Clinical trial NCT06690944: Exercise Based on Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation in Older Individuals
Official title: Physical Functioning Adaptations Following a Resisted Functional Exercise Program Based on the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Concept in Older Individuals: a Randomized Clinical Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Functional Disability
Dynapenia
Sarcopenia in Elderly
Keywords: Frailty
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation
Gait
Balance
Sit-Stand
Functionality
Lead sponsor: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-11-15
Enrollment: 26
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 65
Standard ages: OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The goal of this clinical trial was to determine whether an intervention using resisted sit-to-stand and walking exercises with Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) techniques improved gait and sit-to-stand in older individuals with poor functional capacity compared to a control group that performed the same activities, but without manual resistance. The main questions it aimed to answer were:

Did an exercise program based on the PNF concept improve functional capacity and strength performance?

Was there a difference between an exercise program with or without PNF techniques on functional capacity and strength in older adults?

Researchers compared the effects of an exercise program based on the PNF concept to a similar exercise training without manual resistance on functional capacity and strength performance.

Participants participated in an intervention using resisted sit-to-stand and walking exercises with or without PNF and performed functional capacity and strength tests at the beginning and end of the intervention.

Detailed description: The proposal consisted of investigating an exercise intervention based on the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation concept (PFNG), compared to a control group (CG), which performed the same exercises as PNFG under a therapist's supervision, but without resistance imposed by the therapist's hands as in PFNG, in older individuals.

Before data collection, individuals participated in a familiarization procedure for each test. Each specific test was conducted on the same equipment with identical participant/equipment positioning. Functional assessment and intervention were conducted at the participants' residences.

The CG intervention consisted of the same activities carried out in the PNFG during Stages 1 and 2, for the same amount of minutes, sessions, and weeks. However, the CG intervention did not include specific techniques and basic principles (i.e., approximation and optimal resistance) and procedures of the PNF concept. The activities were instructed and supervised by a trained professional through verbal commands. The professional was in a stand-by assistant position to prevent accidents. Each intervention lasted 30 minutes and took place twice a week, for 4 weeks, totaling 8 meetings. The interventions were supervised by researchers blinded to pre-intervention assessment results and randomly assigned for both PNF and control groups. The researchers responsible for the interventions were physical therapists with basic IPNFA® (International Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Association) instruction.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Short Physical Performance Battery score lower than 10 points.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Neurodegenerative diseases;
* Illnesses contraindicating exercise (e.g., uncontrolled arrhythmias, acute myocardial infarction);
* Unstable medical condition.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Short Physical Performance Battery
timeFrame: Baseline and immediately after the intervention
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Timed Up and Go
timeFrame: Baseline and immediately after the intervention
measure: Handgrip strength
timeFrame: Baseline and immediately after the intervention
measure: Gait speed
timeFrame: Baseline and immediately after the intervention
measure: Static balance
timeFrame: Baseline and immediately after the intervention
measure: Sit-To-Stand
timeFrame: Baseline and immediately after the intervention
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Porto Alegre
country: Brazil
facility: Escola de Educação Física Fisioterapia e Dança - UFRGS
state: RS
Study officials:
References:
citation: Gunning E, Uszynski MK. Effectiveness of the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Method on Gait Parameters in Patients With Stroke: A Systematic Review. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2019 May;100(5):980-986. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2018.11.020. Epub 2018 Dec 22.
citation: Alexandre de Assis IS, Luvizutto GJ, Bruno ACM, Sande de Souza LAP. The Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Concept in Parkinson Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Chiropr Med. 2020 Sep;19(3):181-187. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2020.07.003. Epub 2020 Dec 15.
citation: Cadore EL, Rodriguez-Manas L, Sinclair A, Izquierdo M. Effects of different exercise interventions on risk of falls, gait ability, and balance in physically frail older adults: a systematic review. Rejuvenation Res. 2013 Apr;16(2):105-14. doi: 10.1089/rej.2012.1397.