Low FAB score as a predictor of future falling in patients with Parkinson's disease: a 2.5-year prospective study

Abstract

Falling is one of the most disabling features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Many cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, and prospective studies have attempted to identify risk factors or predictors of falls, but consistent results are yet to be obtained because of the various factors involved. We prospectively studied patients with various severities of PD to identify risk factors for future falls during 2.5 years of follow-up. We registered 95 patients with PD, and 83 patients were included in data analysis. A total of 23 variables were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Thirty-one patients (37%) had a previous history of falling, and 26 patients (30%) experienced their first fall. The prevalence of falls at 2.5 years was 62% (52 of 83 patients). Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) score (OR 1.393, p = 0.005, 95% CI 1.104-1.759) and history of fall present (OR 0.142, p = 0.002, 95% CI 0.042-0.48) were related to falling on multiple logistic regression analysis. The following variables differed significantly between patients with first falls and those without falling: levodopa equivalent dose (p = 0.023), UPDRS part I (p = 0.006), SF-8 (p = 0.017), and FAB (p = 0.026). Calculation of the FAB score may be useful for predicting the risk of future falls in patients with various severities of PD. Our results suggest that a low FAB score combined with a history of falling within the past 6 months carries an increased risk of future falls.

Keywords: Executive dysfunction; FAB; Falling; Falls; Freezing of gait; Parkinson.