The impact of sleep on balance, falls and frailty: Investigating novel risk factors in ageing populations
| Saturday, October 11, 2025 |
| 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
| Hall L |
Overview
Helen Bearpark Memorial Lecture
Details
This symposium will explore the pivotal function of sleep in disorders associated with ageing, including frailty, balance, and falls. Recent evidence underscores sleep as an essential element affecting muscle strength, balance, and general physical resilience in elderly individuals. Experts will highlight recent discoveries on the impact of interrupted sleep patterns, sleep disorders, and inadequate sleep quality on these illnesses. The event will examine new risk factors connecting sleep to musculoskeletal and functional deterioration, providing insights into early identification and multidisciplinary therapies. A panel discussion will focus on incorporating sleep health into geriatric care and preventative measures to improve healthy ageing outcomes.
Speaker
Kimberley van Schooten
The interplay between sleep, balance, and fall risk: insights from daily-living activity monitoring
9:00 AM - 9:20 AMBiography
Dr Kelly Sansom
Flinders University
Poor sleep and clinical sleep disorders as potentially preventable risk factors for falls
9:20 AM - 9:40 AMBiography
Andrew Vakulin
Can treatment of sleep disorders reduce the risk of frailty, sarcopenia, and falls?
9:40 AM - 10:00 AMBiography
Dr Sanjay Patel
Professor, Medicine, Epidemiology, Clinical & Translational Science
University of Pittsburgh
Sleep in the aging population: sleep clinician impressions and future directions
10:00 AM - 10:10 AMBiography
Andrew Vakulin
Chair
Biography
Dr Kelly Sansom
Flinders University
Chair
Biography
