Balance dysfunction and the resultant falls and injuries, loss of confidence, alternations lifestyle and the overall costs are a major problem to older people in Australia. The studies in this thesis investigate discrete but inter-linked aspects of the problems of falls among community dwelling older people, including measurement issues, prediction of fallers, types of dysfunction related to clinical diagnoses, and the effect of multidisciplinary intervention. Preliminary studies of older people from both healthy and clinical samples identified high retest reliability for the dynamic balance tests on the Chattecx Balance System, high retest reliability and concurrent validity for a new clinical test of dynamic standing balance, and high retest reliability and predictive validity for an expanded scale to measure fear of falling. (For complete abstract open document)

Book Summary: In two freestanding but linked volumes, Textbook of Neural Repair and Rehabilitation provides comprehensive coverage of the science and practice of neurological rehabilitation. This volume, Medical Neurorehabilitation, can stand alone as a clinical handbook for neurorehabilitation. It covers the practical applications of the basic science principles presented in volume 1, provides authoritative guidelines on the management of disabling symptoms, and describes comprehensive rehabilitation approaches for the major categories of disabling neurological disorders. Emphasizing the integration of basic and clinical knowledge, this book and its companion are edited and written by leading international authorities. Together they are an essential resource for neuroscientists and provide a foundation for the work of clinical neurorehabilitation professionals.

This lecture takes a dual-targeted approach in: 1) acquainting the audience with newer neuroimaging techniques applied to the consequences of vestibular dysregulation following noise or blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI); and 2) considers treatment and rehabilitation modalities of vestibular and balance dysfunction in order to help veteran’s resume normal activities-of-daily-living. Relevant examples from each targeted lecture will be provided. Intended Audience: Professionals interested in the area of vestibular and balance assessment, neuroimaging, and rehabilitation.