The Value of Near-infrared Spectroscopy and Blood Pressure Measurements in Estimating Future Fall Risk in Older Adults

Patients aged 65 years and over with a fall in the last 12 months are eligible for inclusion. After being informed about the study, all participants giving written informed consent will perform the active stand procedure (5min lying, 5 min standing). The hemodynamic measurements that will be performed during this procedure simultaneously consist of:

• Volume-clamp photoplethysmography on the finger in the digital artery (Finapres medical systems, Enschede, The Netherlands) for continuous blood pressure measurements.
• PortaLite MKII (Artinis medical systems, Elst, The Netherlands) for continuous cerebral oximetry (NIRS).

After completing the measurements, participants will receive a falls calendar and will be instructed to record falls, fall-related injuries, and fall-related healthcare use on a weekly basis for 12 months.

Inclusion criteria

• 65 years or older
• History of a fall (in the past year)
• Ability to perform supine-to-stand manoeuvres.
• Ability to sign informed consent.
• a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 21 points or higher or a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) - Dutch score of 16 points or higher.
• Sufficient command of the Dutch language

Exclusion criteria

• Physically not able to perform sit-to-stand and supine-to-stand manoeuvres.
• Estimated life expectancy of less than one year.