Damage to inner ear system predicts fall risk in people with Alzheimer's disease: Study
Mar 12, 2022
New Delhi, March 12 (ANI): A research of about 50 people with Alzheimer's disease has revealed that damage to the inner ear system that controls balance is a major factor in patients' well-documented higher risk of falling. The study was published in the journal, 'Journal of Alzheimer's disease'. Overall, the researchers said, their study found that impairment of the vestibular system was linked to a 50 per cent increase in the risk of falling for patients with Alzheimer's compared with patients who have Alzheimer's and normal vestibular function. The study was believed to be one of the first to demonstrate the vestibular system as an important contributor to loss of balance and fall risk among the Alzheimer's population. Alzheimer's is a progressive neurological disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. There is no cure, and although medications and management strategies can temporarily improve symptoms, falls contribute to substantial disability in patients, the investigators said. Impairment of the vestibular system, which consists of a group of canals and bony structures deep in the inner ear, is a common cause of dizziness, vertigo and balance issues, even in generally healthy people. Impairment causes these issues with higher frequency in older populations, so focusing on this system as a source of risk in patients with Alzheimer's made sense, investigators noted. Specifically, the researchers used devices that can track responses to eye and head movement to stimulate and mirror vestibular function. Subjects who had vestibular function impairment on these tests over time were 50 per cent more likely to fall compared with individuals with normal vestibular function. Agrawal said that loss of vestibular function leads to an increased sway, causing unstable balance which in turn leads to more falls.
