Article
Timed up-and-go, functional reach and gait velocity in healthy young students, healthy older people and frail elderly
Search Medline for
Authors
-
B. Langhammer
- Oslo University College, Norway
-
B. Lindmark
- Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden
| Published: | December 18, 2006 |
|---|
Outline
Text
Objective
Balance and walking are the main focus in many health- promoting programmes for older people, to prevent falls or to improve general health, and the possibility of increasing and decreasing speed is a necessary part of independent walking. The principal aim of this study was to measure the balance ability of three different groups, by two commonly used clinical tests: Time Up and Go (TUG) and Functional Reach (FR). Another purpose was to investigate the relationship between balance, gait velocity and gait parameters such as step length, width and cadence in the same three groups.
Subjects
Convenience samples of young healthy students (n=34), healthy elderly persons living at home (n=26) and institutionalised geriatric patients (n =18) were randomly recruited on three different occasions in the year 2003-4. Females predominated in all groups.
Main Outcome Measures
All subjects were monitored regarding maximal gait velocity, step length, step width and cadence. TUG and FR were also performed in the same groups.
Results
Performance in TUG, FR and gait velocity deteriorated in relation to age and state of ill-health. The balance measures TUG and FR were ea significantly correlated to gait velocity in the group of healthy older people (r = -0.67, r = 0.78) and in institutionalised geriatric patients (r = -0.57; r = 0.50), but in the group of young healthy persons only TUG was correlated to gait velocity (r = -0.50). Gait velocity was significantly correlated with step length and cadence in all three groups.
Conclusion
The relationship between balance and gait velocity is age- and task - related. Increased gait velocity was correlated to static and dynamic balance, as measured with FR and TUG, in the two elderly groups, but only to dynamic balance (TUG) in the young group. In all three groups step length and cadence correlated to gait velocity.
