title: The Timed Up and Go test: predicting falls in ALS.
abstract: There are few functionally meaningful clinical measures used to guide management of patients with ALS. Falls are common, can be debilitating, and result in increased health care costs. We assessed the performance and ability to predict falls of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, which quantifies walking ability, in a prospective longitudinal study. Thirty-one patients underwent six monthly TUG, ALSFRS-R, forced vital capacity, muscle testing (MMT) and quality of life assessments. Linear and generalized linear mixed effects models assessed the associations among variables and ability to predict falls. The increase in TUG time was linear over six months, and TUG time was negatively associated with ALSFRS-R (p< or =0.001) and MMT scores (p< or =0.001). The TUG test was the only variable that was associated with the chance of falling (p = 0.024); patients with TUG times of 14 s had a 10% chance of falling during the study. In conclusion, TUG performance declined linearly in this longitudinal study, was correlated with standard outcome measures, and predicted falls. The TUG test can guide management of patients with ALS; a time of 14 s can be used to prompt the recommendation for mobility aids to prevent falls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig MDA/ALS Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. jm598@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montes
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diamond
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doorish
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitsumoto
authors.forename: Paul H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000068717:Glatiramer Acetate; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004856:Postural Balance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016138:Walking
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D010455:Peptides; D000068717:Glatiramer Acetate