Perlman Susan L
Division of Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, 300 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite B200, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Clin Geriatr Med. 2006 Nov;22(4):859-77, vii. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2006.06.011.
Gait disorders in elderly individuals are a major cause of falls and their attendant morbidities. Ataxia is one of the neurologic components of fall risk, as are inattention or confusion, visual impairment, vestibular impairment, subcortical white matter disease, parkinsonism, weakness, sensory loss, orthostasis or arrhythmia with alterations in blood pressure, pain, medication use, and environmental hazards. Ataxia in the geriatric population has many causes. Correctly identifying them can improve clinicians' ability to offer treatment and management strategies to patients and their families. The goals should be safe mobility and preserved activities of daily living.
