Use of the Physical Performance Test to Assess Preclinical Disability in Subjects With Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Disease

The purpose of this study was to determine whether subjects with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and occlusion demonstrate deficits in physical performance compared with a comparison group. These deficits may indicate that a person is demonstrating preclinical disability. Seventy-one subjects with no known disease and 39 subjects with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis of moderate and severe degrees or with occlusion were included. Physical performance was assessed with the 9-item and 7-item versions of the Physical Performance Test (PPT). Individual tasks also were timed for the subjects with disease. There were significant differences between the comparison group and the subjects with carotid artery stenosis on the 9-item PPT (P