Dissertação
Testes mais utilizados para avaliar o equilíbrio em idosos: uma revisão de literatura
Fecha
2020-12-18Autor
Karina Lúcia Salomão
Institución
Resumen
Aging is an active process in which several morphological and physiological changes
occur throughout the body. These changes are characterized as a dynamic, constant
and irreversible process, linked to biological, psychological and social factors that lead
to an increased vulnerability to non-communicable diseases. The aim of the present
study is to investigate which tests are used to assess the balance of the elderly. The
inclusion criteria of the studies were the analysis of articles that presented some types
of tests used to assess the balance of the elderly. The search for articles occurred in
the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO) databases. To search for articles, a
combination of the keywords [(elderly) AND (falls) AND (balance)] was used. Of the 23
articles studied, we noticed that there are 18 tests to assess the balance of the elderly,
which help to assess the condition of body instability that can be used to identify the
decline in body balance. Among the results, the relationship between age and sex with
the risk of falls, it is known that age above 60 years is estimated as a risk factor for
injuries, justifying by the natural aging process. However, it causes structural and
functional changes, such as decreased muscle strength, elasticity, sensory and
nervous system. The articles that make up this literature review present the most used
tests, such as: Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Lawton Scale, Katz scale or Katz Index.
These are rapid tests that assess the balance of the elderly. It is concluded that the
usual fall is common and fatigue represents a risk factor.