title: Falls and postural control in older adults with cataracts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is increasing evidence that visual impairment contribute to falling. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of vision impairment of old adult patients with cataract on the occurrence of falls and postural control.
  
  
  METHODS
  According to the results of screening ophthalmic examination, 48 cataract patients (mean±SD aged 68.5 ± 6.08 yrs.) and 50 individuals without any obvious eye disorders (mean age ± SD 70.7 ± 5.97 yrs.) were enrolled in this study. The postural control was determined using the clinical test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB) and Timed up and Go (TUG) test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of this study revealed that 18% (n = 9) of the normal individuals and 22.9% (n =11) of the cataract patients had at least two falls in the past 12 months. However, the result of chisquare test did not show any differences between the two groups (p= 0.36). The mean ± SD TUG times in cataract and control groups in our study were15.17 ± 3.58 and13.77 ± 4.90, respectively. However, no significant differences were found between the two groups (p= 0.12).The results of CTSIB test showed no significant differences between the two groups on standing on the floor with eyes open and eyes closed (p= 0.61, p= 0.89) and on standing on the foam with eyes open and eyes closed (p= 0.32, p= 0.74 ).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the results of CTSIB and TUG tests, vision impairment of old adult patients with cataract is not associated with falls and balance disorders. Further work including assessment of postural control with advanced devices and considering other falls risk factors are also required to identify predictors of falls in cataract patients.
authors.affiliation: PhD, PT, Associate Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran, & Iranian Research Center on Ageing, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. afsoonnodehi@gmail.com , afsoonnodehi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Afsun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nodehi Moghadam
authors.affiliation: MSc Student of Geriatric Nursing, Iranian Research Center on Healthy Aging, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran. mary_ac_ir@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goudarzian
authors.affiliation: PhD, PT, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. fa_azadi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Azadi
authors.affiliation: BSc Optomtery. hosseini2222@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Seide Masume
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: PhD, PT, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. zmosallanezhad@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mosallanezhad
authors.affiliation: PhD, PT, Assistant Professor, Department of physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. karimi@uswr.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Nouraddin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.affiliation: MSc Student of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. yassin_15049@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Yassin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Larne
authors.affiliation: BSc of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. habibi.maryam2020@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Habibi
authors.affiliation: BSc Student of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. poorya_yaghmaei@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Poorya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yaghmaei
keywords: Balance; Cataract; Falls; Vision Loss