Clinical trial NCT05576688: Trunk Control, Balance, Gait, Functional Mobility and Fear of Falling in People With Alzheimer's Disease
Official title: Investigation of the Relationship Between Trunk Control and Balance, Gait, Functional Mobility and Fear of Falling in People With Alzheimer's Disease
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Physical Therapy
Keywords: trunk control
balance
gait
functional mobility
fear of falling
Lead sponsor: Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2022-10-12
Enrollment: 68
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 40
Maximum age (years): 85
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Primary purpose: SCREENING

Brief summary: The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationship between trunk control and balance, gait, functional mobility, and fear of falling in people with Alzheimer's disease and to compare trunk control, balance, gait, functional mobility, and fear of falling in people with Alzheimer's disease and healthy older adults.

Balance, an essential motor skill necessary to perform both static and dynamic everyday activities with stability and security, is impaired in people with Alzheimer's disease when compared to cognitively preserved elderlies. Gait and functional mobility disorders are also observed in people with Alzheimer's disease from the early period of the disease. People with Alzheimer's disease tend to fall more often and are more seriously injured from falls than cognitively intact older adults. The annual incidence rate for falling is 60% to 80% for older adults with Alzheimer's disease, over twice the incidence of age-matched cognitively intact older adults.

Trunk control is shown among the most important factors that ensure the balance and walking of the individual in different environments and conditions during functional activities. Optimal trunk control relies on adequate somatosensory, motor, and musculoskeletal systems, which are frequently compromised in people with Alzheimer's disease. For this reason, the investigators think that trunk control may be affected in people with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy older adults and may be related to balance, gait, functional mobility and fear of falling.

Detailed description: The study was carried out with the purpose of investigating the relationship between trunk control and balance, gait, functional mobility, and fear of falling in people with Alzheimer's disease and comparing trunk control, balance, gait, functional mobility, and fear of falling in people with Alzheimer's disease and healthy older adults.

35 people with Alzheimer's disease and 33 healthy older adults with matching ages and genders were included the study. Trunk control with Trunk Impairment Scale; balance with Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, One-Leg Standing Test and Five-Repeat Sit-and-Stand Test; gait with Dynamic Gait Index; functional mobility with Timed Up and Go Test; fear of falling with Falls Efficacy Scale-International were evaluated.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria

* Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease according to the NINCDS/ARDRA diagnostic criteria by a neurologist.
* Having a cognitive level between 18-23 points according to the Mini Mental Status Examination.
* Must be able to walk independently with and/or without assistive device.

Exclusion Criteria

* Having a history of cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy and brain tumor.
* Having a cognitive level below 18 points according to the Mini Mental Status Examination.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Trunk control
timeFrame: 1 month
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Functional balance
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Dynamic bilateral stance balance
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: One leg standing balance
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Balance
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Gait
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Functional mobility
timeFrame: 1 month
measure: Fear of falling
timeFrame: 1 month
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Giresun
country: Turkey
facility: Giresun University
Study officials:
affiliation: Giresun University Vocational School of Health Services Therapy and Rehabilitation Department
name: Taskin Ozkan, Doctorate
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: