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Review of Gait, Cognition, and Fall Risks with Implications for Fall Prevention in Older Adults with Dementia
Zhang W, Low LF, Schwenk M, Mills N, Gwynn JD, Clemson L.. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders, 2019-11-19
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Older people with cognitive impairment are at increased risk of falls; however, fall prevention strategies have limited success in this population. The aim of this paper is to review the literature to inform a theoretical framework for fall prevention in older adults with dementia. Summary A narrative review was conducted on fall risk factors in people with cognitive impairment, the relationship between cognition and gait, and their joint impact on the risk of falls. This was used to develop a theoretical framework for fall prevention for people with dementia. Executive function and motor function are closely related as they share neuroanatomy. This close relationship has been confirmed by observational studies including neuroimaging and intervention studies. Executive function is the cognitive domain most commonly associated with gait dysfunction. Attention, sensory integration, and motor planning are the sub-domains of executive function associated with risk of falls through gait dysfunction, whereas cognitive flexibility, judgement, and inhibitory control affect risk of falls through risk-taking behaviour. Key Messages: Gait, cognition, and falls are closely related. The comorbidity and interaction between gait abnormality and cognitive impairment may underpin the high prevalence of falls in older adults with dementia. Gait assessment and cognitive assessment, particularly executive function, should be integrated in fall risk screening. Assessment results should be interpreted and utilised using a multidisciplinary approach; specific strategies such as customised gait training and behavioural modulation should be considered as part of falls prevention for people with dementia.
Key findings
- Background Older people with cognitive impairment are at increased risk of falls; however, fall prevention strategies have limited success in this population.
- Executive function is the cognitive domain most commonly associated with gait dysfunction.
- Attention, sensory integration, and motor planning are the sub-domains of executive function associated with risk of falls through gait dysfunction, whereas cognitive flexibility, judgement, and inhibitory control affect risk of falls through risk-taking behaviour.
- Assessment results should be interpreted and utilised using a multidisciplinary approach; specific strategies such as customised gait training and behavioural modulation should be considered as part of falls prevention for people with dementia.
Study details
- Study designnarrative review
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 38/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 22 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 38 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “narrative review”, which our rubric does not rank (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31743907) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 22 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 22 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 38 out of 100. |
| Total | 38 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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APA 7th
Zhang, W., Low, L. F., Schwenk, M., Mills, N., Gwynn, J. D., & Clemson, L. (2019). Review of Gait, Cognition, and Fall Risks with Implications for Fall Prevention in Older Adults with Dementia. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders. https://doi.org/10.1159/000504340
Vancouver
Zhang W, Low LF, Schwenk M, Mills N, Gwynn JD, Clemson L. Review of Gait, Cognition, and Fall Risks with Implications for Fall Prevention in Older Adults with Dementia. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders. 2019. doi:10.1159/000504340. PMID: 31743907.
BibTeX
@article{zhang2019-31743907,
author = {Zhang, W. and Low, L. F. and Schwenk, M. and Mills, N. and Gwynn, J. D. and Clemson, L.},
title = {{Review of Gait, Cognition, and Fall Risks with Implications for Fall Prevention in Older Adults with Dementia}},
journal = {Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1159/000504340},
pmid = {31743907},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1159/000504340}
}