Instrumented Timed Up and Go Test (iTUG)—More Than Assessing Time to Predict Falls: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is a widely used tool for assessing the risk of falls in older adults. However, to increase the test’s predictive value, the instrumented Timed Up and Go (iTUG) test has been developed, incorporating different technological approaches. This systematic review aims to explore the evidence of the technological proposal for the segmentation and analysis of iTUG in elderlies with or without pathologies. A search was conducted in five major databases, following PRISMA guidelines. The review included 40 studies that met the eligibility criteria. The most used technology was inertial sensors (75% of the studies), with healthy elderlies (35%) and elderlies with Parkinson’s disease (32.5%) being the most analyzed participants. In total, 97.5% of the studies applied automatic segmentation using rule-based algorithms. The iTUG test offers an economical and accessible alternative to increase the predictive value of TUG, identifying different variables, and can be used in clinical, community, and home settings.