Discriminant validity and test re-test reproducibility of a gait assessment in patients with vestibular dysfunction

Table 1 Subjects’ characteristics reported as mean values ± SD

	Healthy	Patients
	(n = 27)	(n = 35)
Female	13	14
Male	14	21
Age; years (SD)	44 (13)	59 (18)
Age range; years	25/70	18/86
Weight; kg (SD)	63 (21)	74 (15)
Height; cm (SD)	160 (47)	169 (9)
Score Funtional Gait Analyses SD)^a	-	22 (6)
FGA range	-	3/30
- Bilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction score	-	14
- Unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction	-	9
- Central vestibular dysfunction	-	6
- Morbus Menière	-	5
- vestibular migraine	-	1

^aA cutoff score of 22/30 on the FGA provides optimum validity for classifying fall risk in older adults at risk for falling and in predicting unexplained falls in community-dwelling older adults. The FGA appears to predict falls in community-dwelling older adults better than the currently recommended clinical tools (e.g. Berg Balance Scale and the Timed Up and Go Test). This 22 from 30-possible-points cutoff score may be used as indicator for falls in elderly patients with vestibular dysfunctions [57]

ISSN: 1472-6815