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Attention, frailty, and falls: the effect of a manual task on basic mobility
L Lundin-Olsson1, L Nyberg, Y Gustafson
1Department of Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|June 13, 1998
Summary
Distraction during everyday balance and gait tasks indicates frailty in older adults. A significant time difference in the Timed Up & Go (TUG) test suggests a higher fall risk.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
- Public Health
Background:
- Assessing balance and gait in older adults is crucial for fall prevention.
- Dual-tasking, performing a cognitive or manual task while walking, can reveal underlying functional limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how performing a secondary manual task affects balance and gait.
- To determine if distraction during functional maneuvers is associated with frailty and falls.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study with 6-month prospective fall follow-up.
- Participants (mean age 79.7 years) performed the Timed Up & Go (TUG) test and TUG with a manual task (TUGmanual).
- Frailty was assessed using multiple validated scales.
Main Results:
- A time difference (diffTUG) of ≥ 4.5 seconds between TUGmanual and TUG indicated distraction by the secondary task.
- Subjects with diffTUG ≥ 4.5 seconds were significantly frailer.
- These individuals had a 4.7 times higher odds of falling during the follow-up period.
Conclusions:
- The time difference in dual-task TUG performance is a valid indicator of frailty.
- This simple test can identify older adults at increased risk of falls.