Article

PURPOSE: To examine the risk of fall for people with diabetes compared with
healthy control subjects. Correlation between tactile sensation and postural
control was examined for subjects with diabetes. METHODS: Subjects with type 2
diabetes were classified into two groups: (i) diabetes without neuropathy (n =
23) and (ii) diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) (n = 9). Age-matched healthy
control subjects (n = 32) were recruited. Tactile sensation, equilibrium scores
(ES), strategy scores and sensory analysis scores from the Sensory Organization
Test (SOT) were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Subjects with diabetes
without neuropathy demonstrated impaired postural control upon the disruption of
somatosensory inputs. Subjects with DPN lost balance upon being deprived of
visual inputs. A decrease in tactile sensation was associated with a decrease in
the ESs in all subjects with diabetes (r = -0.35 to -0.77; p < 0.05), and they
tend to use more hip strategy for postural control upon being deprived of visual
inputs. CONCLUSIONS: Different postural control strategies are adopted by various
subgroups of subjects with diabetes. Subjects with DPN demonstrated a significant
shift from ankle to hip strategies for balance tests when vision was deprived.
Implications for Rehabilitation The severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy
(DPN) is associated with the risk of fall. Different compensatory strategies in
balance control have been adopted by different subgroups of people with diabetes.
In order to minimize the risk of fall, specific balance training program should
be offered to different subgroups of people with diabetes. The balance training
should emphasize on optimizing the competence of their existing compensatory
postural control strategies.

Langue : ANGLAIS