Where do healthy older adults take more time during the Timed Up and Go test?
Chihiro Kurosawa, Naoko Shimazu, Sumiko Yamamoto
PMID 33132527WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy older adults spent proportionally more time turning and sitting during TUG, and turned along a wider path with less body lean.
The study compared healthy groups in a lab and did not test falls or therapy.
Key findings
01Older adults took more total time to complete the TUG test than younger adults.
02Healthy older adults spent a larger share of the test time turning and sitting than healthy younger adults.
03During turning, older adults used a longer path and showed less body inclination than younger adults.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study measured only healthy, independent older adults, so it does not describe people with disease or fall risk. Walking speed was set at maximum to reduce variation, and the test was done in a lab with motion capture. The study did not test whether the movement differences predict falls or change with decreasing motor function. The authors state that the trajectory length per unit time index includes lateral direction distance and needs careful application. Sample size was calculated for total TUG time, not for each kinematic subtask.
Declared interests
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these kinematic differences identify older adults at risk of falls or prove a new clinical TUG score. The study compared healthy older and younger adults in a lab, did not include people with fall risk, and did not validate the movement measures against falls or function.