Is the functional reach test useful for identifying falls risk among individuals with Parkinson's disease?

Behrman AL, Light KE, Flynn SM, Thigpen MT. Is the Functional Reach Test useful for identifying falls risk among individuals with Parkinson's disease? Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2002;83:538-42. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and validity of the Functional Reach Test (FRT) as a screening tool to identify fallers (persons at risk for falls) among subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) and control subjects. Design: A case-comparison design with a consecutive sample. Subjects performed 3 consecutive functional reach trials. Setting: Motor behavior laboratory in a university setting. Participants: Fifty-eight adults (43 subjects with PD, 15 control subjects). Controls were recruited from a Florida hospital and the local community. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: A falls history was recorded, a mean FRT score attained, and FRT scores were categorized as less than 25.4cm, the criterion for falls risk, or ≥25.4cm. Results: Mean FRT scores differentiated subjects with PD and a known history of falls from subjects with PD and no history of falls and from control subjects (P