Which disease includes high falls risk?

Which disease includes high falls risk?

• A. Alzheimer's disease.
• B. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
• C. Lewy body dementia.
• D. Schizophrenia.

Answer: (C)

High falls risk is most pronounced in Lewy body dementia because it combines parkinsonian motor symptoms with cognitive fluctuations. The motor features—bradykinesia, rigidity, and a shuffling or festinating gait—undermine balance and make falls more likely. Added to this are fluctuations in attention and visuospatial difficulties that impair judgment of steps and surroundings, further increasing the chance of a fall at different times of the day. Alzheimer’s disease centers on memory and thinking decline, so falls occur but aren’t driven by early, prominent motor instability. Charcot‑Marie‑Tooth disease involves peripheral neuropathy and foot deformities that can cause gait issues, but the hallmark balance problems tied to dementia with parkinsonism are more characteristic of Lewy body dementia. Schizophrenia is primarily a psychiatric condition; falls aren’t a defining feature, though treatments or comorbidities can influence balance.

High falls risk is most pronounced in Lewy body dementia because it combines parkinsonian motor symptoms with cognitive fluctuations. The motor features—bradykinesia, rigidity, and a shuffling or festinating gait—undermine balance and make falls more likely. Added to this are fluctuations in attention and visuospatial difficulties that impair judgment of steps and surroundings, further increasing the chance of a fall at different times of the day. Alzheimer’s disease centers on memory and thinking decline, so falls occur but aren’t driven by early, prominent motor instability. Charcot‑Marie‑Tooth disease involves peripheral neuropathy and foot deformities that can cause gait issues, but the hallmark balance problems tied to dementia with parkinsonism are more characteristic of Lewy body dementia. Schizophrenia is primarily a psychiatric condition; falls aren’t a defining feature, though treatments or comorbidities can influence balance.