Clinical trial NCT01895608: Cognitive Training and Dual-task Ability
Official title: Cognitive Training and Dual-task Ability in Older Adults
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Gait Disorder
Keywords: aged or aged 80 and over
gait disorder
attention
Lead sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Sponsor class: FED
First posted: 2013-07-10
Enrollment: 34
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 60
Maximum age (years): 89
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The first goal of this study is to examine the extent to which the inclusion of dual-task practice to standard balance rehabilitation results in greater benefits to dual-task ability. The second goal of this study is to examine the extent to which the addition of cognitive training following balance rehabilitation results in greater benefits to dual-task ability.

Detailed description: Historically, degradation of balance control in older adults has been attributed to impairments of the motor and/or sensory systems. As a result, therapy has focused on motor and sensory impairments. However, evidence suggests that an impaired ability to allocate attentional resources to balance during dual-task situations is a powerful predictor of falls. Despite this fact, few studies have examined whether interventions can improve older adults' dual-task ability. The goal of this study is to develop effective interventions to improve ability to allocate attention to balance and gait under dual-task conditions.

Older adults (n = 44) who have been referred to physical therapy (PT) for gait or balance impairments who have dual-task impairment will be randomized to receive either standard balance rehabilitation or balance rehabilitation with dual-task practice. Following PT, subjects will receive cognitive training (CT), either speed of processing or generalized cognitive training. Primary outcomes are ability to walk while performing four different cognitive tasks of varying difficulty. Assessment will occur at baseline, post-PT, post-CT.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Inclusion criteria include:
* \> 60 years of age
* documented balance or mobility problems
* dual-task impairment (timed up and go with subtraction task \> 15 s)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Exclusion criteria include:
* cognitive impairment (\> 2 errors on Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire41)
* progressive medical issues that would impact mobility (e.g., Parkinson's disease).

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change Scores in Timed up and go With Cognitive Task
timeFrame: baseline and 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change Scores in Walk While Talk Test With Verbal Fluency Task
timeFrame: baseline and 6 weeks
measure: Change Scores in Dynamic Gait Index
timeFrame: baseline and 6 weeks
measure: Change Scores in Sensory Organization Test (SOT)
timeFrame: baseline and 6 weeks
measure: Change Scores in Preferred Gait Speed
timeFrame: baseline and 6 weeks
measure: Change Scores in Activities-specific Balance-related Confidence
timeFrame: baseline and 6 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Decatur
country: United States
facility: Atlanta VA Medical and Rehab Center, Decatur, GA
state: Georgia
city: Mountain Home
country: United States
facility: Mountain Home VA Medical Center James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, TN
state: Tennessee
Study officials:
affiliation: Mountain Home VA Medical Center James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, TN
name: Courtney D Hall, PhD PT
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: