Efficacy of a Biodanza Program in People With Alzheimer's Disease.

6-minute walk test

The 6MWT is a practical simple test that requires a 100-ft hallway but no exercise equipment or advanced training for technicians. This test measures the distance that a patient can quickly walk on a flat, hard surface in a period of 6 minutes. It evaluates the global and integrated responses of all the systems involved during exercise. The self-paced 6MWT assesses the submaximal level of functional capacity. Because most activities of daily living are performed at submaximal levels of exertion, the 6MWD may better reflect the functional exercise level for daily physical activities.

Time frame: 3 months

Tinetti test

The Tinetti-test was published by Mary Tinetti (Yale University) to assess the gait and balance in older adults. It is a very good indicator of the fall risk of an individual. The test requires a hard armless chair, a stopwatch and also, a 15feet even and uniform walkway. It has 2 sections; one assesses balance abilities in a chair and also in standing, and the other assesses dynamic balance during gait on a 15feet walkway.The patient is to sit in an armless chair and will be asked to rise up and stay standing. The patient will then turn 360° and then sit back down.This is to test the patients' balance. Next, the patient will have to walk a few meters at a normal speed, followed by turning and walking back at a "fast but safe" speed. The patient will then sit back down. During this test, the patient can use any assistive devices (walking stick, crutches, zimmer frame) they would normally use.

Time frame: 3 months

Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is a 10-minute measure of impaired thinking. The summed score of the individual items indicates the current severity of cognitive impairment. Deterioration in cognition is indicated by decreasing scores of repeated tests. The items of the MMSE include tests of orientation, registration, recall, calculation and attention, naming, repetition, comprehension, reading, writing and drawing. Level of consciousness is rated on a scale from coma to fully alert, but the consciousness rating is not summed with the other items. If all items are answered correctly, the score is 30. The mean score for a community-dwelling population over 65 years of age is 27, with a standard deviation of 1.71. Alzheimer's disease patients lose 3-4 points per year of illness after the onset of memory disturbance, although there is wide variability in this phenomenon.

Time frame: 3 months

Daily Living Activities Index (Barthel Scale/Index)

The Barthel Scale/Index is an ordinal scale used to measure performance in activities of daily living (ADL). Ten variables describing ADL and mobility are scored, a higher number being a reflection of greater ability to function independently. The Barthel Index measures the degree of assistance required by an individual on 10 items of mobility and self care ADL (feeding, personal toileting, bathing, dressing and undressing, getting on and off a toilet, controlling bladder, controlling bowel, moving from wheelchair to bed and returning, walking on level surface, or propelling a wheelchair if unable to walk, and ascending and descending stairs). Each item is rated in terms of whether the patient can perform the task independently, with some assistance, or is dependent on help based on observation (0=unable, 1=needs help, 2=independent). The final score is x 5 to get a number on a 100 point score.

Time frame: 3 months

Pfeiffer Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire

Pfeiffer Test is also known as "short portable mental status questionnaire" and abbreviated as "SPMSQ". This questionnaire is an instrument to assess the organic brain deficit, easy to use, reliable, valid and brief, since it consists of 10 questions. The test Pfeiffer assigns a score from 0 to 10, depending on the amount of incorrect questions answered, assigning one point for each incorrect question. Then, on the basis of the errors made, these 10 questions measure the cognitive deterioration and determine its degree through four levels as follows: (0-2 points) normal, (3-4) light, (5-7 points), moderate and (8-10 points) severe.

Time frame: 3 months

Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, is a multiple item questionnaire used to provide an indication of depression, and as a guide to evaluate recovery. The questionnaire is designed for adults and is used to rate the severity of their depression by probing mood, feelings of guilt, suicide ideation, insomnia, agitation or retardation, anxiety, weight loss, and somatic symptoms. Although the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression form lists 21 items, the scoring is based on the first 17. It generally takes 15-20 minutes to complete the interview and score the results. Eight items are scored on a 5-point scale, ranging from 0 = not present to 4 = severe. Nine are scored from 0-2.

Time frame: 3 months

Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index.

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a self-report questionnaire that assesses sleep quality over a 1-month time interval. Consisting of 19 items, the PSQI measures several different aspects of sleep, offering seven component scores and one composite score. The component scores consist of subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction. Each item is weighted on a 0-3 interval scale. The global PSQI score is then calculated by totaling the seven component scores, providing an overall score ranging from 0 to 21, where lower scores denote a healthier sleep quality.Traditionally, the items from the PSQI have been summed to create a total score to measure overall sleep quality.

Time frame: 3 months