Training Programs Effects on Strength and Balance in Older Adults

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Ageing involves several physiological changes such as loss of muscle mass, muscle strength, and alteration of balance control mechanisms. Consequently, there is an increased fall risk that can lead the older adult to a reduced self-sufficiency in daily living activities. Investigating the role of different physical activities to counteract the age-related declines deserves attention. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of two trainings performed with and without unstable devices, on dynamic balance control and lower limb strength.

Official Title
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Effect of a 12-week Training Program With Unstable Devices on Strength and Dynamic Balance in Older Adults

Conditions
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Fall

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: UNST
* Behavioral: ST


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: self-sufficiency in daily living activities GPAQ score equal to medium or high Exclusion Criteria: lower-limb orthopedic injuries neurological pathologies use of medications causing vertigo sight, hearing, or vestibular disorders

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years
Maximum Age: 85 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: UNST<br>Training protocol with unstable devices | Behavioral: UNST<br>* Strength and balance training using different destabilizing devices<br>|
| Experimental: ST<br>Training protocol with stable devices | Behavioral: ST<br>* Strength and balance training over firm surfaces<br>|
| No Intervention: CTRL<br> | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lower limb isometric strength | Isometric quadriceps maximal strength (Newton) measured with an instrumented chair. Specifically, a load cell is placed perpendicular to the subject's shank and collects the force in Newton expressed by the subject while sitting on the chair. The knee angle during the maximal effort is fixed at 90 degrees. | from baseline up to 12 weeks | 
| Static balance performance: Area95 | From the center of pressure (CoP) trajectory the following parameter is calculated in the static test: -Area95 (the area of the 95th percentile ellipse measured in cm2). | from baseline up to 12 weeks | 
| Static balance performance: Unit Path | From the center of pressure CoP trajectory the following parameter is calculated in the static test: -Unit Path (the path length per unit time, i.e., the average CoP velocity measured in cm/s). | from baseline up to 12 weeks | 
| Dynamic balance performance assessement | From the center of pressure (CoP) trajectory the following parameter is calculated in the dynamic test: First peak (FP) as the difference in centimeters between the peak reached by the CoP displacement after the external perturbation and the mean value of the anterior-posterior CoP displacement before the perturbation; maximal oscillation of the CoP anterior-posterior displacement as the sum in centimeters of the absolute values of FP and the subsequent peak (second peak, SP); the standard deviation (SD) of the CoP anterior-posterior displacement over a 2.5-second time window from the beginning of the perturbation as the post perturbation variability (PPV), measured in centimeters. | from baseline up to 12 weeks |