Characterizing Types of Falls in Parkinson's Disease

Objective: The incidence and circumstances of falls in patients with Parkinson’s disease was studied longitudinally in order to better characterize falls and educate patients. Background: Falls result in serious injuries in Parkinson disease (PD) patients and the elderly. In addition to recognizing fall risks, it is important to recognize fall types: falls when standing differ from falls when walking. These differences are important in educating and training patients and caregivers in fall prevention. Design/Methods: Data were analyzed for 404 idiopathic PD patients who were followed for one year. All patients were examined using MDS-UPDRS Part III and fall diaries. Patients were assessed for fall occurrence and fall types: standing or walking. Results: Of the 404 patients, 197 (49%) did not fall, 142 (35%) fell once, and 65 (16%) fell more than once (“multiple fallers”). Fallers and non-fallers had a similar duration and severity of PD. Multiple fallers, the focus of our study, differed significantly from single fallers and non-fallers; multiple fallers had longer disease duration (p Conclusions: Patients who fell when standing generally fell when shifting their weight, such as during bending, reaching, or stretching. Patients who fell when walking fell when turning, walking through a doorway, or walking on an uneven surface. This information can be utilized to educate and train PD patients on how to avoid falls. Disclosure: Dr. Lieberman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lockhart has nothing to disclose. Dr. Olson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Smith has nothing to disclose. Dr. Frames has nothing to disclose.