NCT07065448

Alternative to Gait Speed in Sarcopenia Assessment

The Reliability of the Elbow Isotonic Contraction Test as an Alternative to the Gait Speed Test in Assessing Sarcopenia Severity

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 96 (actual)
• Sponsor: Istanbul Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital · Other Government
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to assess the reliability of the Elbow Performance Test as an upper extremity-based alternative for evaluating sarcopenia severity. Unlike traditional lower extremity-focused assessments, this test may offer a practical solution for individuals with mobility limitations or comorbidities affecting the lower limbs. Participants will include older adults with sarcopenia and healthy young adults. Functional tests, including the 4-meter Gait Speed Test, SPPB, TUG, and the Elbow Performance Test, will be administered twice within a 7-10-day interval. Reliability will be analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).

Detailed description

Background:Sarcopenia is a generalized and progressive skeletal muscle disorder characterized by a decline in muscle strength, mass, and function. The severity of sarcopenia is commonly assessed using functional performance tests, which are also used for monitoring disease progression and treatment response. However, lower extremity-based tests may have limited applicability in the presence of various comorbidities. Objective: This study proposes an upper extremity-based alternative, the Elbow Performance Test, and aims to evaluate its reliability in comparison to the commonly used 4-meter Gait Speed Test. Method:This planned cross-sectional study will include two groups: older adults with sarcopenia and healthy young adults. All participants will undergo the 4-meter Gait Speed Test, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and the Elbow Performance Test on two separate occasions, with a 7-10-day interval between sessions. In the Elbow Performance Test, a 1-kilogram sandbag will be attached to the distal forearm of the dominant arm, and participants will be instructed to perform 30 consecutive elbow flexion-extension movements. The total time required to complete the repetitions will be recorded. The reliability of the test will be evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).

Conditions

• Sarcopenia
• Elderly

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	physical performance tests	All participants underwent the 4-meter Gait Speed Test, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and the Elbow Performance Test twice, with a 7-10-day interval between sessions. In the Elbow Performance Test, a 1-kilogram sandbag was fixed to the distal forearm of the dominant arm, and participants were asked to perform 30 consecutive elbow flexion-extension movements.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-04-01
• Primary completion: 2025-07-27
• Completion: 2025-07-27
• First posted: 2025-07-15
• Last updated: 2025-07-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)