TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2012//
TI  - Impaired choice stepping in response to a visual-spatial attention demanding task among older adults at high risk of falling: a pilot study
JO  - Aging clinical and experimental research
A1  - Uemura, Kazuki
A1  - Yamada, Minoru
A1  - Nagai, Koutatsu
A1  - Tanaka, Buichi
A1  - Mori, Shuhei
SP  - 361
EP  - 364
VL  - 24
IS  - 4
N2  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Impairment in visual-spatial attention can cause difficulties in planning and guiding movements, leading to falls in older adults .The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between visual-spatial attention during movement and the risk of falling in older adults. METHODS: Thirty-six elderly volunteers (mean age, 73.2±6.8 years) performed a rapid choice stepping task in response to flanker task stimuli. Step errors in congruent or incongruent conditions were recorded as a measure of the accuracy of choice stepping. Four clinical measurements were also assessed: 10-min walking time, timed up and go test, functional reach test and 5- chair stand test. RESULTS: High-risk (HR) participants showed a significantly higher rate of step errors in the incongruent condition than low-risk (LR) ones (HR: 55.5%, LR: 18.5%; p =0.032). Step error in the incongruent condition [odds ratio (OR)=5.5; p=0.041] was the only independent variable which remained significant in the final step of the logistic regression model. CONCLUSION: Impaired choice stepping in response to a visual-spatial attention-demanding task was associated with the risk of falling in older adults.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1594-0667
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -