Relationships between Sitting Position Lower Limb Reaction Time and Other Motor Functions in Community-dwelling Elderly

Abstract

[Purpose] The sitting reaction time of community-dwelling elderly was investigated, and its relationships with other motor functions were investigated. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 258 elderly people aged 65 or over (86 males, 172 females). Sitting reaction time, 5 times sit to stand test (SS-5), Timed Up & Go Test (TUG), and 2-step test were measured and compared among age groups, and motor function correlations were investigated. [Results] The sitting reaction time was significantly slower in the oldest-old group compared to the young-old and old-old groups. Significant differences were found between the SS-5, TUG and 2-step values of each of the age groups, and significant correlations were found between sitting reaction time and SS-5, TUG, and 2-step values of each age group. [Conclusion] The results suggest that sitting reaction time could be used as an index of the reaction time of the elderly.