A statistical approach to discriminate between non-fallers, rare fallers and frequent fallers in older adults based on posturographic data

Abstract Background Identification of future non-fallers, infrequent and frequent fallers among older people would permit focusing the delivery of prevention programs on selected individuals. Posturographic parameters have been proven to differentiate between non-fallers and frequent fallers, but no...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical biomechanics (Bristol) 2016-02, Vol.32, p.8-13
Main Authors: Maranesi, E, Merlo, A, Fioretti, S, Zemp, D.D, Campanini, I, Quadri, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidental Falls - prevention & control
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
center of pressure
Cognition - physiology
Cognitive tasks
elderly
Elderly people
Eye
fall risk assessment
Female
Geriatric Assessment - methods
Humans
Impairment
Male
Parameter identification
Parameters
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Postural Balance
posture
Pressure
Principal Component Analysis
Retrospective Studies
Risk Assessment
Samples
Tasks
Vision, Ocular
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Summary:Abstract Background Identification of future non-fallers, infrequent and frequent fallers among older people would permit focusing the delivery of prevention programs on selected individuals. Posturographic parameters have been proven to differentiate between non-fallers and frequent fallers, but not between the first group and infrequent fallers. Methods In this study, postural stability with eyes open and closed on both a firm and a compliant surface and while performing a cognitive task was assessed in a consecutive sample of 130 cognitively able elderly, mean age 77(7)years, categorized as non-fallers (N=67), infrequent fallers (one/two falls, N=45) and frequent fallers (more than two falls, N=18) according to their last year fall history. Principal Component Analysis was used to select the most significant features from a set of 17posturographic parameters. Next, variables derived from Principal Component Analysis were used to test, in each task, group differences between the three groups. Findings One parameter based on a combination of a set of Centre of Pressure anterior-posterior variables obtained from the eyes-open on a compliant surface task was statistically different among all groups, thus distinguishing infrequent fallers from both non-fallers (p
ISSN:0268-0033
1879-1271
DOI:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2015.12.009