Identifying a Cut-off Point for Timed Up and Go Test in Neuromuscular Diseases
Cevher Savcun Demirci1
, Gülşah Sütçü2, Fatma Ayvat2, Özge Onursal Kılınç2, Mert Doğan2, Ender Ayvat2, Can Ebru Bekircan-Kurt3, Sevim Erdem-Özdamar3, Sibel Aksu Yıldırım2, Muhammed Kılınç2, Ersin Tan3
1Balikesir University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Balikesir, Turkey
2Hacettepe University Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey
3Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Ankara, Turkey
Keywords: Neuromuscular diseases, TUG, cut-off value, falling
Abstract
Objective: Balance problems and falls due to a progressive loss of muscle strength in neuromuscular diseases (NMD) negatively affect the activities of daily living and functional independence of patients. The timed up and go (TUG) test is an easy-to-apply and objective measure of balance. This study aimed to determine the cut-off value of the TUG test in adult individuals with NMD.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 102 patients. The receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed and cut-off, sensitivity, and specificity values were calculated in NMD to determine the diagnostic validity of the TUG test.
Results: The mean ages of 55 patients with a fall history and 47 patients without a fall history were 34.40±10.41 and 31.87±10.11 years, respectively. The mean values of the TUG scores of these individuals were calculated as 11.79±4.30 and 7.33±1.51 s, respectively. The cut-off value of the TUG test in adult individuals with the NMD was determined as 8.9 s.
Conclusion: The present study revealed that individuals with NMD who complete the TUG test over 8.9 s have a high risk of falling. Determining the risk of falling in NMD, which is one of the neurological patient groups where falling complaints are most common, is extremely important for patient safety and the effectiveness of rehabilitation.
The approval was received from Hacettepe University Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (approval no: 2020/20-98, date: 2020/20).
Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study. The files of the patients who allowed the use of their data were reviewed retrospectively.
Internally peer-reviewed.
Concept: C.S.D., C.E.B.K., S.E.Ö., S.A.Y., M.K., E.T., Design: C.S.D., C.E.B.K., S.E.Ö., S.A.Y., M.K., E.T., Data Collection or Processing: G.S., F.A., Ö.O.K., M.D., E.A., Analysis or Interpretation: C.S.D., M.D., E.A., Literature Search: G.S., F.A., Ö.O.K., M.K., Writing: C.S.D., G.S., M.K.
No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.
The authors declared that this study received no financial support.