Correlation between One-leg Standing Time and Trail Making Test in Japanese Older Adults

Abstract

PURPOSE: For older adults maintaining the ability to control balance is closely associated with the risk of falling, an independent mobility, including walking, and engagement with active life. The aim of this study was to examine the one-leg standing time with eyes open and its association with physical, cognitive, and psychological functions in community-dwelling older adults residing in Japan. METHODS: Sixty-five women aged 65 years and over (mean age 73+7 yrs.) participated in the study. They were being involved in habitual physical activity at least once a week for three months prior to the study. At the first assessment session, participants completed a demographic questionnaire and one-leg standing balance test. The participants were then divided into two groups according to time of one-leg standing time with eyes open: 1) longer than 15 seconds (n=46, high group - HG: 75.4+61.7 sec.) and 2) shorter than 15 seconds (n=19, lower group - LG: 7.8+3.0 sec.). All participants performed hand-grip strength (HGS), chair-stand (CS), timed up-and-go (TUG), 10-m maximal gate speed (MGS), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and trail making test (TMT). Data were analysed using unpaired t-test and ANCOVA. RESULTS: For all participants the mean length of one-leg standing time was 60.2+45.2 sec. (2 - 120 sec.). Significant difference (p<0.05) were observed between two groups: age (HG; 70.3+3.4, LG; 72.3+3.6 yrs.), HGS (HG;24.9+3.8, LG;22.2+5.8 kg), CS (HG;8.0+2.1, LG;9.0+2.2 sec.), TUG (HG;5.2+1.0, LG;5.7+0.8 sec.), MGS (HG;1.82+0.24, LG;1.69+0.28 m/sec.), MMSE (HG;28.4+1.8, LG;26.9+2.2 score). After adjusting for age, the only significant difference (p<0.05) observed between the two groups was for TMT (HG;90.5+23.0, LG;119.8+49.3 sec.). CONCLUSIONS: Physical, cognitive, and psychological functions were significantly related to one-leg standing time. The results of this study also identified the balance ability and cognition decline. Future studies need to confirm these observations in larger samples to track balance-cognitive decline over time among older adults.