Irish Journal of Medical Science, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Introduction: It is important to identify the determinants of fall risk in people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD), as they can play a critical role in planning appropriate treatment and interventions. The aim of this study was to discriminate the risk of falling in PwPD using the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 181 PwPD. There were 95 patients in the faller group and 86 in the non-faller group among the study participants. Trunk control was evaluated using TIS, and fall history was documented by interviews. Results: The mean ages of PwPD with and without a history of falls in the past year were 66.03 ± 7.47 and 64.65 ± 8.87, respectively. The median (IQR) values of the TIS of the faller group was 17.00 (14.00–19.00) while 20.00 (19.75-22.00) in non-faller group. For PwPD, the TIS cut-off value for fall risk was found to be 19.50 points. Conclusions: Predicting the risk of falls in PwPD, a disease group in which falls are common and have devastating effects on patients, is very important for the success of rehabilitation practices, patient follow-up and patient safety. These results show that the TIS is a reliable and simple scale that can be used to identify patients at risk of falls for assesing trunk control in PwPD.