Fall definitions, faller classifications and outcomes used in falls research among people with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review

Usefulness of the Berg Balance Scale for prediction of fall risk in multiple sclerosis

INTRODUCTION

The Berg Balance Scale, possibly the most widely used balance-related measure, has gained popularity in clinical trials. It provides information about patients' balance-related abilities and can be used to assess improvement or worsening after rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to determine the cut-off value of the Berg Balance Scale for the fall risk in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

METHODS

This study was designed as a prospective descriptive trial, and 186 patients with MS were included. Fall history was recorded by interview; balance was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS).

RESULTS

The mean ages of 96 patients with a fall history within the previous month and 90 patients without a fall history were 35.98 ± 8.58 and 35.71 ± 9.33 years, respectively. The mean value of the BBS score of the faller group was 49.44 ± 5.43 while 52.36 ± 3.53 in non-faller group. The cut-off value of the BBS for fall risk in patients with MS was determined as 50.50 points.

CONCLUSIONS

For patient safety and the success of rehabilitation, it is crucial to evaluate the risk of falling in patients with MS, one of the neurological patient groups where complaints about falling are most prevalent. The results showed that BBS is a sensitive and specific measure for identifying in patients with MS at risk of falling.

Outcomes of importance to people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and stroke following a falls prevention intervention: a qualitative study to inform a core outcome set

Purpose: Falls are a major issue for people with neurological conditions, and the evaluation of falls prevention interventions is of high priority. To date, the views of patient groups regarding outcomes of importance have been largely overlooked. The purpose of this study was to explore outcomes of interest among people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD) and stroke upon completion of falls prevention interventions to inform the development of a core outcome set (COS).Materials and methods: Five online focus groups and one semi-structured interview were conducted among people with PD (n = 10), MS (n = 7), and post-stroke (n = 3), one of whom also had PD. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results: Four themes were developed; (1) Fall events are not homogeneous, (2) Exercise-based programmes are beneficial but falls services are not meeting user needs, (3) Programme success beyond the reduction in falls, and (4) Acquisition of skills to self-manage falls beyond the life of the programme.Conclusions: This study presents new perspectives across patient groups regarding important outcomes upon completion of falls prevention interventions. Taken together with the findings of a literature review, this data will inform the development of a COS.Implications for rehabilitationPeople with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and stroke consider the success of a falls prevention intervention to be dependent on improvements across a wide range of outcomes.The design and implementation of falls prevention interventions should align with patient preferences.Clinicians and researchers should consider the use of multidomain interventions to facilitate improvements in the desired outcomes of patients.

Exercise-based gaming in patients with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Multiple sclerosis presents a significant burden, with balance disturbances impacting patients' daily living. Conventional therapies have been supplemented with technological advancements like virtual reality (VR) and exergaming, providing engaging, multisensory rehabilitation options.

Objective

This study aimed to synthesize evidence on exergaming's role in multiple sclerosis treatment, particularly to evaluate the impact of exergaming on cognitive, motor, and psychological outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Methods

A systematic review and subsequent meta-analysis design were employed. An extensive search was conducted up to June 2023 across five electronic databases - Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE. The data extraction process from the selected studies was conducted independently. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool 1 (ROB1) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) assessment tool. Continuous outcomes were consolidated as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan ver. 5.4.

Results

Out of 1,029 studies, 27 were included for meta-analysis. There were no significant differences in cognitive outcomes between the exergaming and the no-intervention group or the Conventional Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation interventions (CPRh) subgroups. However, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) showed a statistically significant difference in favor of exergaming in the no-intervention subgroup (MD = 5.40, 95% CI [0.08, 10.72], p = 0.05). In motor outcomes, exergaming only demonstrated better results in the 6-minute walking test compared to the no-intervention group (MD = 25.53, 95% CI [6.87, 44.19], p = 0.007). The Berg Balance Scale score in both studied subgroups and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test in the no-intervention group favored exergaming. In terms of psychological outcomes, the Beck Depression Inventory did not reveal any significant differences, while the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) score favored exergaming in the CPRh subgroup.

Conclusion

Exergaming shows promise for enhancing cognitive and motor functions, motivation, adherence, and quality of life in MS patients, which is beneficial for nurses. It can be tailored to individual preferences and easily conducted at home, potentially serving as a viable alternative to traditional rehab programs, especially during relapses. However, further research is necessary to fully understand its optimal and lasting benefits.

Preliminary race-ethnicity-based analyses of fall risk among people with multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Mounting evidence suggests differences in the disease characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) across ethnic and racial groups. Although it is widely recognized that falls are a significant concern for people with MS (PwMS), no study has explored if the fall risk is related to race/ethnicity in PwMS. The primary purpose of this pilot study was to examine whether the risk of falls is different between age-matched White, Black, and Latinx PwMS.

METHODS

Fifteen White, 16 Black, and 22 Latinx, age-matched ambulatory PwMS were selected from previous studies. Demographic and disease information, the fall risk (annual fall prevalence, proportion of recurrent fallers, and the number of falls) in the preceding year, and a battery of fall risk factors (including the disability level, gait speed, and cognition) were compared between race/ethnicity groups. The fall history was gathered using the valid fall questionnaire. The disability level was assessed by the Patient Determined Disease Steps score. Gait speed was measured using the Timed 25-Foot Walk test. The short Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration test evaluates participants' cognitive function. SPSS 28.0 was used for all statistical analyses and a significance level of 0.05 was applied.

RESULTS

Among the demographic measurements, age (p = 0.052), sex (p = 0.17), body mass (p = 0.338), age at diagnosis (p = 0.623), and disease duration (p = 0.280) were comparable across groups while the body height was significantly different between racial groups (p < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis did not detect a significant relationship between the faller status and racial/ethnic group (p = 0.571) after controlling the body height and age. Similarly, the recurrent faller status was not associated with our participants' race/ethnicity (p = 0.519). There was no difference in the number of falls in the past year between racial groups (p = 0.477). The fall risk factors of disability level (p = 0.931) and gait speed (p = 0.252) were similar among the groups. However, the White group had a significantly better Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration score than the Black (p = 0.037) and Latinx (p = 0.036) groups. No significant difference in the Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration score was observed between the Black and Latinx groups (p = 0.857).

CONCLUSION

As the initial attempt, our preliminary study suggests that the annual risk of being a faller or recurrent faller may not be affected by PwMS' race/ethnicity. Similarly, the physical functions (quantified by the Patient Determined Disease Steps and the gait speed) are comparable between racial/ethnic groups. However, the cognitive function may differ among age-matched racial groups of PwMS. Given the small sample size, caution is warranted when interpreting our findings. Despite the limitations, our study provides pilot knowledge about how race/ethnicity affects the fall risk in PwMS. Due to the limited sample size, it is too soon to definitively conclude that race/ethnicity has ignorable impacts on fall risk in PwMS. Further studies with larger sample sizes and more fall risk metrics are needed to clarify the effects of race/ethnicity on fall risk in this population.

Predicting falls in adults with multiple sclerosis using patient-reported measures: Are perceptions of dual-tasking missing?

BACKGROUND

Mobility challenges and cognitive impairments prominent in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) significantly increase the risk of falling. Examining perceptions of how the simultaneous performance of completing motor and cognitive tasks impacts fall risk may have clinical utility. The purpose of this study was to identify the most significant self-reported predictors of falling including perceived dual-tasking.

METHODS

Participants included 79 individuals with MS were surveyed and reported their fall history over the previous 3 months and completed the Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale -12 (MSWS-12), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I), and two Dual-Task Questionnaires (DTQ), a previously published original one and a newly expanded version.

RESULTS

Of the sample, 63 were classified as non-fallers and 16 as fallers. Backward stepwise regression analysis revealed that perceived ambulation disability and dual-tasking best predicted fall status (sensitivity of 57.7%, specificity of 90.6%, area under the receiving operating curve of 0.81 (95% CI 0.70-0.92).

CONCLUSION

The inclusion of self-reported dual-tasking perceptions has utility in predicting fall risk. Effective assessment toward this end offers the potential for early detection and intervention.

Protocol for the development of a core outcome set for evaluating mixed-diagnosis falls prevention interventions for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease and stroke

Background: Given the high incidence of falls and their associated negative effects, the development of effective falls prevention interventions for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's Disease (PD) and stroke is a priority. Currently the implementation of condition-specific falls prevention interventions is challenging in the community due to lack of participants and resources. Given the similarities in falls risk factors across stroke, PD and MS, the design of mixed-diagnosis interventions for groups comprising of people with these three neurological conditions may solve these implementation challenges. Having a core outcome set (COS) for evaluating these interventions would enable the comparison and combination of data, thereby facilitating progress in this research area. Therefore, the aim of this research study is to develop a COS for evaluating mixed-diagnosis falls prevention interventions for people with MS, PD and stroke. Methods: This will be a mixed-methods, international, multi-perspective Delphi consensus study with five stages. Stage one will involve the identification of potential outcomes through a systematic literature search, patient focus groups, and consultation with our stakeholder group. The second stage will be the development of the Delphi survey using the outcomes elicited from stage one. Stage three will be the prioritisation of outcomes using a two-round online Delphi survey involving patients, clinicians, researchers and policy-makers/service-planners. The fourth stage will be to identify and recommend outcome measures and definitions. The final stage will be a consensus meeting with representatives from each stakeholder group to agree upon the final COS. Discussion: Adoption of this COS in future trials investigating the effectiveness of mixed-diagnosis falls prevention interventions for people with MS, PD and stroke will facilitate the comparison and combination of research findings. This should translate into improved decision-making by service-planners/policy-makers and clinicians regarding the implementation of evidence-based falls prevention interventions into practice.

Protocol for the development of a core outcome set for evaluating mixed-diagnosis falls prevention interventions for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease and stroke

Background: Given the high incidence of falls and their associated negative effects, the development of effective falls prevention interventions for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's Disease (PD) and stroke is a priority. Currently the implementation of condition-specific falls prevention interventions is challenging in the community due to lack of participants and resources. Given the similarities in falls risk factors across stroke, PD and MS, the design of mixed-diagnosis interventions for groups comprising of people with these three neurological conditions may solve these implementation challenges. Having a core outcome set (COS) for evaluating these interventions would enable the comparison and combination of data, thereby facilitating progress in this research area. Therefore, the aim of this research study is to develop a COS for evaluating mixed-diagnosis falls prevention interventions for people with MS, PD and stroke. Methods: This will be a mixed-methods, international, multi-perspective Delphi consensus study with five stages. Stage one will involve the identification of potential outcomes through a systematic literature search, patient focus groups, and consultation with our stakeholder group. The second stage will be the development of the Delphi survey using the outcomes elicited from stage one. Stage three will be the prioritisation of outcomes using a two-round online Delphi survey involving patients, clinicians, researchers and policy-makers/service-planners. The fourth stage will be to identify and recommend outcome measures and definitions. The final stage will be a consensus meeting with representatives from each stakeholder group to agree upon the final COS. Discussion: Adoption of this COS in future trials investigating the effectiveness of mixed-diagnosis falls prevention interventions for people with MS, PD and stroke will facilitate the comparison and combination of research findings. This should translate into improved decision-making by service-planners/policy-makers and clinicians regarding the implementation of evidence-based falls prevention interventions into practice.

Reliability and validity of the fall risk self-assessment scale for community-dwelling older people in China: a pilot study

Background

Falls are a common and serious public health issue among older adults, contributing to the loss of independence, psychological distress, and incapability to engage in meaningful occupations, etc. However, there is a lack of abundant information about the fall risk self-evaluation scale for community-dwelling older people. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the preliminary reliability and validity of the fall risk self-assessment scale (FRSAS) among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 230 individuals aged 65 years and over were recruited by a convenience sampling between October and December 2020 from three communities in Haidian district, Beijing. Eligible participants were required to fill in the general condition questionnaire and the fall risk self-assessment scale. The reliability and validity were analyzed by using SPSS 20.0.

Results

Two hundred twenty-two participants completed the assessment as required (the completion rate was 96.52%). The most items of FRSAS were understood by older adults, which was completed in 10 min. Cronbach’s α and intraclass correlation coefficient ICC (2,1) of the scale were 0.757 and 0.967 respectively, suggesting good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 14 factors that explained 61.744% of the variance. Five items failed to be categorized into any factors because the factor loading of these items was less than 0.4. A future large-sample study needs to be conducted to explore its construct validity. The total scores and dimensional scores except for C-dimension showed significant differences between participants who had experienced a fall in the previous 6 months and those who had not (P < 0.05), indicating good discriminant validity.

Conclusions

The fall risk self-assessment scale including 41 items demonstrated relatively high feasibility as well as satisfactory results in the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and discriminant validity.

Trial registration

Registration number: ChiCTR2000038856; Date of registration: 7 Oct 2020.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-02962-3.

Shock-absorbing flooring for fall-related injury prevention in older adults and staff in hospitals and care homes: the SAFEST systematic review

BACKGROUND

Injurious falls in hospitals and care homes are a life-limiting and costly international issue. Shock-absorbing flooring may offer part of the solution; however, evidence is required to inform decision-making.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives were to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of shock-absorbing flooring for fall-related injury prevention among older adults in care settings.

REVIEW METHODS

A systematic review was conducted of experimental, observational, qualitative and economic studies evaluating flooring in care settings targeting older adults and/or staff. Studies identified by a scoping review (inception to May 2016) were screened, and the search of MEDLINE, AgeLine and Scopus (to September 2019) was updated, alongside other sources. Two independent reviewers assessed risk of bias in duplicate (using Cochrane's Risk of Bias 2.0 tool, the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions tool, or the Joanna Briggs Institute's qualitative tool).

RESULTS

Of the 22 included studies, 20 assessed the outcomes (three randomised controlled trials; and seven observational, five qualitative and five economic studies) on novel floors (n = 12), sports floors (n = 5), carpet (n = 5) and wooden subfloors (n = 1). Quantitative data related to 11,857 patient/resident falls (nine studies) and 163 staff injuries (one study). Qualitative studies included patients/residents (n = 20), visitors (n = 8) and staff (n = 119). Hospital-based randomised controlled trial data were too imprecise; however, very low-quality evidence indicated that novel/sports flooring reduced injurious falls from three per 1000 patients per day on vinyl with concrete subfloors to two per 1000 patients per day (rate ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.36 to 0.84; two studies), without increasing falls rates (two studies). One care home-based randomised controlled trial found that a novel underlay produces similar injurious falls rates (high-quality evidence) and falls rates (moderate-quality evidence) to those of a plywood underlay with vinyl overlays and concrete subfloors. Very low-quality data demonstrated that, compared with rigid floors, novel/sports flooring reduced the number of falls resulting in injury in care homes (26.4% vs. 33.0%; risk ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.70 to 0.91; three studies) and hospitals (27.1% vs. 42.4%; risk ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.44 to 0.93; two studies). Fracture and head injury outcomes were imprecise; however, hip fractures reduced from 30 per 1000 falls on concrete to 18 per 1000 falls on wooden subfloors in care homes (odds ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 0.78; one study; very low-quality evidence). Four low-quality economic studies concluded that shock-absorbing flooring reduced costs and improved outcomes (three studies), or increased costs and improved outcomes (one study). One, more robust, study estimated that shock-absorbing flooring resulted in fewer quality-adjusted life-years and lower costs, if the number of falls increased on shock-absorbing floors, but that shock-absorbing flooring would be a dominant economic strategy if the number of falls remained the same. Staff found moving wheeled equipment more difficult on shock-absorbing floors, leading to workplace adaptations. Staff injuries were observed; however, very low-quality evidence suggests that these are no less frequent on rigid floors.

LIMITATIONS

Evidence favouring shock-absorbing flooring is of very low quality; thus, much uncertainty remains.

CONCLUSIONS

Robust evidence is lacking in hospitals and indicates that one novel floor may not be effective in care homes. Very low-quality evidence indicates that shock-absorbing floors may be beneficial; however, wider workplace implications need to be addressed. Work is required to establish a core outcome set, and future research needs to more comprehensively deal with confounding and the paucity of hospital-based studies, and better plan for workplace adaptations in the study design.

STUDY REGISTRATION

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42019118834.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 5. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Efficacy of Virtual Reality and Exergaming in Improving Balance in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common causes of neurological progressive disease and can lead to loss of mobility, walk impairment, and balance disturbance. Among several rehabilitative approaches proposed, exergaming and virtual reality (VR) have been studied in the recent years. Active video game therapy could reduce the boredom of the rehabilitation process, increasing patient motivation, providing direct feedback, and enabling dual-task training. Aim of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy of exergaming and VR for balance recovery in patients with MS. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched from the inception until May 14, 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) presenting: patients with MS as participants, exergaming and VR as intervention, conventional rehabilitation as comparator, and balance assessment [Berg Balance Scale (BBS)] as outcome measure. We also performed a meta-analysis of the mean difference in the BBS via the random-effects method. Out of 93 records, this systematic review included and analyzed 7 RCTs, involving a total of 209 patients affected by MS, of which 97 patients performed exergaming or VR and 112 patients underwent conventional rehabilitation. The meta-analysis reported a significant overall ES of 4.25 (p < 0.0001), showing in the subgroup analysis a non-significant ES of 1.85 (p = 0.39) for the VR and a significant ES of 4.49 (p < 0.0001) for the exergames in terms of the BBS improvement. Taken together, these findings suggested that balance rehabilitation using exergames appears to be more effective than conventional rehabilitation in patients affected by MS.

Effectiveness of interventions to prevent falls for people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and stroke: an umbrella review

Background

The implementation of condition-specific falls prevention interventions is proving challenging due to lack of critical mass and resources. Given the similarities in falls risk factors across stroke, Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the development of an intervention designed for groups comprising of people with these three neurological conditions may provide a pragmatic solution to these challenges. The aims of this umbrella review were to investigate the effectiveness of falls prevention interventions in MS, PD and stroke, and to identify the commonalities and differences between effective interventions for each condition to inform the development of an intervention for mixed neurological groups.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted using 15 electronic databases, grey literature searches and hand-screening of reference lists. Systematic reviews of studies investigating the effects of falls prevention interventions in MS, PD and stroke were included. Methodological quality of reviews was assessed using the A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2. A matrix of evidence table was used to assess the degree of overlap. The Grading of Recommendations Assessments, Development and Evaluation framework was used to rate the quality of evidence. Findings were presented through narrative synthesis and a summary of evidence table.

Results

Eighteen reviews were included; three investigating effectiveness of falls prevention interventions in MS, 11 in PD, three in stroke, and one in both PD and stroke. Exercise-based interventions were the most commonly investigated for all three conditions, but differences were identified in the content and delivery of these interventions. Low to moderate quality evidence was found for the effectiveness of exercise-based interventions at reducing falls in PD. Best available evidence suggests that exercise is effective at reducing falls in stroke but no evidence of effect was identified in MS.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that exercise-based interventions are effective at reducing falls in PD, however, the evidence for MS and stroke is less conclusive. A strong theoretical rationale remains for the use of exercise-based interventions to address modifiable physiological falls risk factors for people with MS, PD and stroke, supporting the feasibility of a mixed-diagnosis intervention. Given the high overlap and low methodological quality of primary studies, the focus should be on the development of high-quality trials investigating the effectiveness of falls prevention interventions, rather than the publication of further systematic reviews.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-021-02402-6.

Gait Analysis with Wearables Can Accurately Classify Fallers from Non-Fallers: A Step toward Better Management of Neurological Disorders

Falls are the leading cause of mortality, morbidity and poor quality of life in older adults with or without neurological conditions. Applying machine learning (ML) models to gait analysis outcomes offers the opportunity to identify individuals at risk of future falls. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different data pre-processing methods on the performance of ML models to classify neurological patients who have fallen from those who have not for future fall risk assessment. Gait was assessed using wearables in clinic while walking 20 m at a self-selected comfortable pace in 349 (159 fallers, 190 non-fallers) neurological patients. Six different ML models were trained on data pre-processed with three techniques such as standardisation, principal component analysis (PCA) and path signature method. Fallers walked more slowly, with shorter strides and longer stride duration compared to non-fallers. Overall, model accuracy ranged between 48% and 98% with 43-99% sensitivity and 48-98% specificity. A random forest (RF) classifier trained on data pre-processed with the path signature method gave optimal classification accuracy of 98% with 99% sensitivity and 98% specificity. Data pre-processing directly influences the accuracy of ML models for the accurate classification of fallers. Using gait analysis with trained ML models can act as a tool for the proactive assessment of fall risk and support clinical decision-making.

Effectiveness of non-pharmacological falls prevention interventions for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease and stroke: protocol for an umbrella review

Background: Falls are common among people with neurological diseases and have many negative physical, psychosocial and economic consequences. Implementation of single-diagnosis falls prevention interventions is currently problematic due to lack of participants and resources. Given the similarities in falls risk factors across stroke, Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the development of an intervention designed for mixed neurological populations seems plausible and may provide a pragmatic solution to current implementation challenges. This umbrella review aims to summarise the totality of evidence regarding the effectiveness of non-pharmacological falls prevention interventions for people with MS, PD and stroke and identify the commonalities and differences between effective interventions for each disease to inform the development of an evidence-based intervention that can be tailored for people with mixed diagnoses. Methods: This umbrella review will be conducted and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. 15 electronic databases and grey literature will be searched. Systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials and studies investigating the effects of non-pharmacological falls prevention interventions on falls outcomes among people with MS, PD and stroke will be included. Methodological quality of included reviews will be assessed using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 tool. The Grading of Recommendations Assessments, Development and Evaluation framework will be used to rate the quality of evidence. A summary of evidence table and narrative synthesis will be utilised to clearly indicate the findings. Discussion: This umbrella review presents a novel and timely approach to synthesise existing falls literature to identify effective non-pharmacological interventions for people with MS, PD and stroke. Of importance, a robust methodology will be used to explore the differences and similarities in effective interventions for individuals with these neurological conditions to facilitate the development of an intervention for these mixed neurological groups.

Effectiveness of non-pharmacological falls prevention interventions for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease and stroke: protocol for an umbrella review

Background: Falls are common among people with neurological diseases and are associated with many negative physical, psychosocial and economic consequences. Implementation of single diagnosis falls prevention interventions is currently problematic due to lack of participants and resources. Given the similarities in falls risk factors across stroke, Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the development of an intervention designed for mixed neurological populations seems plausible and may provide a solution to current implementation challenges. This umbrella review aims to summarise the totality of evidence regarding the effectiveness of non-pharmacological falls prevention interventions for people with MS, PD and stroke and to identify the commonalities and differences between interventions that are effective for each disease to inform the development of an intervention for mixed diagnoses. Methods: This umbrella review will be conducted and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Electronic databases and grey literature will be searched. Systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTS) and studies investigating the effects of non-pharmacological falls prevention interventions on falls outcomes among people with MS, PD and stroke will be included. Methodological quality of included reviews will be assessed using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 tool. The Grading of Recommendations Assessments, Development and Evaluation framework will be used to rate the quality of evidence. A summary of evidence table and narrative synthesis will be utilised to clearly indicate the findings. Discussion: This umbrella review presents a novel and timely approach to synthesise existing falls literature to identify effective non-pharmacological interventions for people with MS, PD and stroke. Of importance, this umbrella review will use a robust methodology to explore the key differences and similarities in effective interventions for individuals with these neurological diseases to facilitate the development of an intervention for mixed neurological groups.