Using Motion Capture Technology in the Instrumented Timed Up and Go Test to Detect the Risk of Falling in Aged Adults

Summary

The instrumented Timed Up and Go (iTUG) test is gaining increasing attention in body sway and gait analysis with the development of new technologies. We present a protocol to analyze the subcomponents of the iTUG with motion capture.

Abstract

Despite efforts made by medicine and technology, the incidence of falls in older adults is still increasing. Therefore, early detection of the falling risk is becoming increasingly important for falling prevention. The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is a well-accepted tool to assess mobility and can be used in predicting future fall risk in aged adults. In clinical practice, the total time to complete the test is the main outcome measure of the TUG test. Owing to its simplicity and generality, the traditional TUG test has been considered a global test for movement analysis. However, recently, researchers have attempted to split the TUG test into subcomponents and have updated its score system for further investigations. The instrumented Time Up and Go (iTUG) test, which is a new modification of the traditional TUG test, has been reported to be a sensitive tool for predicting movement disorders and the risk of falls in older adults. The goal of the present study was to analyze the iTUG test subcomponents using motion capture technology, and to determine which iTUG test subtasks are related to the potential risk of future falls.

Introduction

Falling is one of the most common geriatric syndromes and is the second leading cause of accidental or unintentional injury-related deaths worldwide¹. In adults aged above 65 years, falling can result in functional impairment, disability, decreased quality of life, increased length of stay in hospitals, and even mortality^2,3. Therefore, preventing falls is of utmost importance.

To determine predictors of fall events, previous researchers have focused on gait analyses, balance tests, mental state, sedative drug use, as well as history of falling in the precedi....

Protocol

This study was approved by the Academic Ethics Committee of the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing, China.

1. Participant inclusion/exclusion criteria

1. Recruit aged participants 65 years or older and obtain their informed consent.
2. Exclude participants who have obvious visual and lower limb disability, such as knee arthritis, thromboangiitis obliterans, and gout.

2. Preparation of the t.......

Discussion

The critical steps in the protocol are to attach the reflective points accurately to the anatomical landmarks to avoid bias. Furthermore, the identification of each subcomponent of the iTUG test is also a critical step; a video review is helpful for the identification.

A marginal difference existed between groups in the TUG test scores implying that traditional TUG scores might not be sensitive enough to discriminate risk of falling. We did not find obvious differences between the groups in Ph.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Black strip	Deli	60 mm x 20 m
Calibrator	NOKOV	reflector marker1	L shape
Calibrator	NOKOV	reflector marker2	T shape
Chair	YUANSHENGYUANDAI	“10076062317820”
Computer	HUAWEI	HONOR
McRoberts sensor	DynaPort Hybrid, McRoberts, The Hague, The Netherland
Motion capture camera	NOKOV	Mars2H
Motion capture software	NOKOV	DG-01
Reflective marker	NOKOV	small marker	for calibrators
Reflective marker	NOKOV	large marker	for participants