| Author: | Cheung, Yik-mei |
| Title: | Balance performance between community-dwelling stroke fallers and non-fallers |
| Degree: | M.Sc. |
| Year: | 2004 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations Falls (Accidents) in old age -- Prevention Cerebrovascular disease -- Patients -- Health risk assessment Equilibrium (Physiology) -- Testing |
| Department: | Department of Rehabilitation Sciences |
| Pages: | x, 80 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Fall is a major complication following stroke. Balance problem has been identified as one of the risk factors of fall in stroke. The present study was targeting to study balance performance among the community-dwelling elderly and older adults with stroke and its association to fall. The objectives of the study were to compare sensory organization ability and functional mobility among the stroke fallers, non-fallers and the older healthy persons, and to examine the relationship between sensory organization ability and functional mobility. It was a cross-comparative study, involving a convenience sampling of 30 subjects with 10 stroke fallers, 10 stroke non-fallers and 10 control subjects. The sensory organization ability were evaluated with the Sensory organization test (SOT), and functional mobility with the Timed up-and-go test (TUG). The group difference in the SOT scores and TUG duration were determined with mutifactorial analysis of variance and one-way analysis of variance respectively. The association between the SOT scores and TUG duration was examined with Pearson product moment correlation. Results indicated that there was no significant group difference in equilibrium scores in each sensory condition and composite equilibrium scores of the SOT. However, the stroke subjects showed a trend of lower equilibrium scores in condition 5 and 6 when compared with the controls. In addition, the stroke fallers tended to have lower equilibrium score in condition 4 than the stroke non-fallers. For the TUGT, the stroke fallers took a significantly longer time to complete the test than the control subjects (p < 0.05). Regarding the association between the two measures, the equilibrium scores in condition 4 to 6 and composite equilibrium scores had significantly moderate inverse correlation with the TUGT duration in older population (p < 0.05). To conclude, the stroke subjects could have difficulty in using vestibular input to maintain balance control under reduced or conflicting visual and somatosensory conditions. In addition, the stroke fallers presented with an inability to make use of visual input or an excessive reliance on somatosensory input. In regard to the performance on functional mobility, the stroke fallers had poor mobility function than the control subjects. The correlation between the SOT scores and TUGT suggested that the sensory organization ability played a role in mobility function in older population. Falls are a consequence of a complex interaction among different risk factors. Early detection of the factors can help to identify whether a person is at risk of fall. The possible impairment of sensory organization should be taken into consideration, providing physiotherapists with important guidelines to design specific interventions for fall prevention. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b18002973.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.75 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Copyright Undertaking
As a bona fide Library user, I declare that:
- I will abide by the rules and legal ordinances governing copyright regarding the use of the Database.
- I will use the Database for the purpose of my research or private study only and not for circulation or further reproduction or any other purpose.
- I agree to indemnify and hold the University harmless from and against any loss, damage, cost, liability or expenses arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized usage.
By downloading any item(s) listed above, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the copyright undertaking as stated above, and agree to be bound by all of its terms.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/5204