title: The relationship between balance control and vitamin D in Parkinson's disease-a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Balance problems and falls are a major source of morbidity and mortality in patients with Parkinson's disease. Vitamin D supplementation reduces falls and sway in neurologically intact elderly fallers, but effects in Parkinson's disease are not established.
  
  
  METHODS
  To study this relationship and select outcome measures for a vitamin D intervention study, balance function and vitamin D concentration were quantified in a series of Parkinson's patients in a cross-sectional, observational study. Participants underwent a battery of 5 balance tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum vitamin D concentrations were correlated inversely with Parkinson's severity, as measured by the motor Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. Among the balance measures, vitamin D concentrations were correlated with automatic posture responses to backwards translation, specifically with response strength and stance weight asymmetry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the hypothesis that vitamin D plays a role in balance among patients with Parkinson's disease and identify specific outcome measures for detecting effects of vitamin D upon balance.
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Center of Oregon, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098, USA. peterami@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Amie L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Fay B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Horak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D019370:Observation; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Parkinson's disease; accidental falls; vitamin D
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