Aim: To present the translation and validation process of the Portuguese version of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI). Methods:A cross-sectional study was designed using a non-probability sample of 252 community-dwelling older adults. Preliminary studies were carried out for face and content validity assessment. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct (convergent/divergent) and criterion validity were subsequently analyzed. Results:The sample was mainly women (75.8%), with a mean age of 79.2 ± 7.3 years. TFI internal consistency was good (KR-20 = 0.78). Test-retest reliability for the total was also good (r = 0.91), with kappa coefficients showing substantial agreement for most items. TFI physical and social domains correlated as expected with concurrent measures, whereas the TFI psychological domain showed similar correlations with other psychological and physical measures. The TFI showed a good to excellent discrimination ability in regard to frailty criteria, and fair to good ability to predict adverse outcomes. Conclusions:The psychometric properties of the TFI seem to be consistently good. These findings provide initial evidence that the Portuguese version is a valid and reliable measure for assessing frailty in the elderly.

A B S T R A C TThis study compared the ground reaction forces (GRF) and plantar pressures between unloaded and occasional loaded gait. The GRF and plantar pressures of 60 participants were recorded during unloaded gait and occasional loaded gait (wearing a backpack that raised their body mass index to 30); this load criterion was adopted because is considered potentially harmful in permanent loaded gait (obese people). The results indicate an overall increase (absolute values) of GRF and plantar pressures during occasional loaded gait (p < 0.05); also, higher normalized (by total weight) values in the medial midfoot and toes, and lower values in the lateral rearfoot region were observed. During loaded gait the magnitude of the vertical GRF (impact and thrust maximum) decreased and the shear forces increased more than did the proportion of the load (normalized values). These data suggest a different pattern of GRF and plantar pressure distribution during occasional loaded compared to unloaded gait.K e y w o r d s :

Objective: To analyse the relation between contralesional and ipsilesional limbs in subjects with stroke during step-to-step transition of walking.Design: Observational, transversal, analytical study with a convenience sample. Setting:Patients from a physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic in Portugal (Braga). Participants:Sixteen subjects with post-stroke hemiparesis with the ability to walk independently and twenty-two healthy controls.Interventions: Not applicable. Conclusions:The findings obtained suggest that the lower performance of the contralesional limb in forward propulsion during gait is not only related to contralateral supraspinal damage but also to a dysfunctional influence of the ipsilesional limb.

This study aimed to examine the differences in standing balance between individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and subjects without PD (control group), under single and dual-task conditions. A cross-sectional study was designed using a non-probabilistic sample of 110 individuals (50 participants with PD and 60 controls) aged 50 years old and over. The individuals with PD were in the early or middle stages of the disease (characterized by Hoehn and Yahr as stages 1-3). The standing balance was assessed by measuring the centre of pressure (CoP) displacement in single-task (eyes-open/eyes-closed) and dual-task (while performing two different verbal fluency tasks). No significant differences were found between the groups regarding sociodemographic variables. In general, the standing balance of the individuals with PD was worse than the controls, as the CoP displacement across tasks was significantly higher for the individuals with PD (p<0.01), both in anteroposterior and mediolateral directions. Moreover, there were significant differences in the CoP displacement based parameters between the conditions, mainly between the eyes-open condition and the remaining conditions. However, there was no significant interaction found between group and condition, which suggests that changes in the CoP displacement between tasks were not influenced by having PD. In conclusion, this study shows that, although individuals with PD had a worse overall standing balance than individuals without the disease, the impact of performing an additional task on the CoP displacement is similar for both groups.