Neurological examination findings to predict limitations in mobility and falls in older persons without a history of neurological disease.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of neurological signs and their association with limitations in mobility and falls in a sample of older persons without known neurological disease.


METHODS
A neurologist examined 818 participants from the InCHIANTI study who were aged > or =65 years and who did not have cognitive impairment, treatment with neuroleptics, and a history of neurological disease. Mobility was assessed as walking speed and self-reported ability to walk at least 1 km without difficulty. Participants were asked to report falls that had occurred in the previous 12 months.


RESULTS
Less than 20% (160/818) of participants had no neurological signs. Neurological signs were more prevalent in older participants and those with impaired mobility. When all neurological signs were included in sex-and age-adjusted multivariate models, 10 were mutually independent correlates of poor mobility. After adjusting for age and sex, the number of neurological signs was associated with progressively slower walking speed (P <0.001), a higher probability of reported inability to walk 1 km (P <0.001), and a history of falls (P <0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Neurological signs are independent correlates of limitations in mobility and falls in older persons who have no clear history of neurological disease.
Ferrucci
Luigi
L
Longitudinal Studies Section, Clinical Research Branch, National Instituts on Aging, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21225, USA. ferruccilu@grc.nia.nih.gov
Bandinelli
Stefania
S
Cavazzini
Chiara
C
Lauretani
Fulvio
F
Corsi
Annamaria
A
Bartali
Benedetta
B
Cherubini
Antonio
A
Launer
Lenore
L
Guralnik
Jack M
JM
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology