Newcastle University

Qualifications

Grad Dip Phys
PhD

Memberships

Movement Disorders Society
International Society for Posture and Gait Research
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Research Interests

My research interests are concerned with motor control of gait, motor learning and the complex interactions of motor and non-motor symptoms and their consequences on independent mobility in the older person. I lead a research programme entitled 'Gait and Activity in Ageing and Disease' with a particular focus on the interaction between cognitive and motor functions.  Our research team is based in the Clinical Ageing Research Unit which includes a state of the art human movement and gait research laboratory.  Our work aims to advance patient diagnosis, assessment and treatment and to understand the effect of ageing on movement control.  The research is informed by 3 core themes: mechanisms of dysfunction, measurement and intervention development and testing which form distinct yet overlapping and integrated bodies of work.   Previous and current studies include: development and testing of interventions to improve mobility in Parkinson’s disease; application of novel technologies such as accelerometry for assessment and intervention and; development of physical biomarkers of cogntive decline sensitive measures to improve diagnosis. My work has contributed to the development of clinical guidelines to advance clinical practice and an educational focus ensures that research is communicated widely to clinicians, researchers, students and service users.

Projects

• Developing Movement Based Computer games for Parkinson’s: PD-Kinection
  Project Leader(s): Professor Lynn Rochester
• ICICLE-Gait
  Project Leader(s): Professor Lynn Rochester
• The LiveWell Programme: Developing pragmatic interventions to enhance health and wellbeing in later life
  Project Leader(s): Professor John Mathers

Teaching

Developed a module due to commence on 30th January 2012 - 'Rehabilitation Science for Movement Disorders'.  This module may be taken as part of the Masters of Clinical Research Programme or as a stand-alone paper to contribute to Continuing Professional Development (20 credits). 

• Rochester L, Nieuwboer A, Lord S. Physiotherapy for Parkinson's disease: defining evidence within a framework for intervention. Neurodegenerative Disease Management 2011, 1(1), 57-65.
• Lord S, Chastin SFM, McInnes L, Little L, Briggs P, Rochester L. Exploring patterns of daily physical and sedentary behavior in community dwelling older adults. Age & Ageing 2011, 40(2), 205-210.
• Lord S, Baker K, Nieuwboer A, Burn D, Rochester L. Gait variability in Parkinson's disease: an indicator of non-dopaminergic contributors to gait dysfunction?. Journal of Neurology 2011, 258(4), 566-572.
• Coulter EH, Dall PM, Rochester L, Hasler JP, Granat MH. Development and validation of a physical activity monitor for use on a wheelchair. Spinal Cord 2011, 49(3), 445-450.
• Rochester L, Baker K, Nieuwboer A, Burn D. Targeting Dopa-Sensitive and Dopa-Resistant Gait Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: Selective Responses to Internal and External Cues. Movement Disorders 2011, 26(3), 430-435.
• Chastin SFM, Lord S, Rochester L. Chasing a Theoretical Basis for the Definition and Analysis of Nonlinear Patterns of Activity in Older Adults. Journals of Gerontology. Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences 2010, 65(11), 1254-1255.
• Chastin SFM, Baker K, Jones D, Burn D, Granat M, Rochester L. The pattern of habitual sedentary behaviour is different in advanced Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders 2010, 25(13), 2114-2120.
• Rochester L, Baker K, Hetherington V, Jones D, Willems AM, Kwakkel G, Van Wegen E, Lim I, Nieuwboer A. Evidence for motor learning in Parkinson's disease: Acquisition, automaticity and retention of cued gait performance after training with external rhythmical cues. Brain Research 2010, 1319, 103-111.
• Lim I, van Wegen E, Jones D, Rochester L, Nieuwboer A, Willems AM, Baker K, Hetherington V, Kwakkel G. Does Cueing Training Improve Physical Activity in Patients With Parkinson's Disease?. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 2010, 24(5), 469-477.
• Rochester L, Rafferty D, Dotchin C, Msuya O, Minde V, Walker RW. The effect of cueing therapy on single and dual-task gait in a drug naïve population of people with Parkinson's disease in northern Tanzania. Movement Disorders 2010, 25(7), 906-911.
• Lord SE, Weatherall M, Rochester L. Community Ambulation in Older Adults: Which Internal Characteristics Are Important?. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2010, 91(3), 378-383.
• Lord S, Rochester L, Hetherington V, Allcock LM, Burn D. Executive dysfunction and attention contribute to gait interference in 'off' state Parkinson's Disease. Gait & Posture 2010, 31(2), 169-174.
• Nieuwboer A, Rochester L, Müncks L, Swinnen S. Motor learning in Parkinson's disease: limitations and potential for rehabilitation. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 2009, 15(3), S53-S58.
• Elbers R, van Wegen EEH, Rochester L, Hetherington V, Nieuwboer A, Willems AM, Jones D, Kwakkel G. Is Impact of Fatigue an Independent Factor Associated with Physical Activity in Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease?. Movement Disorders 2009, 24(10), 1512-1518.
• Nieuwboer A, Baker K, Willems AM, Kwakkel G, van Wegen E, Jones D, Rochester L. The short term effects of different cueing modalities on turn speed in people with Parkinson’s disease. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 2009, 23(8), 831-836.
• Nieuwboer A, Rochester L, Herman T, Vandeberghe W, Ehab Emil G, Thomaes T, Giladi N. Reliability of the new freezing of gait questionnaire: Agreement between patients with Parkinson's disease and their carers. Gait & Posture 2009, 30(4), 459-463.
• Hamilton F, Rochester L, Paul L, Rafferty D, O'Leary CP, Evans JJ. Walking and talking: an investigation of cognitive-motor dual tasking in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis 2009, 15(10), 1215-1227.
• Jones D, Stephens J, Innes W, Rochester L, Ashburn A, Stack E. Service user and carer involvement in physiotherapy practice, education and research: getting involved for a change. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 2009, 37(1), 29-35.
• Rochester L, Burn DJ, Woods G, Godwin J, Nieuwboer A. Does Auditory Rhythmical Cueing Improve Gait in People with Parkinson's Disease and Cognitive Impairment? A Feasibility Study. Movement Disorders 2009, 24(6), 839-845.
• Lim I, van Wegen E, Jones D, Rochester L, Nieuwboer A, Willems AM, Baker K, Hetherington V, Kwakkel G. Identifying fallers with Parkinson's disease using home-based tests: Who is at risk?. Movement Disorders 2008, 23(16), 2411-2415.
• Rochester L, Nieuwboer A, Baker K, Willems A, Kwakkel G, van Wegen E, Lim I, Jones D. Walking speed during single and dual tasks in Parkinson's disease: Which characteristics are important?. Movement Disorders 2008, 23(16), 2312-2318.
• Jones D, Rochester L, Birleson A, Nieuwboer A, Willems A-M, Kwakkel G, van Wegen E. Every day walking with Parkinson’s disease: Understanding personal challenges and strategies. Disability and Rehabilitation 2008, 30(16), 1213-1221.
• Nieuwboer A, Rochester L, Jones D. Cueing gait and gait-related mobility in patients with Parkinson's disease: developing a therapeutic method based on the international classification of functioning, disability and health. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation 2008, 24(2), 151-165.
• Lord SE, McPherson KM, McNaugton HK, Rochester L, Weatherall M. How feasible is the attainment of community ambulation after stroke? A pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate community-based physiotherapy in subacute stroke. Clinical Rehabilitation 2008, 22(3), 215-225.
• Lord S, Rochester L. Gait velocity and community ambulation: The limits of assessment. Stroke 2008, 39(4), e75.
• Baker K, Rochester L, Nieuwboer A. The effect of cues on gait variability - reducing the attentional cost of walking in people with Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 2008, 14(4), 314-320.
• Baker K, Rochester L, Nieuwboer A. The Immediate Effect of Attentional, Auditory, and a Combined Cue Strategy on Gait During Single and Dual Tasks in Parkinson’s Disease. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2007, 88(12), 1593-1600.
• Lord S, Rochester L. Walking in the real world: concepts related to functional gait. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 2007, 35(3), 126-130.
• Rochester L, Nieuwboer A, Baker K, Hetherington V, Willems AM, Chavret F, Kwakkel G, Van Wegen E, Lim I, Jones D. The attentional cost of external rhythmical cues and their impact on gait in Parkinson's disease: effect of cue modality and task complexity. Journal of Neural Transmission 2007, 114(10), 1243-1248.
• Lord S, Rochester L, Baker K, Hetherington V, Nieuwboer A. Concurrent validity of accelerometry to measure gait in Parkinson’s Disease. Gait & Posture 2008, 27(2), 357-359.
• Willems AM, Nieuwboer A, Chavret F, Desloovere K, Dom R, Rochester L, Kwakkel G, Van Wegen E, Jones D. Turning in Parkinson's disease patients and controls: The effect of auditory cues. Movement Disorders 2007, 22(13), 1871-1878.
• Nieuwboer A, Kwakkel G, Rochester L, Jones D, van Wegen E, Willems AM, Chavret F, Hetherington V, Baker K, Lim I. Cueing training in the home improves gait-related mobility in Parkinson's disease: the RESCUE trial. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2007, 78(2), 134-140.
• Hobbs N, Godfrey A, Mathers J, Rochester L, McDonald S, Araujo-Soares V, White M, Sniehotta F. A meta-analysis of physical activity interventions in the 'retirement window'. In: “Resiliance and Health” : 26th Conference of the European Health Psychology Society. 2012, Prague, Czech Republic: Routledge.
• Godfrey A, Galna B, Lord S, Mhiripiri D, Rochester L. A novel approach with accelerometry to investigate postural control in Parkinson's during gait. In: Parkinson UK Research Conference. 2012, York, UK.
• Godfrey A, Lord S, Dadirayi M, Burn D, Rochester L. Ambulatory activity but not sedentary behaviour discriminates early Parkinson's disease and controls. In: Joint World Congress of ISPGR and Gait & Mental Function. 2012, Trondheim, Norway.
• Rochester L, Yarnall A, Baker MR, David R, Lord S, Galna B, Burn DJ. Cholinergic dysfunction contributes to gait disturbance in early Parkinson’s disease. Brain 2012, 135(9), 2778-2787.
• Yarnall AJ, Rochester L, David R, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Barker RA, Brooks DJ, Baker MR, Burn DJ. Cholinergic dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease with mild cognitive impairment: a short latency afferent inhibition study. In: The Movement Disorders Society 16th International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders. 2012, Dublin, Ireland.
• Jakovljevic DG, Moore SA, Tan LB, Rochester L, Ford GA, Trenell MI. Discrepancy between cardiac and physical functional reserves in stroke. Stroke 2012, 43, 1422-1425.
• Howe T, Neil F, Rochester L, Ballinger C, Skelton DA. Exercise for improving balance in older people. In: 8th World Congress on Aging and Physical Activity: A Celebration of Diversity and Inclusion in Active Ageing. 2012, Glasgow, UK: Human Kinetics.
• Rochester L. Gait, mobility and falls. In: 8th World Congress on Aging and Physical Activity: A Celebration of Diversity and Inclusion in Active Ageing. 2012, Glasgow, UK: Human Kinetics.
• Moore SA, Hallsworth K, Bluck LJC, Ford GA, Rochester L, Trenell MI. Measuring Energy Expenditure After Stroke Validation of a Portable Device. Stroke 2012, 43(6), 1660-1662.
• Lord S, Galna B, Godfrey A, Burn D, Rochester L. Patterns of daily ambulatory activity differ in early Parkinson's disease compared with controls. In: 16th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders. 2012, Dublin, Ireland.
• Rochester L, Chastin SFM, Lord S, Baker K, Burn DJ. Understanding the impact of deep brain stimulation on ambulatory activity in advanced Parkinson's disease. Journal of Neurology 2012, 259(6), 1081-1086.
• Galna B, Lord S, Daud D, Archibald N, Burn D, Rochester L. Visual sampling during walking in people with Parkinson's disease and the influence of environment and dual-task. Brain Research 2012, 1473, 35-43.
• Lord S, Howe T, Greenland J, Simpson L, Rochester L. Gait variability in older adults: A structured review of testing protocol and clinimetric properties. Gait & Posture 2011, 34(4), 443-450.
• Godfrey A, Olaighin G, Mathers J, Rochester L. Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity in Older Adults: LiveWell. In: International Conference on Ambulatory Monitoring of Physical Activity and Movement (ICAMPAM). 2011, Glasgow, Scotland.
• Yarnall A, Rochester L, Burn DJ. The interplay of cholinergic function, attention, and falls in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders 2011, 26(14), 2496-2503.
• Lord S, Lord S, Rochester L, Rochester L, Hetherington V, Hetherington V, Allcock LM, Allcock LM, Burn DJ, Burn DJ. Executive dysfunction and attention contribute to gait interference in Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 2009.