Prospective study on risk factors for falling in elderly persons with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

Elderly persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at increased risk for falls and fall-related injuries. Although there has been extensive research on risk factors for falling in the general elderly population, research on this topic in persons with ID is rather sparse. This is the first study to prospective investigate risk factors for falling among elderly persons with mild to moderate ID. Seventy-eight ambulatory persons with mild to moderate ID (mean age 62.8 ± 7.6 years; 44 (56%) men; 34 (44%) mild ID) participated in this study. This longitudinal cohort study involved extensive baseline assessments, followed by a one-year follow-up on fall incidents. Falls occurred in 46% of the participants and the fall rate was 1.00 falls per person per year. The most important risk factors for falling in elderly persons with mild to moderate ID were (mild) severity of ID, (high) physical activity, (good) visuo-motor capacity, (good) attentional focus and (high) hyperactivity-impulsiveness, which together explained 56% of the fall risk. This pattern of risk factors identified suggests a complex interplay of personal and environmental factors in the aetiology of falls in elderly persons with ID. We recommend further research on the development of multifactorial screening procedures and individually tailored interventions to prevent falling in persons with ID.

Falls prevention in persons with intellectual disabilities: development, implementation, and process evaluation of a tailored multifactorial fall risk assessment and intervention strategy.

In the general elderly population, multifactorial screening of fall risks has been shown to be effective. Although persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) fall more often, there appears to be no targeted screening for them. The aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate a falls clinic for persons with ID. Based on guidelines, literature, and expert meetings, a falls clinic for persons with ID was developed. In total, 26 persons with ID and a fall history participated in the study. Process evaluation was conducted with evaluation forms and focus groups. Fifty interventions (0-8 per person) were prescribed. The (para)medical experts, clients, and caregivers described the falls clinic as useful. Advice for improvement included minor changes to clinic content. Logistics were the largest challenge for the falls clinic, for example organizing meetings, completing questionnaires prior to meetings, and ensuring that a personal caregiver accompanied the person with ID. Furthermore, the need for a screening tool to determine whether a person would benefit from the falls clinic was reported. In conclusion, the falls clinic for persons with ID was considered feasible and useful. Some minor content changes are necessary and there is a need for a screening tool. However, logistics concerning the falls clinic need improvement. More attention and time for multifactorial and multidisciplinary treatment of persons with ID is necessary. Implementation on a larger scale would also make it possible to investigate the effectiveness of the falls clinic with regard to the prevention of falls in this population.

Clinical measures are feasible and sensitive to assess balance and gait capacities in older persons with mild to moderate Intellectual Disabilities.

Mobility limitations are common in persons with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). Differences in balance and gait capacities between persons with ID and controls have mainly been demonstrated by instrumented assessments (e.g. posturography and gait analysis), which require sophisticated and expensive equipment such as force plates or a 3D motion analysis system. Most physicians and allied healthcare professionals working with persons with ID do not have such equipment at their disposal, so they must rely on clinical tests to determine whether balance and gait are affected. The aim of this study was to investigate whether existing clinical balance and gait tests are feasible in older persons with mild to moderate ID and to examine whether these tests are able to show limitations in balance and gait capacities in the ID population compared to age-matched peers in the general population. Furthermore, it was aimed to identify the most important determinants of balance and gait disability in persons with the ID. A total of 76 older persons with mild to moderate ID (43 male, mean age 63.1 ± 7.6 years) and 20 healthy controls (14 male, mean age 62.2 ± 5.6 years) participated. Balance and gait abilities were assessed with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Functional Reach test (FR), the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), the timed Single Leg Stance (SLS) and the Ten Metre Walking Test (TMWT). Our study showed that it is feasible to conduct standard clinical balance and gait tests in older persons with mild to moderate ID. Balance and gait performance of persons with ID is substantially worse compared to older persons of the general population. Age, number of co-morbidities, Body Mass Index (BMI), body sway and fear of falling are associated with balance and gait performance in persons with ID. These factors might help in the selection of subjects to be monitored on their balance and gait capacities.

A review of balance and gait capacities in relation to falls in persons with intellectual disability.

Limitations in mobility are common in persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). As balance and gait capacities are key aspects of mobility, the prevalence of balance and gait problems is also expected to be high in this population. The objective of this study was to critically review the available literature on balance and gait characteristics in persons with ID. Furthermore, the consequences of balance and gait problems in relation to falls were studied, as well as the trainability of balance and gait in persons with ID. The systematic literature search identified 48 articles to be included in this review. The literature consistently reports that balance and gait capacities are affected in persons with ID compared to their age-matched peers. These problems start at a young age and remain present during the entire lifespan of persons with ID, with a relatively early occurrence of age-related decline. From these results a conceptual model was suggested in which the development of balance and gait capacities in the ID population across the life span are compared to the general population. Regarding the second objective, our review showed that, although the relationship of balance and gait problems with falls has not yet been thoroughly investigated in persons with ID, there is some preliminary evidence that these aspects are also important in the ID population. Finally, this review demonstrates that balance and gait are potentially trainable in persons with ID. These results suggest that falls might be prevented with ID-specific exercise interventions.

Association between motor and mental functioning in toddlers with cerebral palsy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the association between motor and mental functioning in toddlers with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: The Mental and Motor Scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition (BSID-II) were administered. SUBJECTS: Seventy-eight toddlers with CP (mean age 2 years 7 months, SD 1 month; 43 boys, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-V). RESULTS: Spearman correlation coefficient between mental and motor functioning was 0.67 (p < 0.01). Sixty-five percent (51/78) of the children performed at the same level in mental and motor functioning, of whom 36 performed significantly delayed and 15 within normal limits. Thirty-five percent of the children were more delayed in motor functioning than in mental functioning. CONCLUSION: In toddlers with CP, an association was found between mental and motor functioning. When motor and mental functioning did not develop synchronously, it was always in favour of mental functioning. This study emphasizes the importance of examining both mental functioning and motor functioning separately of pre-school children with CP.