Fall risk Assessment in Patients with Chronic Dizziness/Vertigo: Study using multiple measurement tools

Abstract

This study was aimed at (1) determining the risk of falls in patients with chronic dizziness/ vertigo using the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), and Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, and (2) investigating the correlations and agreements among the measurements results of assessment by the aforementioned methods in these patients. A total of 52 patients with dizziness/vertigo were included in the study, and the risk of falls in these patients was evaluated by the TUG, DGI, FGA, and ABC scale. We analyzed the correlations and agreements in the fall risk assessed by the aforementioned methods using Spearman's rank correlation and kappa statistics. Of the 52 patients, 11 (21.2), 26 (50), 29 (55.8), and 18 (34.6) patients were assessed as being at a risk of falls by the TUG, DGI, FGA, and ABC scale, respectively. The results of the assessments by the above methods showed significant good correlations and agreement. However, the kappa coefficients for some results were low (TUG-DGI: k 0.423, TUG-FGA: k 0.351, TUG-ABC scale: k 0.299, DGI-FGA: k 0.885, DGI-ABC scale: k 0.385, and FGA-ABC scale: k 0.294). Risk factors for falls in patients with dizziness and vertigo include disturbances of psychological balance and gait. Multiple methods to assess the fall risk may yield more accurate results than assessment by one method alone.

[Retracted] Changes of Short‐Term Heart Rate Variability and Vertebral Artery Magnetic Resonance Angiography in Patients with Cervical Vertigo

“…It includes estimates of the slowly changing long-term components of HRV. It divides 24 hours into 288 5-minute periods, calculates the mean RR interval for each 5-minute period, and calculates the standard deviation of these 288 mean RR intervals [ 15 ]. Calculation is as follows: is the mean of the i -th 5 min R-R interval and is the mean of the 288-th .…”

Assessing fall risk and equilibrium function in patients with age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma: An observational study

“…Similarly, the median ABC scale scores for AMD (95.3, IQR: 83.8 to 98.8) and glaucoma (96.3, IQR: 86.9 to 98.8) patients showed no significant difference (p = 0.76). Regarding fall-related self-efficacy, 3.3% of patients with AMD and 10.0% of patients with glaucoma registered an ABC scale score of <67%, a threshold indicative of an increased fall risk in older individuals [ 22 ]. In the single-leg upright test, 20% of patients with AMD and 3% of patients with glaucoma maintained their stance for ˂5 s, a duration associated with an elevated fall risk [ 23 ].…”

“…Notably, the proportion of patients with a heightened fall risk was lower than that of patients with peripheral vestibular disorders. Of the 52 patients with peripheral vestibular disorders, 18 (34.6%) were assessed as being at risk for falls using the ABC scale [ 22 ]. This indicates that individuals with mild-to-moderate visual acuity and visual field deficits with normal vestibular and somatic balance functions might exhibit fewer dizziness manifestations and potentially a diminished fall risk compared to those with vestibular deficits.…”

“…Although this research was preliminary and did not include validation testing, the sample size was deduced from previous studies. In one study, approximately 30% of patients with vestibular dysfunction had an ABC scale score of <67%, indicating an elevated fall risk [ 22 ]. Assuming a marginally reduced fall risk (20%) in our study cohort, a minimum sample size of 44 patients was deduced to achieve a 95% confidence interval (CI) ranging from 8% to 32% (60% relative accuracy).…”