Fall risk and laterality in the elderly

Abstract

Elderly people often show impairment in several motor skills, such as balance and coordination, and their laterality may also be affected. This study sought to analyse the relationship between fall risk and laterality in an elderly population. Thirty-three elders who were participating in exercise programs were studied using two instruments: the Tinetti Mobility Test (TMT), as a clinical test that predicts fall risk in the elderly, and the Dynamic-LATMO, a tool for observing the use of laterality in motor skills execution. Results showed a significant association between the standing balance score on the TMT and the task of standing on one leg in the laterality test.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of: x The Spanish government project Observacion de la interaccion en deporte y actividad física: Avances tecnicos y metodologicos en registros automatizados cualitativos-cuantitativos (Secretaría de Estado de Investigacion, Desarrollo e Innovacion del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad) during the period 2012-2015 [Grant DEP2012-32124]. x The Catalan government Project (GRID) (Referencia: 2014 SGR 971) and The Catalan government Project Progames de motricitat perceptiva i expressiva en gent gran (Grant AGAUR_INEFCP-2012).