Effects of Game-based Virtual Reality Intervention on Senior Fitness, Fall Prevention and Balance Function Among Older Adults

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness between game-based virtual reality intervention and conventional health education in improving older adults' balance knowledge, and let them know how to prevent falling. The intervention group will receive virtual reality games in person and read the health education flier, while the control group was assigned to read the health education flier and follow suit the video of balance exercise.

Detailed Description
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Falls can lead to disability, sickbed and even death of the elderly, and it ranks second among the top ten which causes death in Taiwan. In the past, when multifaceted exercise interventions were conducted for the elderly, most of them focused on group strength training and aerobic exercise, but lacked individualized balance training, resulting in a low degree of cooperation.

Official Title
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Effects of Game-based Virtual Reality Intervention on Senior Fitness, Fall Prevention and Balance Function Among Older Adults

Conditions
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Balance

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Game-based virtual reality (Game)
* Behavioral: Conventional health education


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Elderly people over the age of 65-99. Exclusion Criteria: cognitive impairment neurological diseases severe osteoporosis lower limb joint surgery discomfort symptoms during exercise

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years
Maximum Age: 99 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: Intervention<br>Participants will receive conventional health education and game-based virtual reality (game) in person. | Behavioral: Game-based virtual reality (Game)<br>* Besides reading the health education flier, they also need to trained with the game-based virtual reality in Biodex Medical Systems, which is a machine, includes 4 games: Catch Game, boating, Ball Maze, and Word Search. And all of the games are balance control games. The games were implemented in person for 30 minutes one time, total is 16 times (once to twice day a week).<br>|
| Active Comparator: Control<br>Participants will receive conventional health education and 4 video of balance exercise. | Behavioral: Conventional health education<br>* The health education flier was made refer to medical institutions, e.g., hospitals or clinics, the video of balance exercise was collected from the internet. Participants were assigned to read the health education flier, and follow suit the video of balance exercise at home of their free will.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Senior Fitness Test | Participants were assigned to do 2 tasks of the test. One is time up and go, and the other one is eyes-open single-leg stance test. We recorded the time (in seconds) they took. | Right after the intervention | 
| Falls Efficacy Scale International | Participants were assessed by the questionnaire, and we recorded the points of the participants. The higher the point is, the more concerned they are about the falls. | Right after the intervention | 
| Balance or sensory-Integration test | The balance of postural-stability test and the modified clinical test of sensory integration and balance (m-CTSIB) were performed using the Biodex Stability System (BSS; Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, New York, USA). | Right after the intervention | 
| Balance of postural-stability test | The balance of postural stability was tested according to 3 stability indices (overall stability; anterior-to-posterior stability; and medial-to-lateral stability). | Right after the intervention | 
| Modified Clinical Test for Sensory Integration of Balance (m-CTSIB) | The m-CTSIB, which includes 4 sway indices, was conducted 4 sensory conditions: (1) eyes open whilst standing on a firm surface (EOFIS); (2) eyes closed whilst standing on a firm surface (ECFIS): (3) eves open whilst standing on an unstable (foam) surface (EOFOS); and (4) eyes closed whilst standing on an unstable (foam) surface (ECFOS). | Right after the intervention |