Article

Higher functioning older adults rarely have their balance assessed clinically and
as such early decline in balance is not captured. Early identification of
declining balance would facilitate earlier intervention and improved management
of the ageing process. This study sought to determine if (a) a once off inertial
sensor measurement and (b) changes in inertial sensor measurements one year apart
can identify declining balance for higher functioning older adults. One hundred
and nineteen community dwelling older adults (58 males; 72.5+/-5.8 years)
completed a timed up and go (TUG) instrumented with inertial sensors and the Berg
balance scale (BBS) at two time points, one year apart. Temporal and
spatio-temporal gait parameters as well as angular velocity and turn parameters
were derived from the inertial sensor data. A change in balance from baseline to
follow-up was determined by sub-components of the BBS. Changes in inertial sensor
parameters from baseline to follow-up demonstrated strong association with
balance decline in higher functioning older adults (e.g. mean medial-lateral
angular velocity odds ratio=0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.5). The area under the Receiver
operating characteristic curve (AUC) ranged from 0.8 to 0.9, a marked improvement
over change in TUG time alone (AUC 0.6-0.7). Baseline inertial sensor parameters
had a similar association with declining balance as age and TUG time. For higher
functioning older adults, the change in inertial sensor parameters over time may
reflect declining balance. These measures may be useful clinically, to monitor
the balance status of older adults and facilitate earlier identification of
balance deficits.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS