We studied age-related changes in motor-planning processes through the kinematic features of Sit-to-Stand (STS) and Back-to-Sit (BTS) transfers in aged adults. Our objective was to test the relationship between trunk angle during BTS transfer and functional level. The STS and BTS were analyzed with the Kinect motion capture system in sixty aged patients (33 women; mean age 84±5). The statistical analysis was based on test-retest reliability, and we used Pearson coefficients to measure the robustness of the link between trunk angles and the timed-up and go (TUG) scores. We showed that patients with a lower functional level reached a smaller trunk angle during the BTS. Interestingly, this is even more pronounced in frail aged subjects. We suggest that this decrease of trunk angle during the BTS transfer signs an impairment of motor planning processes that should be checked in the context of frailty.
Back to sit transfer in aging: Motor planning impairments and functional abilities in frail aged adults
