surgery, the Timed Up and Go Test scores were decreased from 56.05 ±42.52 to 21.47 ±20.36, the 12 m Walking Test scores were decreased from 100.44 ±66.44 to 28.84 ±19.79, the Chair Stand Test scores were increased from 4.00 ±4.66 to 11.68 ±4.43 and the BBS score was increased from 12.84 ±6.89 to 38.89 ±8.79. UPDRS total scores were significantly improved 6 months after surgery (p < 0.001). UPDRS total scores were decreased from 98.26 ±37.69 to 39.36 ±18.85. The Hoehn and Yahr Scale score was significantly decreased after surgery (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Surgical therapy is an effective treatment to improve gait ability and balance performance in Parkinson's patients. Copyright © 2014 Termedia & Banach.

Background/aim: This study was conducted to analyze the agreement between International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) raters and to show its applicability in children with low vision. Materials and methods: Twenty children (mean age: 11.70 ± 1.92 years) were included. To evaluate the independency of the sample, the Northwick Park Activities Daily Living questionnaire was used. The Low Vision Quality of Life Scale was used to evaluate quality of life. An ICF core set was developed to be used in this study. The core set consisted of 13 items for body functions, 3 items for body structures, 36 items for activity and participation, and 12 items for environmental factors. Results: High agreement was found between two raters in terms of subparameters of the ICF core set for activity and participation (r = 0.880, P = 0.000). Conclusion: The findings indicate that the raters showed strong agreement in terms of the ICF core set used in this study. This shows that the core set can be used to evaluate activity and participation of children with low vision. © TÜBİTAK.

The aim of our study is to examine the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery on severity of dystonia, mobility, emotional status, and health-related quality of life (QOL) in patient with dystonia. This study was carried out on a case of 41-year-old female with complaints of neck and arm pain, involuntary contraction for 30 years. GPİ-DBS was applied to the patient bilaterally in 2010. Global Dystonia Scale (GDS) was used to assess the severity of the patient's dystonia, effects on body parts and functions. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was applied to detect emotional status. 12- Meter Walking Test (mobility) and Short Form-36 (SF-36) were used to evaluate quality of life. All assessments were repeated prior to surgery, after surgery 1st year and 3rd years. Prior to surgery, GDS was 112. Postoperative 1st and 3rd years, GDS was respectively 69/84. Prior to surgery, the total BDI score was 31. Postoperative 1st and 3rd years, GDS was respectively 28/40. 12-Meter Walking Test results were respectively 18/10/15 sec. for the prior to surgery, postoperative 1st. and 3rd years. General health status and physical function subscales of SF-36, respectively, prior to surgery were 30/75, postoperative 1st year was 60/85 and 3rd years were 20/35. GPI-DBS is a surgical procedure, which has positive effect on mobility, emotional status and QOL, in patient with dystonia., Çalışmamızın amacı distonili bir hastada derin beyin stimülasyon cerrahisinin mobilite, emosyonel durum ve yaşam kalitesi üzerine olan etkilerini incelemektir. Çalışma, 30 yıldır boyun ve kolda istemsiz kasılma ve ağrı şikâyetleri olan 41 yaşında bayan bir olgu üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Hastaya 2010 yılında Bilateral Globus Pallidus İnterna (GPİ) yerleşimli derin beyin stimülasyon cerrahisi yapılmıştır. Hastanın distoni şiddetini, etkilediği vücut fonksiyonları ve kısımlarını değerlendirmek için Global Distoni Skoru kullanılmıştır. Emosyonel durumu belirlemek için Beck Depresyon Ölçeği, yaşam kalitesi için Kısa Form- 36(SF-36) ve mobilite durumunu değerlendirmek için 12 metre yürüme testi uygulanmıştır. Hastamızda bütün değerlendirmeler cerrahi öncesinde, cerrahiden sonra 1. yıl ve 3. yılda tekrar edilmiştir. Hastanın cerrahi öncesinde Global Distoni Skoru 112 iken cerrahi sonrası 1. yılda 69 ve 3. yılda 84 olarak kaydedilmiştir. Emosyonel durum toplam puanı cerrahi öncesinde 31 iken cerrahi sonrası 1. ve 3. yılda sırasıyla 28/40 kaydedilmiştir. 12 metre yürüme test sonuçları cerrahi öncesinde 18 sn iken, 1. yılda 10 sn ve 3. yılda 15 sn kaydedilmiştir. Yaşam kalitesi SF-36 alt ölçeklerinden genel sağlık durumu ve fiziksel fonksiyon cerrahi öncesinde sırasıyla 30/75 iken cerrahi sonrası 1.yıl 60/85 ve 3. yılda 20/35 olarak kaydedilmiştir. Distonili bir hastada GPİ derin beyin stimülasyon cerrahisi mobilite, emosyonel durum ve yaşam kalitesi üzerine olumlu yönde etkisi olan cerrahi bir yöntemdir.

Objective: The aim of this study was to ascertain the effect of gender and cultural habits on hip, knee and ankle range of motion (ROM) and to determine the differences between the ROM of right and left side symmetric joints of the lower extremities.Methods: The study included 987 (513 males and 474 females) healthy volunteers. Individuals with a history of illness, prior surgery or trauma involving any joint of either lower extremity wereexcluded from the study. The terminology and techniques of measurements used were those suggested by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Results: Left side passive hip flexion and active internal rotation was higher than the right side. Passive flexion of the hip joint was higher in male subjects and internal and external rotation was higher in female subjects. In the knee joint, passive extension was higher in males. Plantarflexion and inversion of the ankle joint were higher in male subjects and dorsiflexion and eversion were higher in female subjects. The differences were considered insignificant in clinical terms as all were less than 3 degrees.Conclusion: There is no clinically significantly difference between right and left side hip, knee and ankle joints ROM. Gender and cultural habits do not appear to have clinically significantly effects on lower extremity joint ROM., Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, cinsiyetin ve kültürel alışkanlıkların kalça, diz ve ayak bileği eklem hareket açıklığına (EHA) olan etkisini ve alt ekstremitenin sağ ve sol taraf simetrik eklemlerinin EHA’ları arasında fark olup olmadığını belirlemekti.Çalışma planı: Çalışmaya 987 (513 erkek ve 474 kadın) gönüllü alındı. Alt ekstremite eklemlerinden herhangi birisiyle ilgili hastalık öyküsü bulunan, ameliyat veya travma geçirmiş olanlar çalışmaya dahil edilmedi. Terminoloji ve ölçüm tekniklerinde Amerikan Ortopedik Cerrahlar Akademisi’nin yönergeleri temel alındı.Bulgular: Sol taraf kalça pasif fleksiyonu ve aktif iç rotasyonu sağ tarafa göre daha yüksek olarak ölçüldü. Kalça ekleminde; pasif fleksiyon erkeklerde daha yüksek olduğu halde, iç ve dış rotasyon kadınlarda daha yüksekti. Dizde; pasif ekstansiyon erkeklerde daha yüksekti. Ayak bileğinde; plantarfleksiyon ve inversiyon erkeklerde daha fazla iken, dorsifleksiyon ve eversiyonun kadınlarda daha fazla olduğu görüldü. Ölçülen farklılıkların hiçbiri üç dereceden fazla olmadığı için klinik olarak anlamlı değildi.Çıkarımlar: Kalça diz ve ayak bileği EHA’larında sağ ve sol taraf arasında klinik olarak anlamlı bir fark olmadığı, cinsiyet ve kültürel alışkanlıkların alt ekstremite eklemlerindeki EHA’yı klinik olarak anlamlı bir şekilde etkilemediği saptandı.

Purpose: The current study aimed to reveal the therapeutic effects of a pulsed electromagnetic field and swimming exercises on rats with experimental sciatic nerve injury, which was induced with crush-type neuropathy model damage, using electrophysiological methods. Subjects: In the current study, the sample consisted of 28 adult male Wistar albino rats. Methods: The rats were randomized into four groups (n=7). Swimming exercise and PEMF (2 Hz and 0.3 MT) were applied one hour a day, five days a week, for four weeks. Electroneuromyographic (ENMG) measurements were taken on day 7. Results: When the data were evaluated, it was found that the 4 weeks of PEMF and swimming exercises led to an increase in motor conduction rates and a decrease in latency values, but the changes were not significant in comparison with the control and injury groups. The compound muscle action potential (CMAP) values of the left leg were lower in weeks 2, 3, and 4 in the swimming exercise group in comparison with the control group, although for the PEMF group, the CMAP values of the left leg reached the level observed in the control group beginning in week 3. Conclusion: PEMF and swimming exercise made positive contributions to nerve regeneration after week 1, and regeneration was enhanced. © 2014 The Society of Physical Therapy Science. Published by IPEC Inc.

Objectives: To examine and compare the effects of massage and matrix rhythm therapy in young women on the peripheral blood circulation. Design: Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Setting: Pamukkale University in Denizli, Turkey. Patients: Fifteen healthy women age 19-23 years. Intervention: Matrix rhythm therapy was applied to the left lower extremity for a single 30-minute session. At least 1 week later, massage was applied to the left lower extremity for 30 minutes in a single session. The same physiotherapist applied both sessions. Outcome measures: The blood velocity (cm/s), artery diameter (mm), and blood flow (ml/min) of the popliteal and the posterior tibial arteries were measured with color Doppler ultrasonography. All images were evaluated by the same radiologist. Results: After matrix rhythm therapy and massage application, blood velocity, artery diameter, and blood flow in arteries increased. However, matrix rhythm therapy caused a more prominent increase in the amount of blood flow in the popliteal and in the posterior tibial artery than did massage. After matrix rhythm therapy application, the average increases in the blood flow rates in the popliteal and the posterior tibial arteries were 25.29%±16.55% and 34.33%±15.66%, respectively; after the massage, the increases were 17.84%±17.23% and 16.07%±10.28%, respectively. Conclusion: Matrix rhythm therapy and massage increased peripheral blood flow in young women. Matrix rhythm therapy method resulted in more prominent increases. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

[Purpose] This study was conducted on university students with nonspecific low back pain in order to determine the independent variables that affect their pain. [Methods] A total of 514 students were included in this study. Pain was evaluated using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). A special form was prepared in order to evaluate the following independent variables: gender, weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), working periods sitting straight (television, computer, seminar, etc.), working periods bending at a table (reading, writing, etc.), using lumbar support while sitting, the mean duration of pain within the last one year, type of pain, time of the pain, faculty, class, physical activity habits and smoking. The collected data were evaluated using the CHAID (Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection) analysis method. [Results] The working hours bending at a table, physical activity, height, weight, BMI and educational departments were found not to affect the severity of the pain. The pain severity was affected by the duration of pain complaints within the last one year, the duration of working staying upright, smoking, classes, usage of lumbar support and age variables. [Conclusions] The results of this study show that nonspecific low back pain of university students is affected by many factors such as smoking, class, age, using a computer and lumbar support. © 2013 by the Society of Physical Therapy Science.

Regular walking is one of the most recommended and popular physical activity worldwide. This study (1) detected the effects of unsupervised regular walking on physical and cognitive functioning, emotional status, and quality of life in middle-aged and older adults and (2) compared the results with inactive controls. Forty middle-aged and older adults with a mean age of 56.30 ± 4.85 years (range 40–70) walking for at least 1 year, at least three times a week, and at least 45 min a day and 40 inactive participants with a mean age of 55.15 ± 5.64 years (range 40–70) participated. Before testing, sociodemographics of the participants were recorded. Body mass index and waist–hip ratio were calculated. The two groups were evaluated and compared in terms of physical functioning (handgrip strength, balance performance, cardio-vascular endurance, flexibility, muscular endurance and coordination), cognitive functioning (Mini Mental Test), emotional status (Beck Depression Inventory), and health related quality of life (CDC HRQOL- 4). The results obtained from this study showed that there were significant differences in terms of all outcome measurements between the groups (p

Ankarali, Handan Camdeviren/0000-0002-3613-0523 WOS: 000287599700018 PubMed: 21278700 Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common disease among people under the age of 20. To the best of our knowledge few studies have been carried out on LBP among school children in Turkey, and none of them studied the correlation between pain intensity and related variables with LBP. Material/Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate the risk factors and their correlations with pain intensity among 222 school children (106 girls and 116 boys) aged 10-18 years in the city of Denizli. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect the data. The regression tree method (RTM) was used to determine the risk factors by using the STATISTICA program package. Pain intensity was the outcome variable, and 8 independent variables (body mass index (BMI), sex, regular exercise habit, studying posture, transportation to/from school, duration of studying, bag handling, and type of bed) were used to detect their effect on pain intensity. Results: The results showed that pain intensity is significantly affected by 4 independent variables: duration of studying, type of bed, transportation to/from school, and BMI. The overall mean and standard deviation of pain intensity was 2.58 +/- 0.86 (minimum = 1, maximum = 5). Conclusions: Results from the literature, as well as our study, show that taking parents' and teachers' concerns seriously is of vital importance. Our results indicate that parents and teachers should be informed about duration of studying, type of bed, transportation and obesity as risk factors predicting NLBP in school children.

The pragmatic aims of this study were to investigate the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Impact on Family Scale (IFS) and to evaluate the impact of having disabled children on mothers. Two hundred and forty seven mothers with cerebral palsied children completed the Turkish version, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Fifteen mothers also completed the Turkish version on two occasions, one apart, to evaluate the test-retest reliability. Cronbach's alpha and Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were calculated, respectively. Concurrent validity was examined by comparing with two instruments: BDI and NHP. Internal consistency was 0.74. When the coping items were excluded, the results showed that its Cronbach's alpha was excellent (0.81). ICC score for the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.79. The findings indicate that the Turkish version is a reliable tool for assessing the impact of having a cerebral palsied child on Turkish speaking mothers living in Turkey.

WOS: 000268656500023 PubMed ID: 19101046 The aims of this study were (1) to show the effects of musculoskeletal pain on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and (2) to look at gender differences in this field in elderly people living in Turkey. Subjects were 900 men and women (65 years of age or above), with a mean of 70.93 +/- 5.6 years. The centers for disease control (CDC) HRQOL4 survey tool was used to measure HRQOL of the subjects. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to determine pain intensity. The subjects were also asked to indicate sites where they experienced pain in their body. Of the subjects, 72.1% reported musculoskeletal pain. The prevalence of pain was higher among women (85.5%) than men (61.8%). Pain of lower extremities was the most common in both sexes. Whereas the majority of the subjects with musculoskeletal pain reported fair-poor self-rated health. those without pain reported excellent-very good-good health. Compared with subjects who did not report pain, those with pain had increased the number of physically and mentally unhealthy days in the previous 30 days (p = 0.0001). The investigators concluded that musculoskeletal pain interfered negatively with HRQOL, increasing the number of unhealthy days and decreasing physical and mental performance in the elderly participants. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

This interventional study was undertaken to assess the impact of physiotherapy education on the knowledge and attitudes of physiotherapists (PTs) and physiotherapy students (PSs) toward euthanasia. The study, which was conducted during the period between 2004 and 2005, included a total of 494 participants (311 PTs; 183 PSs) aged 18 to 52 y from the western and central portions of Turkey, who responded to a self-report questionnaire (response rate, 96.4%) that was based on data from the literature. Results indicated that PTs (48.9%) were more likely to approve of euthanasia than PSs (38.3%) (P.05). Overall results showed that sex and age had no effect on whether euthanasia was accepted (P>.05); religiousness was found to have the greatest effect on attitudes toward euthanasia (P

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between thigh skinfold measurement, hand grip strength, and trunk muscle endurance and compare this relationship in men and women. The current study included 200 healthy subjects (111 women and 89 men), with a mean age of 31.58±13.78 y. Trunk muscle endurance was evaluated with the use of curl-up, horizontal side bridge, and static back endurance tests. Significant differences were found between women and men in performance of the curl-up and horizontal side bridge tests (P

In Turkey, euthanasia has not become a subject of public debate and concern. This study gives the results of Turkish university students on attitudes to euthanasia. The main aims of the study were: to assess the impact of type of education on attitudes towards euthanasia and to determine the influence of socio-demographics on attitudes of the students towards euthanasia. In total, 878 volunteered undergraduate registered students with the mean age of 21.13±1.92 year from six universities were surveyed. Attitudes of the students towards euthanasia were determined using by a self-completed questionnaire. Response rate was 92.2%. The students were divided into two groups according to education program as follows: Health Science students (HS) and Liberal Arts and Business students (LAB). Two students major groups-Health Science (n = 421) and Liberal Arts and Business (n = 457), were compared. 48.4% of the students were positive to euthanasia. The socio-demographic factors, including mother's education level, family's socio-economic background, religious belief and religiosity were seen to be influenced on attitudes towards euthanasia among the overall students. No significant difference regarding the acceptance of euthanasia between the Health Science majors and the Liberal Arts and Business majors. Mainly, 40% of the Muslim students are opposed to euthanasia, whereas 86.7% of the atheist students are the most in favour of euthanasia. The religion was selected as the most important reason for being negative to euthanasia. The results showed that resistance to euthanasia is apparently associated with demographics and non-scientific reasoning among Turkish undergraduate students.

The main purposes of the study are to determine the intra-inter rater reliability of a new special designed clinical evaluation system; to measure the amount of the vertical axial rotation of the tibia resulting from passive rotation of knee and subtalar joints. To achieve this, the Measuring the Vertical Axial Rotation Tibial Shaft (MVARTS) system was designed. The system apparatus is applied to each knee and measured the vertical axial rotation of the tibia and subtalar rotations together. Fifty healthy subjects were e together. Fifty healthy subjects were examined using the suggested system. Two evaluators measured the tibial internal and external rotations, passively. The pure tibial rotation was also measured radiologically on the X-Ray in only 24 subjects The intra and inter observer variation was calculated between 2.1 and 38 degrees with high correlation (0.84-0 98). There was no significant difference between intra and inter observers' results (p 005). On the other hand, amount of the internal combined rotations was lower than the external rotation (p 001) The radiological extermal pure tibial rotations are 19.8t62 de g ( right ) , 170 1.6 İ ng ( left ) for the males whilst 28. 7+40 deg (right), 230+5.3 deg (left) for the females. The difference between the male and female subjects was also seen to be significant (p D.05). The results showed that the MVARTS system is an appropriate, noninvasive, fast to measure combined tibial and subtalar joint rotation in addition to be economically very efficient.

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in older people living at a rest home in terms of functional independence, mental status and mobility level and to describe the relationship among the three outcome variables. One hundred and thirty-three elderly people (60 women, 73 men), aged 65 years and above were included in the study. The average age was 75.3 ± 6.7 years (range, 65-90 years). Mental status was assessed using the Hodkinson Mental Test (HMT). Functional independence was measured using Functional Independence Measurement (FIM). Mobility level was evaluated using the Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI). Elderly women had lower scores regarding all the outcome variables when compared to older men. The older men had higher cognitive performance than women. In addition, women were at low level of mobility and depended upon the daily living activities (p < 0.05). Both genders showed a significant negative correlation between mental status and functional independence or mobility level, while the correlation between functional independence and mobility level was significantly positive. The data showed that mental impairment decreases both functional status and mobility level of the institutionalized elderly people. Gender difference was found to be an important factor affecting the outcome variables of the study. © 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess pain threshold and tolerance in diabetics with/without neuropathy and to compare that in with healthy controls. Methods: In this cross-sectional and comparative study, 79 diabetics (57 without neuropathy and 22 with neuropathy) and 32 healthy controls (63 women and 48 men) with a mean age of 48.11±7.52 years were studied. Seventy-nine diabetics, aged 33 to 74, who met inclusion criteria were evaluated using electrical stimulation (faradic current) to assess pain threshold and tolerance on upper and lower extremities and were compared with healthy controls. They also were evaluated using Michigan Neuropathy Screening Index (MNSI), 5.07 mmg Semmes Weinstein Monofilament, and visual analog scale (VAS). Pain threshold and tolerance were measured experimentally. Results: Of all participants, 32.4% had pain complain. Eighteen diabetics without neuropathy (31.6%) and 9 diabetics with neuropathy (40.9%) reported pain. The result of upper and lower extremities' pain threshold and tolerance showed that there was a significant difference between diabetics and healthy participants (P

Objective: This study investigates reliability and validity of Turkish version of CDC Core Healthy Days Measures assessing health related quality of life (CDC HRQOL-4) in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients. Methodology: One hundred eighty nine CLBP patients and 117 healthy controls participated. All respondents filled the following scales; the CDC HRQOL-4, Rolland Morris Questionnaire (RMQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). Results: Cronbach’s alpha of CDC HRQOL-4-items in CLBP patients was 0.69. Of 57.1% CLBP patients and 13.7% healthy controls defined their health status as fair or poor. The number of physically and mentally unhealthy days, and activity limitation days was found to be higher in the CLBP patients than the healthy controls (p