Correctly Identifying At-Risk Parkinson’s Patients
A recent study at the Christian-Albrechts University Hospital in Germany aimed to discover an appropriate falls risk tool for identifying at-risk patients with Parkinson’s disease. The prospective study compared the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale (FAB), Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). A total of 85 patients with idiopathic Parkinson’ disease participated in the six-month study. The area under the curve of the received operating characteristic (AUC/ROC) values for the three assessments were similar; FAB, Mini-BESTest, and BBS values were 0.68, 0.65, and 0.69, respectively. However, a model that assessed the patients’ ability to perform specific actions had an AUC/ROC value of 0.84. These actions included: tandem stance, one leg stance, rise to toes, compensatory stepping backward, placing alternate foot on stool, and turning 360⁰. Consequently, clinicians should focus on these items when working with patients who have Parkinson’s disease. The research also raises the question of whether balance training for these specific movements would reduce the risk of falling in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Schlenstedt C, Brombacher S, Hartwigsen G, et al. Comparison of the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale, Mini-BESTest, and Berg Balance Scale to predict falls in Parkinson disease. Phys Ther. 2015; Sept 17; PMID 26381806.