The Timed Up and Go test (TUG) is a largely used test to measure gait, motor speed,
frailty and physical function in elderly11 Bennell K, Dobson F, Hinman R. Measures of physical performance
assessments: Self-Paced Walk Test (SPWT), Stair Climb Test (SCT), Six-Minute
Walk Test (6MWT), Chair Stand Test (CST), Timed Up and Go (TUG), Sock Test, Lift
and Carry Test (LCT), and Car Task. Arthritis Care Res. 2011;63(suppl S11):
S350-70. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1002/acr.20538
https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.20538...
,22 Kubicki A. Functional assessment in older adults: should we use
timed up and go or gait speed test? Neurosci Lett. 2014;577:89-94.
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2014.06.014
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2014.06...
,
besides as a predictor of risk of falls33 Barry E, Galvin R, Keogh C, Horgan F, Fahey T. Is the Timed Up and
Go test a useful predictor of risk of falls in community dwelling older adults:
a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Geriatr. 2014;14:14.
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-14-14.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-14-14...
. It has been considered a predictor of activities of daily
living in community cohorts44 Sakamoto R, Okumiya K, Ishine M, Wada T, Fujisawa M, Imai H et al.
Predictors of difficulty in carrying out basic activities of daily living among
the old-old: a 2-year community-based cohort study. Geriatr Gerontol Int.
Forthcoming 2015. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12462
https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12462...
,55 Donoghue OA, Savva GM, Cronin H, Kenny RA, Horgan NF. Using timed up
and go and usual gait speed to predict incident disability in daily activities
among community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older. Arch Phys Med Rehabil.
2014;95(10):1954-61.
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2014.06.008
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2014.06.0...
.
In another studies TUG test has been associated with cognitive test to increment
difficulty in dual-task paradigms, with an increasing rate of falls66 Ansai JH, Aurichio TR, Rebelatto JR. Relationship between balance
and dual task walking in the very elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int. Forthcoming
2015. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12438
https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12438...
and an impaired performance among subjects with
cognitive impairment77 Tseng BY, Cullum CM, Zhang R. Older adults with amnestic mild
cognitive impairment exhibit exacerbated gait slowing under dual-task
challenges. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2014;11:494-500.
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.2174/1567205011666140505110828
https://doi.org/10.2174/1567205011666140...
. In the study of
Mirelman et al. authors have tried to assess TUG in older individuals without dementia
and with mild cognitive impairment; they observed that time of completion of TUG was not
different, but the quality was, showing motor-cognitive interactions88 Mirelman A, Weiss A, Buchman AS, Bennett DA, Giladi N, Hausdorff JM.
Association between performance on Timed Up and Go subtasks and mild cognitive
impairment: further insights into the links between cognitive and motor
function. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62(4):673-8.
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.12734
https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.12734...
.
Studies with Parkinson’s disease patients have demonstrated TUG is associated with
cognitive impairment99 Stegemöller EL, Nocera J, Malaty I, Shelley M, Okun MS, Hass
CJ. Timed up and go, cognitive, and quality-of-life correlates in
Parkinson’s disease. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014;95(4):649-55.
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2013.10.031
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2013.10.0...
,1010 Herman T, Weiss A, Brozgol M, Giladi N, Hausdorff JM. Identifying
axial and cognitive correlates in patients with Parkinson’s disease motor
subtype using the instrumented Timed Up and Go. Exp Brain Res.
2014;232(2):713-21.
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00221-013-3778-8
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-013-3778-...
.
Many authors have used TUG with dual task (TUG-DT) that has been demonstrated as a good
measure of gait disorders among elders; the tasks can be motor or cognitive. In the
study of Christofoletti et al. dual task had a great influence on performance in
patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease; it is important
information for care of patients and their activities of daily living, which include
dual tasks1111 Christofoletti G, Andrade LP, Beinotti F, Borges G. Cognition and
dual-task performance in older adults with Parkinson’s disease and
Alzheimer’s disease. Int J Gen Med. 2014;7:383-8.
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S65803
https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S65803...
.
The manuscript entitled Age and education influence the performance of elderly
women on the dual-task Timed Up and Go test published in this current
number investigated the influences of age, education and physical activity among 92
elderly women from community, on TUG dual task1212 Gomes GC, Teixeira-Salmela LF, Fonseca BF, de Freitas FAS, Fonseca
MLM, Pacheco BD et al. Age and education influence the performance of elderly
women on the dual-task Timed Up and Go Test. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 73(3):187-93.
http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1590/0004-282X20140233
https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282X2014023...
. Although TUG has reference time values well established,
there is no normative data investigating TUG-DT and education in Brazil. This manuscript
gives us some data related to this important topic. Cognitive reserve could be a
theoretical background since education is a surrogate for this concept and is associated
with better health and physical conditions and, consequently better performance in
TUG-DT. Two age groups (69 to 74 years; 75 to 79 years) and two education groups (3-4
years and 8 years) were analyzed; and both were grouped as sedentary or active. The
oldest group had higher dual task cost (percentage of spent time comparing TUG and
TUG-DT); higher education was associated with better performance in all measures. The
number of falls over the last six months was reported more times by the younger group.
An unexpected finding was sedentary and active women performed equally on tasks.
This sample has showed a greater average time than other studies described in a recent
meta-analysis1313 Bohanon RW. Reference values for the timed up and go test: a
descriptive meta-analysis. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 2006;29(2):64-8.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1519/00139143-200608000-00004
https://doi.org/10.1519/00139143-2006080...
, but possibly
methodology was different. This manuscript was well designed and the results could be
used as a parameter of normality in different age and educational groups in elderly
women.
References
-
1Bennell K, Dobson F, Hinman R. Measures of physical performance assessments: Self-Paced Walk Test (SPWT), Stair Climb Test (SCT), Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Chair Stand Test (CST), Timed Up and Go (TUG), Sock Test, Lift and Carry Test (LCT), and Car Task. Arthritis Care Res. 2011;63(suppl S11): S350-70. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1002/acr.20538
» https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.20538 -
2Kubicki A. Functional assessment in older adults: should we use timed up and go or gait speed test? Neurosci Lett. 2014;577:89-94. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2014.06.014
» https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2014.06.014 -
3Barry E, Galvin R, Keogh C, Horgan F, Fahey T. Is the Timed Up and Go test a useful predictor of risk of falls in community dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Geriatr. 2014;14:14. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-14-14.
» https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-14-14 -
4Sakamoto R, Okumiya K, Ishine M, Wada T, Fujisawa M, Imai H et al. Predictors of difficulty in carrying out basic activities of daily living among the old-old: a 2-year community-based cohort study. Geriatr Gerontol Int. Forthcoming 2015. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12462
» https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12462 -
5Donoghue OA, Savva GM, Cronin H, Kenny RA, Horgan NF. Using timed up and go and usual gait speed to predict incident disability in daily activities among community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014;95(10):1954-61. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2014.06.008
» https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2014.06.008 -
6Ansai JH, Aurichio TR, Rebelatto JR. Relationship between balance and dual task walking in the very elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int. Forthcoming 2015. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12438
» https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12438 -
7Tseng BY, Cullum CM, Zhang R. Older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment exhibit exacerbated gait slowing under dual-task challenges. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2014;11:494-500. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.2174/1567205011666140505110828
» https://doi.org/10.2174/1567205011666140505110828 -
8Mirelman A, Weiss A, Buchman AS, Bennett DA, Giladi N, Hausdorff JM. Association between performance on Timed Up and Go subtasks and mild cognitive impairment: further insights into the links between cognitive and motor function. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62(4):673-8. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.12734
» https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.12734 -
9Stegemöller EL, Nocera J, Malaty I, Shelley M, Okun MS, Hass CJ. Timed up and go, cognitive, and quality-of-life correlates in Parkinson’s disease. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014;95(4):649-55. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2013.10.031
» https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2013.10.031 -
10Herman T, Weiss A, Brozgol M, Giladi N, Hausdorff JM. Identifying axial and cognitive correlates in patients with Parkinson’s disease motor subtype using the instrumented Timed Up and Go. Exp Brain Res. 2014;232(2):713-21. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00221-013-3778-8
» https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-013-3778-8 -
11Christofoletti G, Andrade LP, Beinotti F, Borges G. Cognition and dual-task performance in older adults with Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Int J Gen Med. 2014;7:383-8. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S65803
» https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S65803 -
12Gomes GC, Teixeira-Salmela LF, Fonseca BF, de Freitas FAS, Fonseca MLM, Pacheco BD et al. Age and education influence the performance of elderly women on the dual-task Timed Up and Go Test. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 73(3):187-93. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1590/0004-282X20140233
» https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282X20140233 -
13Bohanon RW. Reference values for the timed up and go test: a descriptive meta-analysis. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 2006;29(2):64-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1519/00139143-200608000-00004
» https://doi.org/10.1519/00139143-200608000-00004
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
Mar 2015
History
-
Received
11 Feb 2015 -
Accepted
18 Feb 2015