Background: The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is an assessment tool for measuring mobility in stroke patients. In stroke patients, the turning direction of the affected and unaffected sides may influence turning time.
Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the turning direction according to the affected and unaffected sides of stroke patients during their Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and to define clinically salient outcomes during TUG tests performed in the clinic.
Design: Observational design.
Setting: Department of Physical Therapy in a rehabilitation center.
Population: One hundred thirteen hemiparetic stroke patients.
Methods: Stroke patients were asked to perform the TUG test by turning toward their affected and unaffected sides. Patients were divided according to gait speed, with their gait speed from the 10mWT being used. Those with a gait speed <48 m/min were assigned to the severe ambulatory dysfunction (SAD) group, whereas those with a gait speed ≥48 m/min were assigned to the moderate ambulatory dysfunction (MAD) group.
Results: The TUG test results showed a longer turning time when turning with the unaffected side as the turning axis (17.10±5.69 s) than with the affected side as the turning axis (17.52±5.90 s). When the patients were divided into the MAD and SAD groups based on the 10mWT results, patients in the SAD group exhibited slightly longer times (0.55±1.11 s) than those in the MAD group (0.29±1.03 s); however, this difference was not significant.
Conclusions: The present study found that stroke patients showed differences in the TUG test results based on their turning direction, and less time was required when turning in the direction of the affected side than when turning in the direction of the unaffected side.
Clinical rehabilitation impact: Turning direction can affect the results of the TUG test; it should be controlled in the execution of the TUG test in clinical settings.