Prediction of falls with performance on Timed "Up-and-Go" and one-leg-balance tests and additional cognitive tasks

Jacques Vaillant (1, 2) , Pascale Martigné , Nicolas Vuillerme (1) , Jean-Louis Caillat-Miousse , Jacques Parisot , Robert Juvin , Vincent Nougier (1)

1 TIMC-IMAG - Techniques de l'Ingénierie Médicale et de la Complexité - Informatique, Mathématiques et Applications, Grenoble - UMR 5525
2 CRIK3 - Centre de Recherche et d'Innovation en Kinésiologie, Kinésiopathologie et Kinésithérapie

Objective: The first aim of this study was to determine whether ordinary postural clinical performance varied with an additional cognitive task. The second purpose was to valid the predictive value for falling of two clinical tests. Methodology: The sample comprised ninety-five women with osteoporosis who lived independently in the community and aged over 70 years (mean 73.4 ± 1.7 years). Timed “Up & Go” test (TUG) and One leg balance (OLB) were realised. Tests were randomly assigned. Trials were realised with or without a cognitive additional task (math task involving subtraction by twos or fives or addition by threes). Results: For both tests (TUG and OLB), performance decreased in the dual-tasks condition (p<0.05). On the other hand, performances were not different in old women with and without an history of fall whatever the test and with or without an additional cognitive load. Conclusion: Performs in Timed Up & Go test and in One leg of balance were less efficient when simultaneously performing a cognitive task. These tests realised without or with cognitive task did not predict falls in a sample of women who lived independently.

Mots clés: Postural control; Cognitive task; Ageing; Assessment; Fall

Domaines: Rhumatologie et système ostéo-articulaire

Jacques Vaillant, Pascale Martigné, Nicolas Vuillerme, Jean-Louis Caillat-Miousse, Jacques Parisot, et al.. Prediction of falls with performance on Timed "Up-and-Go" and one-leg-balance tests and additional cognitive tasks. Annales de Réadaptation et de Médecine Physique, 2006, 49 (1), pp.1-7. ⟨hal-00278369⟩