Using fractal dimension analysis to improve clinical balance and mobility assessments for discriminating fallers from non-fallers : a cross-sectional analysis

Falling in the elderly involves high personal and financial costs. Traditional biomechanical assessment of gait and balance using variables such as centre of pressure (COP) is an active area of research that attempts to identify those characteristics associated with fallers. Non-traditional analysis techniques such as the fractaI dimension (FD) arc less well accepted. Therefore, statistical models to discriminate fallers and non-fallers utilising both traditional and non-traditional melhods should be investigated. The overall objectivc of this doctoral investigation, consisting of four studies, was to determine differences between elderly lallers and non-fallers using FD analysis to improve clinical balance and mobility assessments. The reliability of measures derived from a portable force plate was investigated in both young and elderly asymptomatic groups in studies I and 2. In studies 3 and 4 fallers were compared against non-fallers across a combination of clinical outcome measures, traditional, and FD COP analysis. Further, two statistical models were developed with and without FD variables.

Grantor dc:publisher

Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia

Year dc:date

2006

Author dc:creator

• Doyle, Tim L.

• Falls
• Accidents in old age
• Prevention.
• Geriatrics

Repository record dc:identifier

https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/323

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ro.ecu.edu.au:theses-1323