Clinical trial NCT07002736: Impact of Balance Training in Community-Dwelling Older Adults After Recovery From COVID-19
Official title: The Impact of Balance Training on Functional Performance and Fall Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Following Recovery From COVID-19"
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Community-dwelling Older Adults
Keywords: older adults
Berg Balance Scale
COVID-19
Biodex
Lead sponsor: Cairo University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Batterjee Medical College
First posted: 2025-06-04
Enrollment: 40
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 60
Maximum age (years): 75
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This research investigates the impact of balance training on improving functional performance and reducing fall risk in community-dwelling older adults who have recovered from COVID-19. Post-COVID-19, many elderly individuals experience lingering physical impairments, including muscle weakness, decreased coordination, and balance deficits, which increase their vulnerability to falls. The study evaluates whether a structured balance training program can enhance stability, mobility, and overall quality of life in this population.

Detailed description: Older adults recovering from COVID-19 frequently face persistent physical limitations due to the virus's impact on the respiratory, muscular, and neurological systems. These limitations often manifest as impaired balance, reduced functional mobility, and increased risk of falls-conditions further exacerbated by prolonged inactivity or hospitalization during illness.

This research focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of a structured balance training program using The Biodex Stability System in older adults living independently in the community after recovering from COVID-19.

Participants are assessed using validated tools such as the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and The Biodex Stability System to measure changes in balance performance, fall risk, and confidence in daily movement.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* were being older adults (aged ≥60 years), recovered from infection during the last 6 month,

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals were excluded if they have medical history of musculoskeletal trauma or surgery, systemic disease that could affect standing or walking, visual, auditory, or cognitive impairment that preclude the ability to comprehend the instructions during conduction of the study protocol.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Biodex Balance indices
timeFrame: Pre and Post 12 weeks
measure: Berg Balance Scale score
timeFrame: Pre and Post 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Timed up and Go test
timeFrame: Pre and Post 12 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Jeddah
country: Saudi Arabia
facility: BMC
Study officials:
affiliation: BMC
name: Dr. Mariam Salem
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: El-Bagalaty AE, Mohamed ME, Abdelraouf OR, Abdel Ghafar MA, Abdelaal AK, Abdelgalil AA, Mousa GS. Balance and Fall Risk Assessment in Community-Dwelling Older Adults after Recovery from COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study. Sports (Basel). 2023 Jan 28;11(2):28. doi: 10.3390/sports11020028.