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- Title
Continuous Monitoring of Turning Mobility and Its Association to Falls and Cognitive Function: A Pilot Study.
- Authors
Mancini, Martina; Schlueter, Heather; El-Gohary, Mahmoud; Mattek, Nora; Duncan, Colette; Kaye, Jeffrey; Horak, Fay B.
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Difficulty turning is a major contributor to mobility disability, falls, and reduced quality of life in older people because it requires dynamic balance control that worsens with age. However, no study has quantified the quality and quantity of turning during normal daily activities in older people. The objective of this pilot study was to determine if quality of turning during daily activities is associated with falls and/or cognitive function.<bold>Methods: </bold>Thirty-five elderly participants (85 ± 8 years) wore three Opal inertial sensors. Turning and activity rate were measured. Based on retrospective falls, participants were grouped into nonfallers (N = 16), single fallers (N = 12), and recurrent fallers (N = 7). We also determined which turning characteristic predicted falls in the 6 months following the week of monitoring.<bold>Results: </bold>Quality of turning was significantly compromised in recurrent fallers compared with nonfallers (p < .05). In contrast, activity rate and mean number of turns per hour were similar across the three groups. Also, quality of turning during a prescribed test was similar across the three groups. Visuospatial and memory functions and the Tinetti Balance Scores were associated with quality of turning. Future falls were related to an increased variability of number of steps to turn.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Continuous monitoring of turning characteristics, while walking during daily activities, is feasible in older people. Turning characteristics during daily life appear to be more sensitive to fall risk than prescribed turning tasks. These findings suggest a slower, less variable, cautious turning strategy in elderly volunteers with a history of falls.
- Subjects
ACTIVITIES of daily living; FUNCTIONAL loss in older people; COGNITION -- Social aspects; OLDER people &; society; ACCIDENTAL falls in old age; PSYCHOLOGY; BIOSENSORS; BODY weight; COGNITION; POSTURAL balance; ACCIDENTAL falls; GAIT in humans; PATIENT monitoring; QUALITY of life; RESEARCH funding; RISK assessment; WALKING; PILOT projects; BODY mass index; RETROSPECTIVE studies
- Publication
Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences, 2016, Vol 71, Issue 8, p1102
- ISSN
1079-5006
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1093/gerona/glw019