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Falls and the falls efficacy scale in Parkinson’s disease

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between fear of falling and fall frequency among patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD). One hundred-two participants with idiopathic PD were interviewed and examined. Participants reported the number of falls they had experienced in the preceding 3 months. They completed a mini-mental state exam (MMSE) and the falls efficacy scale (FES) questionnaire. Disease severity was determined by clinical examination using the Hoehn-Yahr staging system. Excluding two outliers who fell more than once each day, the subjects fell an average of 1.2 times in a 3 month period. There was a positive correlation between the number of falls, freezing of gait and Hoehn-Yahr score, and a negative correlation with the MMSE. In a post-hoc analysis the participants were divided into four groups based on fall frequency. The outliers had the lowest FES scores on average, similar to the scores seen in the rare fallers group. This study suggests that many factors are associated with fear of falling, including fall frequency, disease severity, and mental status. In the present study, the patients who fell the most often did not report the most fear. The lack of fear of falling but frequent falls in this small subgroup may suggest that special techniques to instill suitable caution to prevent falls are necessary, or may make training of these patients impossible.

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Acknowledgments

None.

Conflict of interest statement

Lectures, consultations or research funds were provided by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Teva, Ingelheim-Boehringer, Glaxo Smith Kline, Cephalon, Valeant, EMD Serono, Novartis, Pfizer, NIH, MJ Fox Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Hanover, NH, USA

    Alissa A. Thomas

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Butler Hospital, Cornell University, Providence, RI, USA

    Jennifer M. Rogers

  3. VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA

    Melissa M. Amick

  4. NeuroHealth, 227 Centerville Rd, Warwick, RI, 02886, USA

    Joseph H. Friedman

  5. Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA

    Joseph H. Friedman

Authors
  1. Alissa A. Thomas
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  2. Jennifer M. Rogers
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  3. Melissa M. Amick
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  4. Joseph H. Friedman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph H. Friedman.

Appendix

Appendix

Falls efficacy scale (1).

On a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being very confident and 10 being not confident at all, how confident are you that you do the following activities without falling?

Activity Score.

Take a bath or shower.

Reach into cabinets or closets.

Walk around the house.

Prepare meals not requiring carrying heavy or hot objects.

Get in and out of bed.

Answer the door or telephone.

Get in and out of a chair.

Getting dressed and undressed.

Personal grooming (i.e. washing your face).

Getting on and off of the toilet.

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Thomas, A.A., Rogers, J.M., Amick, M.M. et al. Falls and the falls efficacy scale in Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol 257, 1124–1128 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-010-5475-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-010-5475-x

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