Advances in falls rehabilitation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effect of a modified FaME vs. multisensory group balance programme on falls risk, balance confidence and quality of life in older adult who fall or at risk of falling.
IRAS ID
169587
Contact name
Fang-Yu Luo
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 3 days
Research summary
Falls in older adults have a major impact on health, morbidity and mortality and have significant cost implications to healthcare providers. Government legislation states targeted multifactorial falls rehabilitation programmes should be provided to older adult fallers.
Currently, falls rehabilitation programmes combine strengthening and simple balance exercises and are often delivered in a group class setting with an average reduction of 30% in falls rate. The FaME is one commonly implemented programme is which has been shown to improve balance and walking speed, reduce falls, the chance of hospitalization, institutionalization, and death, and fear of falling.
Sensory integration and re-weighting of peripheral sensory information from visual, somatosensory, and vestibular (i.e. inner ear) systems play an important role in maintaining balance. Decreased vestibular function is noted with increasing age which can result in symptoms of lightheadedness, unsteadiness and falls. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy improves balance confidence, postural stability and walking ability in individuals with a peripheral vestibular disorder.
Until recently no studies had incorporated vestibular exercises into falls rehabilitation programmes and therefore, the efficacy of this type of multisensory balance programme in older adult fallers was unknown. A recent study showed that a programme combining the modified OTAGO falls rehabilitation programme with multisensory balance exercises was feasible in older adult fallers and may have a greater beneficial effect on balance, gait, and falls risk compared to the OTAGO programme in isolation. The FaME programme includes certain multisensory balance exercises, but these are introduced only in the latter phase of the programme. This study’s main aim is to compare the effect of a modified FaME vs. a multisensory balance exercise programme on falls risk, balance confidence and quality of life in older adults who fall or at risk of falling when implemented in a group setting.
REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0915
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jun 2015
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion