DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY DIVISION

Academic Appointments

Assistant Professor

 

 

Education

Center for the Study of Aging and Human  Development

Duke University Medical Center

• Post-doctoral Fellow, 2002-2004

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• PhD in Epidemiology, 2002
• MS in Human Movement Science, 1994
• BS in Physical Therapy, 1986

 

Research

Physical disability and frailty in aging populations.

Relationship between cognitive impairment and physical function in aging populations.

Performance-based measurement of physical function.

Sarcopenia of aging and trajectories of change in leg strength and muscle mass

Genetics of sarcopenia, physical frailty, and trajectories of physical function.

Biomarkers of physical function and frailty in older adults.

Clinical and epidemiological use of gait speed and other performance-based tests as indicators of the health status of older adults and to guide care.

 

Environmental effects on chronic inflammation, function, and physical frailty.

 

Selected Publications

 

• Mercer VS, Freburger JK, Chang SH, Purser JL. Measurement of Paretic Lower Extremity Loading and Weight Transfer after Stroke. Phys Ther, 2009;89:653-554.
   
• Hastings SN, Whitson HE, Purser JL, Sloane RJ, Johnson, KS. Emergency department discharge diagnosis and adverse health outcomes in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc, 2009;57:1856-1861.
   
• Zeng Y, Gu D, Purser JL, Hoenig H, Wang Y, Christakis N. Effects of environmental factors on elderly health and mortality in China. American Journal of Public Health, 2009 in press.
   
• Mercer VS, Freburger JK, Chang S-H, Purser JL. Step Test scores are related to measures of activity and participation in the first 6 months after stroke. Phys Ther. 2009;89:1061-1071.
   
• Purser JL, Kuchibhatla MN, Cohen HJ, Blazer DG, Miranda ML, Fillenbaum GG Geographical segregation and interleukin-6, a biomarker of chronic inflammation in older adults. Biomarkers in Medicine, 2008;2(4):335-348. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2719974
   
• Hastings SN, Purser JL, Johnson KS, Sloane RJ, Whitson HE. A frailty index predicts some but not all adverse outcomes in older adults discharged from the emergency department, J Am Geriatr Soc, 2008 (in press)
   
• Purser JL, Fillenbaum, GG, Alexander KP. Response to Dr. Denkinger et al., J Am Geriatr Soc; 2007;55:968-969.
   
• Whitson HE, Purser JL, Cohen HJ. Frailty thy name is….phrailty? J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2007 Jul;62(7):728-30.
   
• Purser JL, Kuchibhatla MN, Fillenbaum GG, Harding T, Peterson ED, Alexander KP. Identifying Frailty Among Hospitalized Older Adults with Significant Coronary Artery Disease. J Am Geriatr Soc, 2006; 54:1674-1681.
   
• Purser JL, Fillenbaum GG, Wallace RB. Memory Complaint Is Not Necessary for Diagnosis of MCI and Does Not Predict 10-year Trajectories of Functional Disability, Word Recall or SPMSQ Limitations. J Am Geriatr Soc, 2006; 54:335-338.
   
• Purser JL. Mobility Assessment. In Encyclopedia of Health and Aging, Markides K, Blazer D, Branch L, Studenski S, eds., SAGE Publications, Inc., 2006
   
• Purser JL, Fillenbaum GG, Pieper CF, Wallace RB. Mild Cognitive Impairment and Ten-Year Trajectories of Disability in the Iowa EPESE cohort. J Am Geriatr Soc, 2005;53:1966-1972.
   
• Purser JL, Weinberger MW, Cohen HJ, Pieper CF, Morey MC, Li T, Williams GR, Lapuerta P. Walking speed predicts health status and hospital costs for frail elderly male veterans. J Rehabil Res Development, 2005;42(4):535-545.
   
• Stookey JD, Purser JL, Pieper CF, Cohen HJ. Plasma hypertonicity: another marker of frailty? J Am Geriatr Soc 2004; 52:1313-1320.
   
• Moise, P., Schwarzinger, M., UM, M-Y. and the Dementia Experts Group (U.S. experts: Fillenbaum GG, Purser JL, Heyman A) Dementia care in 9 OECD countries: A comparative analysis. OECD Health Working Papers No. 13, OECD, 2 Rue Andre-Pascal,75775 Paris, CEDEX 16, France, 2004.
   
• Purser JL, Pieper CF, Poole C, Morey M. Trajectories of leg strength and gait speed among sedentary older adults: longitudinal pattern of dose response. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Medical Sciences. 2003; 58A(12):1125-1134.
   
• Hays J, Pieper CF, Purser JL. Competing risk of household expansion or institutionalization in late life. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 2003; 58B(1):S11-S20.
   
• Shipp KM, Purser JL, Pieper CF, Gold DT, Lyles KW. Timed loaded standing: a measure of combined trunk and arm endurance suitable for people with vertebral osteoporosis. Osteoporosis International. 2000; 11(11):914-22.
   
• Purser JL, Pieper CF, Branch LG, Shipp KM, Gold DT, Lyles KW. Spinal deformity and confidence in mobility among women with osteoporosis and vertebral fracture. Aging: Clinical and Experimental Research. 1999; 11:235-245.
   
• Purser JL, Pieper C, Duncan PW, Gold DT, McConnell ES, Schenkman MS, Morey MA, Branch LG. Reliability of physical performance tests in four different randomized clinical trials. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 1999; 80:557-561.
   
• Purser JL. Spinal deformity and fear of falling. The Center Report: Advances in Research. Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development and the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. Summer, 1999; 19(2): 2.
   
• Giuliani CG, Purser JL, Light KE, Genova PA. Impairments in arm control in subjects with left and right hemisphere stroke. NeuroRehabilitation. 1997; 9:71-87.
   
• Light KE, Rose DK, Purser JL. Functional reach: strategies of elderly subjects with and without disequilibrium. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics. 1996; 14(1):39-52.
   
• Light KE, Purser JL, Rose DK. The functional reach test for balance: criterion-related validity of clinical observations. Issues on Aging. 1995; 18(2):5-9.
   
• Light KE, Purser JL, Giuliani CA. Motor Programming Differences in Subjects With Left versus Right CVAs. Proceedings of the APTA Neurology Section Forum on Stroke. 1992.

 

 

 

FReD Publications