title: How Should Pushing Off or the Use of Assistive Devices Be Incorporated in the Timed Up and Go for Persons With Parkinson Disease?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine (1) the relationship between assisted timed Up and Go (TUG) performance and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), and (2) whether adjusting the TUG score (adding time) improves the relationship between TUG performance and the PDQ-39 in persons with Parkinson disease (PD) who use assistive devices or push off, or both.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty participating National Parkinson Foundation Centers of Excellence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from participants (N=6624) without exclusion at the 20 participating sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  The relationship between TUG scores and PDQ-39 mobility scores was determined using the method of linear least squares. Adjusted scores were determined through minimizing the sum of the squared error.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The correlation between assisted TUG scores and PDQ-39 mobility scores was slightly lower (R(2)=.384) compared with the correlation between nonassisted TUG scores and PDQ-39 mobility scores (R(2)=.409). Adjusting assisted TUG performance scores for push off and for use of an assistive device resulted in a modest increase in correlation (R(2)=.399).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Applying adjustments to assisted TUG may provide clinically important information for evaluating balance, mobility, and falls, and for determining the most effective therapeutic strategies for persons with PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA; University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, Gainesville, FL. Electronic address: esteg@iastate.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Stegemöller
authors.affiliation: National Parkinson Foundation, Miami, FL.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, Gainesville, FL.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hass
authors.affiliation: University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, Gainesville, FL.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Malaty
authors.affiliation: University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, Gainesville, FL.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Okun
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012656:Self-Help Devices
keywords: Mobility limitations; Parkinson disease; Quality of life; Rehabilitation