We would like to thank Celik for the comments on our recent article.
1
In short, we agree with the comments clarifying that performances on the 2 measures
identified in our study (5-m timed Up and Go test and Activities-specific Balance
Confidence scale) are not exclusive determinants in recommending a walking device
for individuals with Parkinson disease. Clearly, clinicians who prescribe walking
devices need to weigh the benefits and risks based on an individual's limitations
and preferences, both in general when first considering a device and more specifically
when choosing the specific type. Whether a history of backward falls and high amplitude
dyskinetic movements of the upper extremity are universal contraindications for using
any walking device is beyond the scope of our study. Clinical judgment and experience
may indeed lead to that conclusion, but we cannot address that issue with empirical
evidence in our data. Our intent was to identify simple clinical tools that may help
clinicians with the initial step in the multifaceted decision process of prescribing
a walking device for individuals with Parkinson disease. Hopefully after Celik's letter
to the editor and our response, that intent is now more clear and not overstated in
the article.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Archives of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
Reference
- Determinants of use of a walking device in persons with Parkinson's disease.Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014; 95: 1940-1945
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 12, 2015
Footnotes
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
ScienceDirect
Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Walking Safety and Preventing Falls in Parkinson's DiseaseArchives of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationVol. 96Issue 4
- PreviewI read with great interest the article by Bryant et al.1 Walking safety and preventing falls are two of the most important challenges in progressive Parkinson disease, basically in the late stages of the disease when the patient does not yet need a wheelchair. Objective measures to evaluate timing and type of ambulatory devices in Parkinson's disease could help clinicians make accurate prescription of these devices. Bryant concluded that 2 simple measures, the 5m-timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, could identify those needing a walking device, and the walking devices could be recommended according to the combined outcomes of these 2 measures.
- Full-Text
- Preview
