title: Falls and spinal muscular atrophy: exploring cause and prevention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Falls can cause injury and may compromise function in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients. Weakness and gait variability are associated with falls in other neurological disorders, and fatigue is well documented in SMA. The relationship of weakness, fatigue, and gait variability to falls has never been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven ambulatory patients with SMA completed a falls history questionnaire, 6MWT, gait analysis, and strength testing. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine associations between these variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 7 subjects reported falls in the previous year. Stride-length variability was significantly associated with falls, unlike strength, fatigue, or other gait variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stride-length variability was the key variable associated with falls. Preventive strategies to avoid falls should be incorporated into patient management plans. Gait analysis provides actionable information not revealed by standard assessments and should be included in clinical trials designed to address the prevention of falls in the SMA population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, 180 Ft. Washington Avenue, Fifth Floor, New York, New York 10032, USA. jm598@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montes
authors.forename: Tara L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: McIsaac
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dunaway
authors.forename: Shirit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamil-Rosenberg
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sproule
authors.forename: Carol Ewing
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Garber
authors.forename: Darryl C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: De Vivo
authors.forename: Ashwini K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires