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BMC Geriatrics
Published in: BMC Geriatrics 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Research article

Falls and falls efficacy: the role of sustained attention in older adults

Authors: Aisling M O'Halloran, Nils Pénard, Alessandra Galli, Chie Wei Fan, Ian H Robertson, Rose Anne Kenny

Published in: BMC Geriatrics | Issue 1/2011

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Abstract

Background

Previous evidence indicates that older people allocate more of their attentional resources toward their gait and that the attention-related changes that occur during aging increase the risk of falls. The aim of this study was to investigate whether performance and variability in sustained attention is associated with falls and falls efficacy in older adults.

Methods

458 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 60 years underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Mean and variability of reaction time (RT), commission errors and omission errors were recorded during a fixed version of the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). RT variability was decomposed using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) procedure, to help characterise variability associated with the arousal and vigilance aspects of sustained attention.
The number of self-reported falls in the previous twelve months, and falls efficacy (Modified Falls Efficacy Scale) were also recorded.

Results

Significant increases in the mean and variability of reaction time on the SART were significantly associated with both falls (p < 0.01) and reduced falls efficacy (p < 0.05) in older adults. An increase in omission errors was also associated with falls (p < 0.01) and reduced falls efficacy (p < 0.05). Upon controlling for age and gender affects, logistic regression modelling revealed that increasing variability associated with the vigilance (top-down) aspect of sustained attention was a retrospective predictor of falling (p < 0.01, OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03 - 1.26) in the previous year and was weakly correlated with reduced falls efficacy in non-fallers (p = 0.07).

Conclusions

Greater variability in sustained attention is strongly correlated with retrospective falls and to a lesser degree with reduced falls efficacy. This cognitive measure may provide a novel and valuable biomarker for falls in older adults, potentially allowing for early detection and the implementation of preventative intervention strategies.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Falls and falls efficacy: the role of sustained attention in older adults
Authors
Aisling M O'Halloran
Nils Pénard
Alessandra Galli
Chie Wei Fan
Ian H Robertson
Rose Anne Kenny
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Geriatrics / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2318
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-11-85

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