Gait Metrics in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers with Varying Levels of Glaucoma: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study
To understand the impact of falls on gait in those with poor sight, we examined how gait changed after falls in older adults with varying degrees of visual impairment from glaucoma. Participants were classified as fallers or non-fallers based on prospective falls data from the first study year. Inju...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Louay Almidani José G. Vargas Zhuochen Yuan Seema Banerjee Xindi Chen Mariah Diaz Rhonda Miller Aleksandra Mihailovic Pradeep Y. Ramulu |
| author_facet | Louay Almidani José G. Vargas Zhuochen Yuan Seema Banerjee Xindi Chen Mariah Diaz Rhonda Miller Aleksandra Mihailovic Pradeep Y. Ramulu |
| author_sort | Louay Almidani |
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| description | To understand the impact of falls on gait in those with poor sight, we examined how gait changed after falls in older adults with varying degrees of visual impairment from glaucoma. Participants were classified as fallers or non-fallers based on prospective falls data from the first study year. Injurious fallers were those who suffered injuries from falls. The GAITRite Electronic Walkway characterized gait at baseline and three annual follow-ups. Parameters examined included stride length, variability in stride length (CV), stride velocity, stride velocity CV, base of support, base of support CV, and cadence. Longitudinal gait changes were assessed using generalized estimating equation models. Stride length significantly decreased in both fallers (β = −0.09 z-score unit/year) and non-fallers (β = −0.08 z-score unit/year), stride velocity slowed only among fallers (β = −0.08 z-score unit/year), and, in contrast, stride velocity CV decreased only among non-fallers (β = −0.07 z-score unit/year). No longitudinal differences were noted between groups. Additionally, no significant differences in gait metrics were observed between non-fallers, one-time fallers, and multiple fallers, nor between those with and without an injurious fall. Amongst older adults, and enriched for those with visual impairment, fallers and non-fallers adopted a more cautious gait over time, with similar gait changes across groups. Our results suggest that, in visual impairment, many falls may not lead to significant changes in gait. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-92b9f2fd98204469b92dfc00a7699264 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-92b9f2fd98204469b92dfc00a76992642025-08-20T03:16:35ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-06-012512371210.3390/s25123712Gait Metrics in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers with Varying Levels of Glaucoma: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort StudyLouay Almidani0José G. Vargas1Zhuochen Yuan2Seema Banerjee3Xindi Chen4Mariah Diaz5Rhonda Miller6Aleksandra Mihailovic7Pradeep Y. Ramulu8Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAWilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAWilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAWilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAWilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USACollege of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USAWilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAWilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAWilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USATo understand the impact of falls on gait in those with poor sight, we examined how gait changed after falls in older adults with varying degrees of visual impairment from glaucoma. Participants were classified as fallers or non-fallers based on prospective falls data from the first study year. Injurious fallers were those who suffered injuries from falls. The GAITRite Electronic Walkway characterized gait at baseline and three annual follow-ups. Parameters examined included stride length, variability in stride length (CV), stride velocity, stride velocity CV, base of support, base of support CV, and cadence. Longitudinal gait changes were assessed using generalized estimating equation models. Stride length significantly decreased in both fallers (β = −0.09 z-score unit/year) and non-fallers (β = −0.08 z-score unit/year), stride velocity slowed only among fallers (β = −0.08 z-score unit/year), and, in contrast, stride velocity CV decreased only among non-fallers (β = −0.07 z-score unit/year). No longitudinal differences were noted between groups. Additionally, no significant differences in gait metrics were observed between non-fallers, one-time fallers, and multiple fallers, nor between those with and without an injurious fall. Amongst older adults, and enriched for those with visual impairment, fallers and non-fallers adopted a more cautious gait over time, with similar gait changes across groups. Our results suggest that, in visual impairment, many falls may not lead to significant changes in gait.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3712gait changeslongitudinalfallsolder adults |
| spellingShingle | Louay Almidani José G. Vargas Zhuochen Yuan Seema Banerjee Xindi Chen Mariah Diaz Rhonda Miller Aleksandra Mihailovic Pradeep Y. Ramulu Gait Metrics in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers with Varying Levels of Glaucoma: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study Sensors gait changes longitudinal falls older adults |
| title | Gait Metrics in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers with Varying Levels of Glaucoma: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_full | Gait Metrics in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers with Varying Levels of Glaucoma: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_fullStr | Gait Metrics in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers with Varying Levels of Glaucoma: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gait Metrics in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers with Varying Levels of Glaucoma: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_short | Gait Metrics in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers with Varying Levels of Glaucoma: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study |
| title_sort | gait metrics in elderly fallers and non fallers with varying levels of glaucoma a longitudinal prospective cohort study |
| topic | gait changes longitudinal falls older adults |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3712 |
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