Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34316667›Full record

ArticleClinical parkinsonism & related disorders2021

A vicious cycle of fear of falling avoidance behavior in Parkinson's disease: A path analysis.

Merrill R Landers, Kameron M Jacobson, Nicole E Matsunami, Hannah E McCarl, Michelle T Regis, Jason K Longhurst

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical parkinsonism & related disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
10.2field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Functional reserve mitigates cognitive-motor dual-task costs in older adults: insights from age, cohort, and behavioural strategies.European review of aging and physical activity : official journal of the European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity · 2026
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  14. Cognition and Activity of Daily Living Function in people with Parkinson's disease.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Merrill R LandersUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States.
Kameron M JacobsonUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States.
Nicole E MatsunamiUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States.
Hannah E McCarlUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States.
Michelle T RegisUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States.
Jason K LonghurstUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas · USLou Ruvo Brain Institute · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPostural instability (PI) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with several negative downstream consequences.

objectiveThe purpose was to explore the validity of a theoretical model of these downstream consequences arranged in a vicious cycle wherein PI leads to decreased balance confidence, which in turn leads to increased fear of falling (FOF) avoidance behavior, which in turn leads to decreased physical conditioning, which then feeds back and negatively affects PI.

methodsA path analysis of cross-sectional data from 55 participants with PD was conducted. The four constructs in the model connected in succession were: 1. PI (principal components analysis (PCA) composite of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale PI and Gait Difficulty score, Timed Up and Go test, and Berg Balance Scale); 2. balance confidence (Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale); 3. FOF avoidance behavior (PCA composite of the FOF Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire and average number of steps per day); and, 4. physical conditioning (2-Minute Step Test).

resultsThe path model was an excellent fit to the data, χ2 (7) = 7.910, p = .341, CFI = 0.985, TLI = 0.968, RMSEA = 0.049 (90% CI: 0.000 to 0.179). The moderate to strong and uniformly significant parameter estimates were -0.519, -0.651, -0.653, and -0.570, respectively (ps < 0.01).

conclusionsPI directly and inversely predicted balance confidence, which in turn directly and inversely predicted FOF avoidance behavior. Furthermore, FOF avoidance behavior directly and inversely predicted physical conditioning, which directly and inversely predicted PI, thereby closing the cycle. These findings highlight the downstream consequences of PI in PD and support the notion of a vicious cycle of FOF avoidance behavior.

Indexed as

Avoidance behaviorBalance confidenceFallsFear of fallingGaitPostural balancePostural instability

Identifiers

PMID34316667
PMCPMC8299987
OpenAlexW3127398956

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.