Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating Intrinsic Fall Risk Factors After Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: Distinguishing Fallers From Nonfallers., Kristin E Musselman, Tarun Arora, Katherine Chan, Mohammad Alavinia, Mackenzie Bone, Janelle Unger, Joel Lanovaz, Alison Oates

Physical Therapy Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether performance on measures of lower extremity muscle strength, sensory function, postural control, gait speed, and balance self-efficacy could distinguish fallers from nonfallers among ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D).

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Community.

PARTICIPANTS: Individuals (N=26; 6 female, aged 58.9±18.2y) with motor incomplete SCI/D (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale rating C [n=5] or D [n=21]) participated. Participants were 7.5±9.1 years post injury. Seventeen participants experienced traumatic causes of spinal cord injury.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants completed laboratory-based and clinical measures of postural control, gait speed, balance self-efficacy, and lower extremity …

Evaluating Knowledge Of Falls Risk Factors And Falls Prevention Strategies Among Lower Extremity Amputees After Inpatient Prosthetic Rehabilitation: A Prospective Study, Susan W. Hunter, Jordan Higa, Courtney Frengopoulos, Ricardo Viana, Michael Payne

Physical Therapy Publications

Purpose: Falls are prevalent among people with lower extremity amputations. A knowledge of risk factors is important in preventing falls, though no research has evaluated patient understanding of falls in this population. The study objective was to evaluate knowledge of falls risk factors and falls prevention strategies at discharge and 4-months after inpatient prosthetic rehabilitation.

Methods: Participants completed a falls questionnaires with four sections: (1) falls during rehabilitation and after discharge, (2) falls self-efficacy using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale, (3) knowledge of falls risk factors, and (4) falls prevention strategies. Questionnaire responses were quantified using means and standard deviations …

Mobility And Cognition In Seniors. Report From The 2008 Institute Of Aging (Cihr) Mobility And Cognition Workshop, Manuel Montero-Odasso, Louis Bherer, Stephanie Studenski, Karen Gopaul, Afua Oteng-Amoako, Sarah Woolmore-Goodwin, Paul Stoole, Jennie Wells, Timothy Doherty, Aleksandra A. Zecevic, David Galinsky, R. Jane Rylett, Jeffrey Jutai, Susan W. Muir-Hunter, Mark Speechley, Richard Camicioli

Physical Therapy Publications

Background

The annual Scientific Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology was held on October 24 and 25, 2008 in London, Ontario. Prior to the annual meeting, mobility and cognition experts met on October 23, 2008 to engage in a pre-conference workshop.

Methods

Discussions during the workshop addressed novel areas of research and knowledge and research gaps pertaining to the interaction between mobility and cognition in seniors.

Results

Workshop presenters moved from the neuromuscular, biomechanics, and neurology of gait impairments, and falls through the role of cognition and mood on mobility regulation to the whole person in the environment. Research …