Kimberley S van Schooten1, Lionne Duran1,2, Maike Visschedijk1,2, Mirjam Pijnappels2, Stephen R Lord1, James Richardson3, Kim Delbaere4. 1. Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 2. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 3. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. 4. Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. k.delbaere@neura.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Reduced cognitive function, particularly executive function (EF), is associated with an increased risk of falling in older people. We evaluated the utility of the ReacStick test, a clinical test of reaction time, and inhibitory EF developed, for young athletes, for fall-risk assessment in older people. AIMS: To evaluate the psychometric properties of ReacStick measures of reaction time and executive functioning in healthy community-dwelling older people. METHODS: 140 participants (aged 77 ± 5 years) underwent testing. Two test conditions-simple and inhibitory go/no-go-provided measures of reaction time, recognition load (difference in reaction time between conditions), and go/no-go accuracy. Concurrent validity was evaluated against the conventional tests of reaction time and EF (simple hand reaction time, trail-making test, and Stroop colour test). Discriminant ability was determined for fall-risk factors (age, gender, physiological profile assessment, and fall history). Test-retest reliability after 1 week was evaluated in 30 participants. RESULTS: ReacStick reaction time correlated with tests of reaction time and EF, recognition load correlated with inhibitory EF, and go accuracy correlated with reaction time and inhibitory EF. No-go accuracy was not significantly correlated with any of the reaction time and EF tests. Test-retest reliability was good-to-excellent (ICC > 0.6) for all the outcomes. ReacStick reaction time discriminated between groups based on age, recognition load between genders, and no-go accuracy between retrospective fallers and non-fallers. DISCUSSION: An unavoidable time pressure may result in complementary information to the traditional measures. CONCLUSIONS: The ReacStick is a reliable test of reaction time and inhibitory EF in older people and could have value for fall-risk assessment.
BACKGROUND: Reduced cognitive function, particularly executive function (EF), is associated with an increased risk of falling in older people. We evaluated the utility of the ReacStick test, a clinical test of reaction time, and inhibitory EF developed, for young athletes, for fall-risk assessment in older people. AIMS: To evaluate the psychometric properties of ReacStick measures of reaction time and executive functioning in healthy community-dwelling older people. METHODS: 140 participants (aged 77 ± 5 years) underwent testing. Two test conditions-simple and inhibitory go/no-go-provided measures of reaction time, recognition load (difference in reaction time between conditions), and go/no-go accuracy. Concurrent validity was evaluated against the conventional tests of reaction time and EF (simple hand reaction time, trail-making test, and Stroop colour test). Discriminant ability was determined for fall-risk factors (age, gender, physiological profile assessment, and fall history). Test-retest reliability after 1 week was evaluated in 30 participants. RESULTS: ReacStick reaction time correlated with tests of reaction time and EF, recognition load correlated with inhibitory EF, and go accuracy correlated with reaction time and inhibitory EF. No-go accuracy was not significantly correlated with any of the reaction time and EF tests. Test-retest reliability was good-to-excellent (ICC > 0.6) for all the outcomes. ReacStick reaction time discriminated between groups based on age, recognition load between genders, and no-go accuracy between retrospective fallers and non-fallers. DISCUSSION: An unavoidable time pressure may result in complementary information to the traditional measures. CONCLUSIONS: The ReacStick is a reliable test of reaction time and inhibitory EF in older people and could have value for fall-risk assessment.
Authors: Susan L Murphy; James K Richardson; Jennifer Blackwood; Beanna Martinez; Elliot B Tapper Journal: Dig Dis Sci Date: 2020-01-25 Impact factor: 3.199
Authors: Kimberley S van Schooten; Michele L Callisaya; Bridianne O'Dea; Thomas Lung; Kaarin Anstey; Stephen R Lord; Helen Christensen; Alicia Brown; Jessica Chow; Garth McInerney; Lillian Miles; Michelle Ngo; Amy Perram; Kim Delbaere Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-04-15 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Julio Calleja-Gonzalez; Diego Marques-Jimenez; Margaret Jones; Thomas Huyghe; Fernando Navarro; Anne Delextrat; Igor Jukic; Sergej M Ostojic; Jaime E Sampaio; Xavi Schelling; Pedro E Alcaraz; Fernando Sanchez-Bañuelos; Xavier Leibar; Juan Mielgo-Ayuso; Nicolas Terrados Journal: Front Psychol Date: 2020-02-21