The purpose of this study was to clarify potential fall-related behaviors as fall risk factors that may predict the potential for falls among the elderly patients with dementia at a geriatric facility in Japan. This study was conducted from April 2008 to May 2009. A baseline study was conducted in April 2008 to evaluate Mini-Mental State Examination, Physical Self-Maintenance Scale, fall-related behaviors, and other factors. For statistical analysis, paired t test and logistic analysis were used to compare each item between fallers and nonfallers. A total of 135 participants were followed up for 1 year; 50 participants (37.04%) fell during that period. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the total score for fall-related behaviors was significantly related to falls. It was suggested that 11 fall-related behaviors may be effective indicators to predict falls among the elderly patients with dementia.

Distribution of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the TP53 codon 72 (Arg/Pro) was studied in Southeast Asia and Oceania where information about this polymorphism was lacking. A polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method was employed to genotype a total of 733 subjects from 12 populations in insular Southeast Asia and Oceania. These populations have been classified as either an Austronesianspeaking group or Papuan-speaking group. The p53Arg frequencies ranged from 0.06 in the Seramese to 0.62 in the Kahayan with an average frequency of 0.38. No significant correlation between the p53Arg frequency and latitude was observed in the 12 populations tested (P > 0.05), whereas a significant correlation was obtained for the relationship between frequency and longitude among 9 Austronesian or the whole 12 populations tested (P < 0.01). A longitudinal cline of the p53Arg frequencies may reflect the history of the Austronesian's migration and local admixture with indigenous Papuan speakers who had probably harbored low p53Arg frequencies.

No abstract