Frequency and circumstances of falls for people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: A cross sectional survey

ObjectivePeople with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease may be at risk of falls due to distal muscle weakness and sensory impairment. We aimed to understand the frequency of falls in a cohort, where they occurred, injury and to what people attributed the possible cause. DesignA cross-sectional survey design was used. It was sent by post to ascertain the frequency of falls and near falls, plus the circumstances of the last three falls events they could recall. SettingThe survey was administered to 252 people with CMT who were patients at a specialist neuromuscular centre. ParticipantsPeople were approached who had a clinical diagnosis by a neuromuscular specialist neurologist. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasureThe Falls Event Questionnaire. ResultsResponses were received from 107 people with CMT. Falls and near falls were reported by 86% of survey respondents. The majority of falls occurred at home, and muscular weakness appeared to be blamed the most, with participants describing tripping due to foot drop or joints giving way. A similar pattern was observed for near falls, but they tended to be more frequent. Moderate and major injuries were relatively rare, with the majority of falls resulting in scrapes and bruises or the faller feeling shaken by the experience. DiscussionThe impact of falls is far reaching, in terms of injury risk and the consequences of the fear of falling. Interventions to improve balance and reduce falls are an important rehabilitation focus for people with CMT.