Measuring Slowness in Old Age: Times to Perform Moberg Picking-Up and Walking Speed Tests

Abstract

Objectives: Slowness is a marker of frailty captured by the Fried phenotype by a walking speed test which, for health or logistical reasons, is sometimes difficult to perform. The Moberg picking-up test (MPUT) is another timed functional test. It measures hand motor activity and might represent an alternative to assess slowness when the walking speed cannot be evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between MPUT and walking speed. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting and Participants: In total, 2748 individuals aged 66 to 83 years who participated in the latest examination (2015)(2016)(2017) of the population-based Lausanne cohort 65þ and completed both tests. Methods: Walking speed (time to walk 20 meters at usual pace) and MPUT (time to pick up 12 objects) were compared using scatter graphs. Multivariate regression models further investigated the relationship between MPUT and walking times with adjustment for height, grip strength, body mass index, and Mini-Mental State Examination. All analyses were stratified by sex. Results: MPUT and walking times were moderately, positively correlated in men (r ¼ 0.38, P < .001) and in women (r ¼ 0.38, P < .001). Higher grip strength and Mini-Mental State Examination performances were correlated to shorter MPUT and walking times. Men and women slower at the MPUT were also significantly slower at the walking speed test when adjusting for height (P < .001) as well as in fully adjusted models (P < .001). Conclusions and Implications: These preliminary results point to a positive association between MPUT and walking speed independent of muscle strength and cognition. Further research is needed to investigate the capacity of MPUT to predict adverse health outcomes before considering this test as an alternative measure of slowness in the assessment of frailty.

Slowness Predicts Mortality: A Comparative Analysis of Walking Speed and Moberg Picking-Up Tests

“…The MPUT was assessed by the time in seconds to pick up 12 small objects scattered on a table in front of seated participants with the dominant hand and to place them into a box as quickly as possible. 24 WS was assessed by the time in seconds to walk a 20-m distance at usual pace in a quiet, well-lit corridor. MPUT and WS were dichotomized, according to the sex-specific p80 distribution in the study samples, into normal/fast ( p80) vs slow (>p80), according to the approach of Fried et al 3…”

“…Analyses showed significant, albeit moderate, correlation between the 2 tests. 24 The extent to which the MPUT performance is associated with mortality remains to be investigated.…”

Slowing: A Vascular Geriatric Syndrome?

“…A recent study has proposed the Moberg Picking-up Test as an alternative to measuring psychomotor slowing. 45 This test needs less space to administer and seems more suitable for patients in hospitalized settings that are more physically frail (unable to walk). Future research should consider this test as it might deal with the problem of noncompleters and therefore measurement accuracy.…”

Dietary acrylamide and physical performance tests: A cross-sectional analysis

“…In the OAI study, physical performance was assessed using several standardized tests, commonly used in geriatric medicine: (i) 20-meter at a usual pace that was repeated two times, using the best time for the aims of the analyses [ 17 ]; (ii) 400-meter walking distance was performed according to an evaluated protocol to assess mobility disability and it consists of 10 laps over a 20 m course marked by two cones [ 18 ]; (iii) chairs stands, repeated five times for each trial (n = 2) using the best time for the analyses [ 19 ]. For all these parameters, reported in seconds, higher values indicate worse performance.…”