Original researchValidity of the Timed Up and Go Test as a Measure of Functional Mobility in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis
Section snippets
Participants
Prospective participants were recruited from an active clinical neurology practice in the Midwest portion of the United States. The inclusion criteria were clinically definitive diagnosis of MS, age of ≥18 years, relapse-free for the past 30 days, and ability to walk with or without assistive devices (ie, unassisted, cane/crutch/walker use, but not restricted to a wheelchair). Furthermore, participants had to be willing to complete in-person assessments and wear an accelerometer over a 7-day
Sample characteristics
The sample was mostly female patients (89.4%) with a mean age of 53.0±11.4 years. Forty-two persons had relapsing-remitting MS (89.4%), and the sample had a mean duration of MS of 13.0±9.6 years. The demographic and clinical characteristics of this sample are similar to those of other samples of persons with moderate disability (ie, median EDSS score, 4.0).23, 36
Table 1 provides the descriptive characteristics of the outcome measures. The scores for participants in this study on the ambulatory
Discussion
To our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively validate the TUG test as a measure of FM in persons with MS. Validity was observed on the basis of the pattern of correlations between the TUG test and other valid ambulatory measures (ie, T25FW test, 6MWT, MSWS-12, EDSS, and average steps per day) and subcomponents of FS (ie, FS-Pyramidal and FS-Cerebellar). Validity was further established on the basis of the pattern of correlations between TUG test scores and objectively measured
Conclusion
Overall, the TUG test demonstrated strong convergent validity on the basis of the pattern of associations with other valid outcome measures of ambulation and moderate to strong divergent validity demonstrated by the pattern of associations with nonambulatory measures in persons with MS. Our findings support the validity of the TUG test as a measure of FM. This warrants its inclusion in FM assessments in both clinical and research practice that involves persons with MS.
Supplier
- a.
IBM Corp.
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Disclosures: none.