Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
04:13
Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults
Published on: February 8, 2019
Characterization of presbyequilibrium among institutionalized elderly persons
Eeva Tuunainen1, Pirkko Jäntti, Dennis Poe
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tampere and University Hospital of Tampere, Finland.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx
|February 28, 2012
Summary
Presbyequilibrium, common in the elderly, involves dizziness and postural instability, increasing fall risk and reducing quality of life. Understanding these symptoms aids in diagnosis and rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Vestibular System Disorders
- Neurology
Background:
- Dizziness, vertigo, and postural instability are common in institutionalized elderly.
- These symptoms, collectively termed presbyequilibrium, significantly impact fall risk and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize presbyequilibrium symptoms in institutionalized elderly.
- To identify treatable causes of these symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire-based study involving 72 elderly residents.
- Follow-up duration of 3 years.
Main Results:
- 68% of participants reported dizziness, vertigo, postural instability, or black-outs.
- Postural instability was the most frequent complaint, linked to falls.
- Specific vertigo types and syncope showed correlations with falls and each other.
Conclusions:
- Presbyequilibrium is a complex condition with perceptual, orientational, postural, and autonomic features.
- Accurate history taking and symptom classification are crucial for understanding and managing presbyequilibrium.
- Identifying specific symptom clusters can facilitate targeted rehabilitation strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
02:55Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who are...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
01:26Aging
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...