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Fall risk in people with MS: A Physiological Profile Assessment study
Phu D Hoang1, Meryem Baysan2, Hilary Gunn3
1Neuroscience Research Australia and University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia.
Summary
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) show higher fall risk and poorer performance on the Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) compared to healthy individuals. This study establishes PPA reference data for MS patients to aid clinical practice and research.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- The Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) is a validated tool for assessing fall risk in both research and clinical settings.
- Understanding fall risk in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) is crucial for intervention and management.
- Previous studies have indicated a higher incidence of falls in the MS population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare PPA test performance between individuals with MS and healthy controls.
- To characterize the fall-risk profile of people with MS.
- To establish a reference database for PPA measures in the MS population.
Main Methods:
- 416 ambulatory individuals with MS and 352 healthy controls completed the PPA, which includes tests for contrast sensitivity, proprioception, quadriceps strength, reaction time, and sway.
- Composite fall-risk scores were calculated from PPA measures.
- MS participants were prospectively monitored for falls over a 3-month period.
Main Results:
- Individuals with MS demonstrated significantly poorer performance across all PPA tests compared to controls.
- The average composite fall-risk score was significantly higher in the MS group, indicating a "marked" fall risk.
- 37.3% of MS participants reported 2 or more falls during the 3-month follow-up; frequent fallers exhibited worse performance in specific PPA tests and higher composite scores.
Conclusions:
- The high incidence of falls in people with MS aligns with their poorer PPA test results.
- This study provides valuable, comprehensive reference data for PPA measures in individuals with MS.
- The generated data can inform future research and clinical practice for fall prevention in MS.
