Citation

Wong-Yu ISK, Mak MKY. Am. J. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 2019; 98(3): 239-244.

Affiliation

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PHM.0000000000001035

PMID

30211719

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that balance training could reduce falls in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it remains unclear whether exercise can reduce injurious falls. The objective of present study was to determine whether multi-system balance training could reduce injurious falls and modify targeted fall risk factors in PD non-fallers and single fallers. Participants were randomly assigned to an 8-week balance group [Experimental (EXP), N=41] or an upper limbs group [Control (CON), N=43]. Outcomes examined at post-training (Post) and 12-month follow-up (FU12m) were:1) injurious fall risk (ratio of non-injurious fallers to injurious fallers); 2) two potential fall risk factors based on Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) scores and dual-task timed-up-and-go (DTUG) times. At Post, results indicated that there were no injurious falls, and fewer EXP participants were found in high fall-risk cohorts based on BESTest scores and DTUG times (p<0.05). At FU12m, the number of injurious fallers was lower in EXP group (p<0.05). There was also a marginally lower percentage of EXP group in the high fall-risk cohort based on BESTest scores (p=0.059). The findings conclude that multi-system balance training potentially reduces injurious fall risk up to 12 months post-training and lowers balance-related fall risks in people with PD.

Language: en