Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Effect of Cognitive Demand on Timed Up and Go Performance in Older Adults With and Without Parkinson Disease

2003; Volume: 27; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/01253086-200327010-00002

2379-2337

Curt M. Campbell, Jennifer L. Rowse, Marcia A. Ciol, Anne Shumway‐Cook,

Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention

Background and Purpose: In this study the effects of attentionally demanding cognitive tasks on performance in the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test in older adults with and without Parkinson disease (PD) were compared. Subjects: Participants included 19 older adults; 9 with PD and self-reported difficulties with mobility (mean age 74.3 ± 7 years) and 10 healthy older adults (HOA) without PD (mean age 76.4 ± 7 years). Methods: Number of steps and time needed to complete the TUG were measured under 3 conditions: baseline single task condition (TUGBase), with the addition of a simple cognitive task (TUGLow), and with a complex cognitive task (TUGHigh). A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and post hoc analyses compared differences in time and steps taken to complete the TUG between the two groups of participants in the 3 conditions. Results: Older adults with PD were slower and took more steps (p < .001) under all conditions compared to older adults without PD. Older adults with PD showed an increase in both time and steps taken between TUGBase and TUGHigh (p < .05), but no difference between TUGBase and TUGLow Neither secondary task had an effect on time or steps taken in the healthy older adults. Discussion: Results from this and other studies demonstrate that mobility problems in persons with PD worsen during the simultaneous performance of some, but not all, secondary tasks. Assessment and treatment of functional mobility in persons with PD should therefore be performed under a variety of dual task conditions. The TUG can be used as a simple and efficient clinical tool to measure the effect of additional cognitive demands on functional mobility for persons with Parkinson Disease.