Clinical trial NCT05937009: 12 Weeks Orienteering Program Exercise on Older Adults
Official title: Effects of Orientation Exercise Program on Older Adults, Motor Skills, Cognitive and Emotional State: a Pilot Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Phase: NA
Conditions: Community-dwelling Older Adults
Lead sponsor: University of Évora
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-07-10
Enrollment: 54
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 65
Maximum age (years): 75
Standard ages: OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: This study aims to determine the effects of an orientation exercise program addressed to old on physical-motor, cognitive, and affective competencies.

This quasi-experimental study is a controlled trial involving an orientation exercise program. The program will run for 12 weeks (3 sessions per week).

Participants will be clustered into two groups: the experimental group will perform the exercise orientation sessions, and the control group will maintain regular activities routines. Evaluations will be performed before and after the intervention.

After the study is finished, the control group will attend a similar exercise program.

Detailed description: The aging process is lived for all and is associated with uncountable limitations, such as physical, psychological, cognitive, or emotional, that daily translate into difficulty in accomplishing normal activities (2). Simple tasks such as getting up and sitting, carrying a shopping bag, or climbing some stairs, start being seen as an obstacle, much because of aging and the associated decline in physical and cognitive competencies such as balance, limb strength, aerobic capacity, motor coordination, processing speed, memory, executive functioning and, consequently, affective competences, such as emotional states and depression may also be compromised (1).

Despite the above, it is known that there are some ways and alternatives that, even not reversing the aging process, might delay it, promoting healthy aging (6). Scientific advances recommend regular physical exercise since exercise ensures a more active lifestyle and, therefore, a less dependent on others' life. There are many options that physical exercise professionals can choose for planning physical exercise programs for older people (3).

Nonetheless, instead of exercise planning training prescription, other options can be used to achieve healthy aging. In alternative to traditional exercise training, sporting modalities, such as orientation, may benefit this population.

According to a study, after applying a protocol that included changes to the terrain to improve older adults' balance, there were significant improvements in their stride time (4).

Other studies done within the same area, which applied one questionnaire on functional well-being, and four scales on depression, gastrointestinal system, physical activity, and healthy index to senior athletes between the ages of 67 and 71, found significant improvements in all the referred parameters except for the depression scale where the control group made up of older adults who do not practice the modality showed better results (5).

However, the literature is scarce concerning the participation in orientation programs by the elderly population, namely in terms of this program's effect on aerobic capacity, lower limb strength, motor coordination, processing speed, memory, and executive functioning.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Aged 65-75 years old;
* Locomotor independent capacity;
* Independent living in the community;
* Historical of physical activity practice;
* Attended, at least, the 3º school grade.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Cognitive impairment such \< 15 points in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE);
* Evidence of neuromuscular disturb;
* Use of medication that conditions the performance of the orientation exercise tasks.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in physical competencies
timeFrame: 0, 12 weeks
measure: Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in physical competencies
timeFrame: 0, 12 weeks
measure: Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in physical competencies
timeFrame: 0, 12 weeks
measure: Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in physical competencies
timeFrame: 0, 12 weeks
measure: Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in cognitive competencies
timeFrame: 0, 12 weeks
measure: Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in cognitive competencies
timeFrame: 0, 12 weeks
measure: Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in affective competencies
timeFrame: 0, 12 weeks
measure: Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in affective competencies
timeFrame: 0, 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Cognitive impairment
timeFrame: 0 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Évora
country: Portugal
facility: Universidade de Évora
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Évora
name: Catarina Pereira, Doctoral degree
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: University of Évora
name: José Marmeleira, Doctoral degree
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Bliss ES, Wong RH, Howe PR, Mills DE. Benefits of exercise training on cerebrovascular and cognitive function in ageing. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2021 Mar;41(3):447-470. doi: 10.1177/0271678X20957807. Epub 2020 Sep 20.
citation: Eckstrom E, Neukam S, Kalin L, Wright J. Physical Activity and Healthy Aging. Clin Geriatr Med. 2020 Nov;36(4):671-683. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2020.06.009. Epub 2020 Aug 19.
citation: Hemmeter UM, Ngamsri T. [Physical Activity and Mental Health in the Elderly]. Praxis (Bern 1994). 2022;110(4):193-198. doi: 10.1024/1661-8157/a003853. German.
citation: McCarthy, I., Suzuki, T., Tyler, N. & Holloway, C. (2016). Mobility in the built environment: Age-related changes in gait characteristics when walking on complex terrain. Healthy Aging Research, 5:10.
citation: Ostlund-Lagerstrom L, Blomberg K, Algilani S, Schoultz M, Kihlgren A, Brummer RJ, Schoultz I. Senior orienteering athletes as a model of healthy aging: a mixed-method approach. BMC Geriatr. 2015 Jul 8;15:76. doi: 10.1186/s12877-015-0072-6.
citation: Thomas E, Battaglia G, Patti A, Brusa J, Leonardi V, Palma A, Bellafiore M. Physical activity programs for balance and fall prevention in elderly: A systematic review. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Jul;98(27):e16218. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016218.