Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT)

About

The Timed up and Go test is a mobile-native test for iOS and Android widely used for balance assessments in patients. It is often used to assess older patients’ risk of falling. It can be executed on the Qolty platform as a module in your study, either at home or in the clinic. See the information below to view how the TGUG works.

Documentation

Introduction

The timed-get-up-and-go task is a widely used test to determine balance assessment. Many parameters are developed and devised to determine a patient’s balance assessment. Most of the screening tools are developed to determine older patients’ risk of falling. The Timed-Get-Up-and-Go (TUG) test is a modified version of the Get-up-and-Go (GUG) which was initially developed by Mathias et al. 1986. The “Get-up-and-Go” (GUG) relied on subjective measurement because the performance was rated on a 5-point scale where 1 was normal, and 5 was strictly abnormal with a higher risk of falling. In this version, an individual rises from a chair, walks at a 3-meter distance, turns around, returns, and sits back on the chair.

 

To improve and change the subjectivity of the “Get-up-and-Go” (GUG) test, it was modified by the inclusion of time measurement for the entire procedure. The use of a chair and stopwatch with a 3-meter walkway is necessary to perform the task. The entire procedure from standing up, walking, turning around, and then going back to the chair was timed. It was observed that older adults who finished the whole procedure in under 10 seconds had no balance deficiency while those who took more than 10 seconds had a high risk of falling.

 

In a more advanced version, the Expanded Timed Get-up-and-Go (ETGUG), all series of tasks such as seated position, walking, turning, stopping, and sitting down are measured separately using a multi-memory stopwatch as incorporated in the ConductScience Digital Health App. The assessment is usually scored automatically by the smartphone (Galán-Mercant et al. 2014). In ETGUG, intensive time measurement is followed with respect to the component tasks. This approach pinpoints the main area of the patient’s problem. Although TGUG is reliable in determining balance assessment among elderly patients, it is substantial to isolate the areas of functional deficit to provide useful clinical information.

Methods

A study on the timed get-up-and-go test is revisited by measuring its component tasks (Wall et al. 2000). The basic procedure for TGUG is modified with different walkway measurements and stopwatches to monitor different activities. The chair used has no armrest with a sea elevation of approximately 46 cm. The general procedure is as follows:

  1. Measure and mark a 10-m walkway from the subject’s legs of the straight-backed chair.
  2. The patient is advised to wear their usual footwear and have a walking aid if necessary.
  3. Allow the patient to sit back on a standard armchair.
  4. Ideally, the patient should walk parallel to the line at a normal pace.
  5. Every activity such as standing, gait initiation, walk 1, turning around, walk 2, slowing down phase, stopping, turning around, and sitting down should be recorded separately.

The use of a multimemory stopwatch which has lap buttons should be pressed at the following event:

  1. When the subject was standing upright;
  2. As the subject passed the 2-meter mark;
  3. As the subject passed the 8-meter mark;
  4. As the subject passed the 8-meter mark when returning; and
  5. As the subject passed the 2-meter mark when returning.

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of ETGUG test’s arrangement

Both TGUG and ETGUG tests are performed among three groups such as healthy young individual, healthy elderly, and elderly who has a greater risk of falling.

 

Applications

 

Patients with Bilateral Vestibular Loss

Swanenburg et al. 2014 performed the timed-get-up-and-go test in patients with bilateral vestibular loss. The test was performed twice among 21 BVL patients and 21 controls aged 58±14 years old with two different recruiters. It was observed that BVL patients walked slower paralleled to control subjects. Therefore, ETGUG tests show good reliability for BVL patients with functional deficits.

 

Elderly patients performing physical exercise

Another study on timed get-up-and-go predicted an explanation of falls in elderly adults performing physical exercises (Virtuoso et al. 2014).  Over a span of 12 months, data were collected for the participants with an occurrence of falling. It was observed that the classic and cognitive TUG tests have an indirect relationship with the manifestation of falls. This is due to a different factorial cause of falling during physical activity which can be intrinsic or extrinsic. The prediction should be assessed in a broad range within the protocols or elderly population.

 

ETGUG performed with Stroke Individual

Faria et al. 2012 performed the Expanded Timed Get-up-and-Go task on patients who had undergone stroke. In this study, intra and interrater reliabilities of the ETGUG test were validated and compared among patients who suffered a stroke and healthy individuals. It was observed that the group who suffered from stroke took a long time in every activity of the test.

 

Individuals with Right and Left Hemiplegia

A comparative study between left and right hemiplegics using ETGUG was performed by Muthukaruppan et al. 2011. Male individuals ages 45-55 who suffered from either left or right immobility were assessed. The time it took for each subject to perform different component tasks were recorded. It was observed that individuals with left hemiplegia took more time to stand up, turning, and sitting down while the individuals with right hemiplegia were having trouble with gait initiation, walking & speed.

 

Concussion Assessment using Dual-Task Combination

A preliminary investigation of the efficacy of clinically practical dual-task tests as a concussion assessment tool was performed by Finer. 2014. 54 healthy individuals were subjected to a physical task; expanded time-get-up-and-go (ETGUG) and three cognitive activities such as backward digital recall (BDR), serial sevens (SS), and auditory pure switch task (APST). Finer concluded that the response rate of SS and APST was declined when combined with the ETGUG test. On the other hand, the response rate of BDR was comparatively enhanced when combined with ETGUG.

 

Patients with COPD

Bromboszcz et al. 2010 assessed ETGUG among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In their study, a 20-meter walking distance was used for the test since it is the best metric to assess the walking abilities of patients. It emerged as a breakthrough because the typical testing for COPD such as 6MWT requires more walking distance.

 

Results and Data Analysis

The sample data represents the average time spent by healthy young, healthy adults, and at-risk adults to complete the entire course of the test. It is evident from Figure 2 that the time spent by the three groups is in the following order: At-risk adults > Adults > Young

 

Figure 2. TGUG and ETGUG test mean and standard deviation

The data for Figure 3, shows the time measured for each component in ETGUG test. It is observed that the at-risk control group took a long time to accomplish each task. Among all the components, Walk 1 shows significant differences among the three groups. While the young and elderly groups have a marginal difference, the at-risk group spent almost twice their time.

Cosmin Checklist

Test-retest Reliability:
 
  • Poor test-retest reliability was validated in older people with impaired mobility with the mean ICC of 0.06 (Botolfsen et al. 2008)
  • Excellent test-retest reliability was observed by Ries et al. 2009 among people with Alzheimer’s disease with the mean interclass correlation coefficient of 0.987.
  • Excellent test-retest reliability (Interclass correlation coefficient = 0.97 for community-dwelling elderly people) (Steffen et al. 2002)
  • Good test-retest reliability was validated in individuals with various medical conditions with the mean ICC of 0.99 (Podsiadlo et al. 1991)
  • Excellent test-retest reliability was observed by Kennedy et al. 2005 among patients with osteoarthritis with the mean Interclass correlation coefficient of 0.75.
  • Adequate test-reliability (Interclass correlation coefficient = 0.85 for people with Parkinson’s disease) (Steffen et al. 2008)
  • Excellent test-retest reliability was detected in people with Parkinson’s disease with the mean ICC of 0.80 (Huang et al. 2011)
  • Excellent test-retest reliability was assessed by Flansbjer et al. 2005 among men and women with hemiparesis with the mean interclass correlation coefficient of 0.96.
  • Excellent test-retest reliability (Interclass correlation coefficient = 0.86 for children with traumatic brain injury) (Katz-Leurer et al. 2008)
  • Adequate test-retest reliability was observed in individuals with Parkinson’s disease with the mean ICC of 0.69 (Dal Bello-Haas et al. 2011)
  • Excellent test-reliability was validated by Swanenburg et al. 2014 among patients with the bilateral vestibular loss with a mean interclass correlation coefficient of 0.85 to 0.95.
  • Good test-retest reliability (interclass correlation coefficient = 0.65 for elderly patients performing physical exercises) (Virtuoso et al. 2014)
Construct Validity:
  • Brooks et al. 2006 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients of the TUG and Functional reach. They observed that there was an adequate correlation between Timed-up-and-go (TUG) and functional reach (Spearman r = -0.36). On the other hand, there was an excellent correlation between TUG and the two-minute walk test (2MWT) (Spearman r = -0.68).
  • Maly et al. 2005 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients among patients with osteoarthritis. They observed that there was an excellent correlation between the TUG and STR (Stair Climbing Task) (Spearman r = 0.88).
  • Boonstra et al. 2008 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients among individuals with osteoarthritis. They observed that there was an adequate correlation between TUG and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain (Spearman r = 0.58).
  • Brusse et al. 2005 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients among individuals with Parkinson’s disease. They observed excellent correlations between TUG and BBS (r = -0.78); TUG and FGS (r = -0.69); and TUG and CGS (r = -0.67).
  • Van Hedel et al. 2005 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients among individuals with spinal cord injury. They observed excellent correlations between WISCI II and TUG (r= -0.76); TUG versus 10MWT (r = 0.89); and TUG versus 6MWT (r = -0.88).
  • Knorr et al. 2010 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients among community-dwelling persons after stroke. They observed excellent correlations between TUG and CB&M (ρ= -0.75, p < 0.001); and TUG and BBS (ρ = -0.70, p < 0.001).
  • Lemay et al. 2010 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients among individuals with acute spinal cord injury. They observed excellent correlations between TUG and Berg Balance Scale (r = -0.815); TUG and SCI-FAI parameter (r = -0.761); TUG and SCI-FAI assistive devices (r = -0.802); TUG and SCI-FAI mobility (r = -0.724); TUG and 2MWT (r = -0.623); TUG and WISCI II (r = -0.799); and lastly TUG and 10MWT (r = -0.646)
  • Marchetti et al. 2011 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients in community-dwelling older adults with vestibular disorders. They observed a strong correlation between TUG and AABC (r = -0.4,n = 98)
Criterion Validity
  • Brown et al. 2001 observed fall risks in post-rehabilitation among individuals with bilateral vestibular hypofunction using TUG (tug ≥ 13.5 sec; n= 6/9).
  • Podsiadlo et al. 1991 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients in elderly adults. They observed excellent correlations between TUG and Berg Balance (r= -0.81); TUG and gait speed (r = -0.61); TUG and Barthel Index of ADL (r = -0.78).
  • Wrisley et al. 2010 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficient among elderly adults. They observed an excellent correlation between the TUG and Functional Gait Assessment (r = -0.84, p < 0.001).
  • Sabirli t al. 2012 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficient among elderly adults with osteoarthritis. They observed an excellent correlation between the TUG and Kellengren-Lawrence radiological stages (r= 0.628).
  • Bennie et al. 2003 compared Spearman’s correlation coefficients among adults with Parkinson’s disease. They observed that there was a significant correlation between the TUG and BBS (r = -0.47, p = 0.04). On the other hand, there was also a significant correlation between the combination of TUG and BBS with BBS (r = 0.56, p = 0.044)
  • Flansbjer et al. 2005 compared the Spearman correlation coefficients among adults with chronic stroke. They observed that there was excellent correlations between TUG and CGS (r= -0.86), TUG and FGS (r = -0.91), TUG and SCas (r = 0.86), TUG and SCde (r = 0.90) and TUG and 6MW (r = 0.92).
  • Gil-Body KM et al. 2000 compared the Spearman correlation coefficients among individuals with unilateral vestibular hypofunction. They observed a weak to moderate correlation between TUG scores and Dizziness Handicapped Inventory (r = 0.59).
  • Meretta et al. 2006 compared the Spearman correlation coefficients among individuals with vestibular disorders. They observed adequate correlations between TUG and FTSST at baseline measurement (r= 0.53), TUG and FTSST at final measurement (r = 0.59) and TUG and FTSST change scores (r = 0.43),
  • Caixeta GC et al. 2012 compared the Spearman correlation coefficients among vestibulopathy elderly patients. They observed a low yet significant correlation between the TUG and MMSE (Mini-Mental State Exam) (r = -0.312).
Intra-rater/Inter-rater Reliability:
  • Excellent intra-rater reliability was validated in older people with impaired mobility with mean ICC of 0.97 (Botolfsen et al. 2008)
  • Good intra-rater reliability was validated in community-dwelling elderly people with different medical conditions with mean ICC of 0.99 (Podsiadlo et al. 1991)
  • Excellent inter-rater reliability was validated in individuals with Parkinson’s disease with mean ICC of 0.99 (Morris al, 2001)
  • Excellent intra-rater reliability was validated in adults undergoing neuro rehab, skilled nursing, and acute care with a mean ICC of 0.98 (Bennie et al. 2003)
  • Excellent intra-rater reliability was validated in older people living in residential care facilities with a mean ICC of 0.92 (Nordin et al. 2006)
  • Excellent inter-rater reliability was validated in adults with osteoarthritis with a mean ICC of 0.87 (Wright et al. 2011)
Floor/Ceiling Effects
  • Rockwood et al. 2000 observed poor flooring effects (29%) while evaluating fitness and frailty among elderly adults.
  • de Morton et al. 2008 observed poor flooring effects (25%) among older acute patients.

 

Responsiveness
  • Lin et al. 2004 observed a moderate effect for ADL decline (ES = 0.42) and small effects for falls (ES = 0.12) and DL improvements (ES = 0.05) among community-dwelling older adults.
  • French et al. 2010 observed a small effect for response to physical therapy (ES = 0.33) among patients with osteoarthritis.

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths

The timed-get-up-and-go task’s wide range of applicability makes it unique. It is a practical and reliable assessment tool to determine a patient’s balance assessment. It can be used by clinicians with great ease as it requires minimal equipment and professional skills.

This test screens functional deficiencies that help the clinician in designing more productive intervention strategies. It is a promising tool to determine a patient’s static and dynamic balance extensively. The specificity of the task is phenomenal as different components of balance assessment are evaluated rigorously.

Limitations

Although widely used, but still further research is required to build a more robust correlation between increased component time and specific functional deficiency.

Summary and Key Points

  • The “Timed Get-up-and-Go” (TGUG) test aim to assess the movement, balance, work capability and fall risk in older adults.
  • It requires both static and dynamic balance. For the “Expanded Timed Get-up-and-Go” (ETGUG), a multi-memory stopwatch is used to measure the time it took for an individual to accomplish the task.
  • This test has abundant applications.

References

Bennie S, Bruner K, Dizon A, et al. Measurements of balance: comparison of the timed ‘Up and Go’ test reach test with the Berg Balance Scale. J Phys Ther Sci, 2003, 15: 93–97

Boonstra A., Stewart R., Köke A., Oosterwijk R., Swaan J., Schreurs K., Preuper H. (2016, September). Cut-Off Points for Mild, Moderate, and Severe Pain on the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Variability and Influence of Sex and Catastrophizing, 7: 1466, PMCID: PMC5043012

Botolsfen P., Helbostad J., Wall J. (2006, December). The modified Expanded Timed Get-Up and Go test reliability and concurrent validity, 24, 278-279

Bromboszcz J., Wloch T., (2010). Medical Rehabilitation. Tests of the functional performance of patients with COPD: A proposal for the application of the Expanded Timed ‘Get Up and Go Test’ (ETGUG). 14 (1), 22-34

Brooks TM., Mittermeier RA., da Fonseca GA., Gerlach J., Hoffmann M., Lamoreux JF., Mittermeier CG., Pilgrim JD., Rodrigues AS. (2006, July). Global Biodiversity Conservation Priorities. 313, 58-61, DOI: 10.1126/science.1127609

Brown T., Rutter L. (2015, January). Reliability and Validity of the Dimensional Features of Generalized Anxiety Disorder29: 1–6. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.10.003

Brusse KJ.Zimdars S., Zalewski KR., Steffen TM. (2005, February). Testing functional performance in people with Parkinson disease, 85(2), 134-41, PMID: 15679464

Caixeta, G. C. d. S., Doná, F., et al. (2012). Cognitive processing and body balance in elderly subjects with vestibular dysfunction. Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 78(2): 87-95.

Clark M. S., Lemay E. P. , Jr (2010). “Close relationships,” in Handbook of Social Psychology 5th Edn Vol. 2 eds Fiske S. T., Gilbert D. T., Gardner L., editors. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) 898–940

Dal Bello-Haas V., Klassen L., Sheppard S., Metcalfe A. (2011, January). Psychometric Properties of Activity, Self-Efficacy, and Quality-of-Life Measures in Individuals with Parkinson Disease63(1), 47–57, DOI:10.3138/ptc.2009-08

de Morton, N. A., Berlowitz, D. J., et al. (2008). A systematic review of mobility instruments and their measurement properties for older acute medical patients. Health Qual Life Outcomes 6: 44

Faria C., Teixeira-Salmela L., Silve E., Nadeau S. (2012, June). Expanded Timed Up and Go Test with Subjects with Stroke: Reliability and Comparisons with Matched Healthy Controls, 93

Finer L., (2014, August). Preliminary investigation of the efficacy of clinically practical dual-task tests as a concussion assessment tool: a comparison of single-and dual-task tests on healthy young adults. University of Hawaii, Manoa.

Flansbjer UB., Holmbäck AM., Downham D., Patten., Lexell JC. (2005, March). Reliability of gait performance tests in men and women with hemiparesis after stroke, 37(2), 75-82, DOI: 10.1080/16501970410017215

Galán-Mercant A., Barón-López F., Labajos-Manzanares M., Cuesta-Var A. (2014, December). Reliability and criterion-related validity with a smartphone used in timed-up-and-go test13, 156. DOI: 10.1186/1475-925X-13-156

Gill-Body K., Beninato M., Krebs D. (2000). Relationship Among Balance Impairments, Functional Performance, and Disability in People With Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction80 (8), 748-758, PubMed: 10911413

Huang SL., Hsieh CL., Wu RM., Tai CH., Lin CH., Lu WS. (2011, January). Minimal detectable change of the timed “up & go” test and the dynamic gait index in people with Parkinson disease, 91(1), 114-21, DOI: 10.2522/ptj.20090126

Katz-Leurer    M., Rotem H., Lewitus H., Keren O., Meyer S. (2008, August). Relationship Between Balance Abilities and Gait Characteristics in Children With Post-Traumatic Brain Injury, 22 (2), 153-159, DOI: 10.1080/02699050801895399

Kennedy D., Stratford P., Wessel J., Gollish J., Penney D. (2005, January). Assessing stability and change of four performance measures: a longitudinal study evaluating outcome following total hip and knee arthroplasty6:3.  DOI: 10.1186/1471-2474-6-3

Knorr S., Brouwer B., Garland SJ. (2010, June). Validity of the Community Balance and Mobility Scale in community-dwelling persons after stroke, 91(6), 890-6, DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2010.02.010

Maly M., Costigan P., Olney S. (2005, December). Contribution of Psychosocial and Mechanical Variables to Physical Performance Measures in Knee Osteoarthritis, 85 (12), 1318-1328, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/85.12.1318

Marchetti A., Felicioni L., Malatesta S., Grazia Sciarrotta M., Guetti L., Chella A., Viola P., Pullara C., Mucilli F., Buttitta F. (2011, September). Clinical features and outcome of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer harboring BRAF mutations, 29(26), 3574-9. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2011.35.9638

Mathias, S., Nayak, U., et al. (1986). Balance in elderly patients: the” get-up and go” test.” Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 67(6): 387

Meretta BM., Whitney SL., Marchetti GF., Sparto PJ., Muirhead RJ. (2006). The five times sit to stand test: responsiveness to change and concurrent validity in adults undergoing vestibular rehabilitation, 16(4-5), 233-43, PMID: 17538213

Morris, S., Morris, M. E., et al. (2001). Reliability of measurements obtained with the Timed “Up & Go” test in people with Parkinson disease. Physical Therapy 81(2): 810-818

Muthukaruppan S., (2011). A Comparative Study on Extended Timed Get Up and Go (ETGUG) Test Between Right and Left Hemiplegics. International Journal of Current and Review, 70-77

Nordin, E., Rosendahl, E., et al. (2006, May). Timed “Up & Go” test: reliability in older people dependent in activities of daily living–focus on cognitive state. Phys Ther 86(16649889): 646-655

Podsiadlo D., Richardson S. (1991, February) The timed “Up & Go”: a test of basic functional mobility for frail elderly persons39(2), 142-8. PMID: 1991946

Podsiadlo D., Richardson S. (1991, February). The timed “Up & Go”: a test of basic functional mobility for frail elderly persons; 39(2), 142-8, PMID: 1991946

Ries JD.Echternach JL., Nof L., Gagnon Blodgett M. (2009, June). Test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change scores for the timed “up & go” test, the six-minute walk test, and gait speed in people with Alzheimer disease. 89(6):569-79, DOI: 10.2522/ptj.20080258

Rockwood, K., Awalt, E., et al. (2000). Feasibility and measurement properties of the functional reach and the timed up and go tests in the Canadian study of health and aging. Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 55(2): M70-73

Steffen A., Hagenah J., Graefe H., Mahlerwein M., Wollenberg B. (2007). Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease–Report of Two Cases and Review, 87 (2), 107-111, DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-966889

Steffen TM. , Hacker TAMollinger L.(2002, February). Age- and gender-related test performance in community-dwelling elderly people: Six-Minute Walk Test, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up & Go Test, and gait speeds, 82(2), 128-37. PMID: 11856064

Swanenburg J., Hegemann SC., Zurbrugg A., Palla A., de Bruin ED. (2014). Reliability and validity of the extended timed-get-up-and-go test in patients with bilateral vestibular loss34(4), 799-807. doi: 10.3233/NRE-141083

Van Hedel H., Wirz M., Dietz V. (2005, February). Assessing walking ability in subjects with spinal cord injury: Validity and reliability of 3 walking tests, 86(2), 190–196, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2004.02.010

Virtuoso J., Gregorio L., Merdeiros P., Mazo G. (2014). The “Timed Up and Go” in the prediction and explanation of falls in old people practicing physical exercise. 16(4), 381-389. DOI: 10.5007/1980-0037.2014v16n4p381

Wall J., Bell C., Campbell S., Davis J. (2000, February). The Timed Get-up-and-go Test Revisited: Measurement of the Component Tasks, 37(1), 109-114.

Whitney SL, Marchetti GF., Schade A., Wrisley DM. (2004). The sensitivity and specificity of the Timed “Up & Go” and the Dynamic Gait Index for self-reported falls in persons with vestibular disorders, 14(5), 397-409, PMID: 15598995