EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, June 23, 2010
Tests Help Predict Falls in Parkinson鈥檚 Disease
ST. PAUL, Minn. -
A group of tests may help predict which people with are more likely to fall, according to a study published in the June 23, 2010, online issue of the medical journal of the . 鈥淔alls are a major problem for people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease and can lead to injuries and reduced mobility, which can result in increasing weakness, loss of independence and increased use of nursing homes,鈥 said study author Graham K. Kerr, PhD, of Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. 鈥淒espite these issues and their impact on the health care system and society, little research has been done to help predict which people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease are more likely to fall so we can try to prevent these falls.鈥 For the study, 101 people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease who were able to walk without any aids took a variety of tests evaluating their Parkinson鈥檚 symptoms, balance and mobility. The participants then reported any falls that occurred over a six-month period. Most participants were in the early stage of the disease, with an average of six years since the disease was diagnosed. The majority of the participants (77 percent) had the type of Parkinson鈥檚 that is mainly affected by difficulty with voluntary movements, while 20 percent had tremors as the central symptom of the disease. A total of 48 percent of the participants had a fall during the study and 24 percent had more than one fall. A total of 42 percent reported that they had fallen in the year before the study started. The tests that were the best predictors of whether a person was likely to fall included a test of overall Parkinson鈥檚 symptoms, a questionnaire on how often people tended to 鈥渇reeze鈥 while walking, and a test of balance. When these tests were combined, the results produced a sensitivity of 78 percent and a specificity of 84 percent for predicting falls. Sensitivity is the percentage of actual positives that are correctly identified as positive, and specificity is the percentage of negatives that are correctly identified. 鈥淭hese tests are easy to implement and take only a short time to complete,鈥 Kerr said. 鈥淥nce we can identify those at risk of falling, we can take steps to try to prevent these falls.鈥 In the United States, it is estimated that about one million people have Parkinson鈥檚 disease. The study was supported by Parkinson鈥檚 Queensland Inc., the Queensland University of Technology, and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.