Mobility and falls in people with Huntington's disease

Busse, Monica ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5331-5909, Wiles, Charles Mark and Rosser, Anne Elizabeth ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4716-4753 2009. Mobility and falls in people with Huntington's disease. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 80 (1) , pp. 88-90. 10.1136/jnnp.2008.147793

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Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of falls in people with Huntington's disease (HD) and make a preliminary assessment of tools appropriate for assessing the risk of falling. Design: Observational study. Setting: Hospital clinic. Subjects: 24 people with HD. Main measures: Balance was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed “Up & Go” (TUG) test. Walking speed over 10 m was recorded. Long-term monitoring of walking activity was undertaken. Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) motor, Functional Assessment Scale (FAS), Independence Scale (IS) and Total Functional Capacity (TFC) scores were obtained as well as data about falls and stumbles. Differences between “recurrent fallers” (≥2 falls/year) and “non-fallers” (≤1 fall/year) for the range of outcome measures were investigated and probabilities calculated. Results: Mean (SD) age (years) of people with HD (n=24) tested was 56.6 (11.7) and BMI (kg/m2) 24.7 (5.5). Median (range) UHDRS motor scores were 48 (28-80). Ten (41.6%) patients reported ≤1 fall and 14 (58.3%) ≥2 falls in the previous 12 months. Recurrent fallers walked less (p<0.01) and slower than non-fallers. Their balance (BBS) (p<0.01) was worse and TUG scores were higher (p<0.01). People with HD had increased risk of falls if TUG scores were ≥14 s or BBS scores ≤40. Conclusion: A high proportion of HD patients have recurrent falls, and the BBS and TUG appear to be useful in falls risk assessment.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences Medicine Healthcare Sciences MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (CNGG) Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI)
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Publisher:	BMJ Publishing Group
ISSN:	0022-3050
Last Modified:	11 May 2023 04:42
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/9007

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