Alleviating The Fear Of Falling

Getting old isn't just about body aches and pains. As we get older, our
risk of falling greatly increases. Old bones don't heal like young
ones, and for senior citizens, falls are a leading cause of death.



But researchers at Tel Aviv University provide hopeful news from an unexpected source. Ritalin,
used for managing Attention Deficit Disorder in hyperactive children,
may have therapeutic benefits for seniors too. Older people who take
methylphenidate (the generic name for Ritalin) may improve their
cognitive abilities and their gait, cutting the risk for serious falls.
This surprising finding was made by Prof. Jeffrey M. Hausdorff, a
lecturer at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, and
his colleagues, and reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.



TAU's researchers are the first to investigate the power of Ritalin to
prevent falling in the elderly. After only one dose of Ritalin, seniors
walked with a steadier gait and performed better on a standard
screening test for fall risk, Prof. Hausdorff found.