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7 - Brain Function and Falls

from Part I - Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Falls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2021

By
Michele Callisaya ,
Oshadi Jayakody  and
Kim Delbaere
Edited by
Stephen R. Lord ,
Catherine Sherrington  and
Vasi Naganathan
Stephen R. Lord
Affiliation:
Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney
Catherine Sherrington
Affiliation:
Sydney Medical School
Vasi Naganathan
Affiliation:
Concord Hospital
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Summary

Ageing is associated with a wide range of changes in the brain, including grey and white matter atrophy, as well as markers of small vessel disease such as white matter hyperintensities, microbleeds, and infarcts. Furthermore, beta-amyloid plaques and tau (the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease) are evident in the brain years before symptoms of dementia appear. A brain free of disease, with intact grey and white matter, is essential for the fast and efficient operation of the neural networks during daily life activities, and therefore also in reducing the risk of falling.

Type
Chapter
Information
Falls in Older People
Risk Factors, Strategies for Prevention and Implications for Practice
 , pp. 130 - 143
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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