31 Evidence, Assumptions, and Emerging Treatments for Falls Prevention

Abstract

Abstract Falls is a common geriatric syndrome that increases morbidity and mortality. Much of our understanding of falls mechanisms derives from studies that excluded or did not evaluate cognitively impaired older adults. This has limited the evidence for managing falls in this population and generated gaps in our understanding of how cognitive processes affect the pathophysiology of falls. This presentation will provide an overview of the role of cognition in falls with potential implications for managing and preventing falls in older adults. A thorough review of observational and interventional studies addressing the role of cognition on falls will be appraised. The importance of the gait-cognition relationship in aging and neurodegeneration is revised to highlight the role of brain motor control deficits in fall risk. The benefits of dual-task gait assessments as a marker of fall risk is reviewed. Therapeutic approaches for reducing falls by improving certain aspects of cognition will be also appraised.