Falls in the elderly: the development of a risk questionnaire and posturographic findings.
In elderly people, owing to a perturbation at several levels, including the motor, sensory and cognitive levels, a condition of dizziness and unsteadiness complicated by frequent falls often appears. In this article, we review the most recent information about clinical and instrumental tools available for preventing mobility-related accidents and report the results of a comparative study of postural control, carried out through tetraataxiometry (by Tetrax, Tel Aviv, Israel), in two samples of elderly women belonging to two different populations: 24 Italian women (11 reporting falls and 13 without falls) having a mean age of 73.1 years, and 37 Israeli women (12 with falls and 25 without falls) having a mean age of 72.5 years. The posturographic findings show that the falling subjects, to maintain postural control, are highly dependent on somatosensory inputs and have a weaker "systeme postural fin" (fine postural system), according to Gagey. They also show that an elderly subpopulation exists that, for unknown reasons, is immune to destabilization and falls.
Alpini
D
D
Scientific Institute, S. Maria Nascente, Don C. Gnocchi Foundation, Milan, Italy. Dalpini@dongnocchi.it
Kohen-Ratz
R
R
Braun
R
R
Burstin
A
A
Tesio
L
L
Pugnetti
L
L
Mendozzi
L
L
Sambataro
G
G
Cesarani
A
A
Giuliano
D A
DA
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires