A physiological profile approach to falls risk assessment and prevention.

Full Abstract

The purpose of this perspective article is to describe the use of a physiological profile approach to falls risk assessment and prevention that has been developed by the Falls and Balance Research Group of the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, Sydney, Australia. The profile's use for people with a variety of factors that put them at risk for falls is discussed. The Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) involves a series of simple tests of vision, peripheral sensation, muscle force, reaction time, and postural sway. The tests can be administered quickly, and all equipment needed is portable. The results can be used to differentiate people who are at risk for falls ("fallers") from people who are not at risk for falls ("nonfallers"). A computer program using data from the PPA can be used to assess an individual's performance in relation to a normative database so that deficits can be targeted for intervention. The PPA provides valid and reliable measurements that can be used for assessing falls risk and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and is suitable for use in a range of physical therapy and health care settings.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Lord, Stephen R (SR); Menz, Hylton B (HB); Tiedemann, Anne (A);

Affiliation: Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales, Barker Street, Randwick, New South Wales, 2031, Australia. S.Lord(-atsign-)unsw.edu.au

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Physical therapy (Phys Ther), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Mar; vol 83 (issue 3) : pp 237-52

Dates: Created 2003/03/06; Completed 2003/04/08; Revised 2008/11/21;

PMID: 12620088, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Accidental Falls - prevention & control
Aged
Female
Geriatric Assessment - methods
Humans
Male

Male
Middle Aged
Postural Balance - physiology
Proprioception - physiology
Reaction Time
Risk Assessment

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.