Predicting the probability for falls in community-dwelling older adults using the Timed Up & Go Test

Background and Purpose. This study examined the sensitivity and specificity of the Timed Up & Go Test (TUG) under single-task versus dual-task conditi ons for identifying elderly individuals who are prone to falling. Subjects. Fifteen elder adults with no history of falls (mean age=78 years, SD=6, ra nge=65-85) and Iii older adults with a history of 2 or more falls in the pr evious 6 months (mean age=86.2 years, SD=6, range=76-95) participated. Meth ods. Time taken to complete the TUG under 3 conditions (TUG, TUG with a. su btraction task [TUG(cognitive)], and TUG while carrying a full cup of water [TUG(manual)]) was measured. A multivariate analysis of variance and discr iminant function and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results. The TUG was found to be a sensitive (sensitivity=87%) and specific (specifi city=87%) measure for identifying elderly individuals who are prone to fall s. For both groups of older adults, simultaneous performance of an addition al task increased the time taken to complete the TUG, with the greatest eff ect in the older adults with a history of falls. The TUG scores with or wit hout an additional task (cognitive or manual) were equivalent with respect to identifying fallers and nonfallers. Conclusions and Discussion. The resu lts suggest that the TUG is a sensitive and specific measure for identifyin g community-dwelling adults who are at risk for Falls. The ability to predi ct falls is not enhanced by adding a secondary task when performing the TUG .