Fractal-based Gait Training in Older Adults
NCT Number: NCT06507137
Status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Phases: NA
Conditions: Healthy Aging
Interventions: OTHER: Fractal|OTHER: Isochronous|OTHER: Control
Sponsor: Egas Moniz - Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRL
Collaborators: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Sex: ALL
Age: ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Enrollment: 66
Study Design: Allocation: RANDOMIZED|Intervention Model: PARALLEL|Masking: SINGLE (PARTICIPANT)|Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
Start Date: 2024-06-25
Completion Date: 2025-12-31
Locations: Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, Almada, Monte De Caparica, 2829-699, Portugal

Summary:
The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of walking with external visual cues on brain adaptations.

Primary Outcome Measures: Fractal scaling exponent (α) changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups., The fractal scaling exponent quantifies the complexity of a physiological signal and detects the presence of statistical persistence in a given time series. This parameter is calculated using Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) from each time series (stride time and stride length)., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)
Secondary Outcome Measures: Corticospinal excitability (CSE) changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups., CSE is a parameter extracted through the application of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This parameter provides information regarding the level of excitability of the corticospinal tract., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)|Short-Interval Intracortical Inhibition (SICI) changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups., SICI is a parameter extracted through the application of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This parameter provides information regarding the level of inhibition of the motor cortex., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)|Intracortical Facilitation (ICF) changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups., ICF is a parameter extracted through the application of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This parameter provides information regarding the level of facilitation of the motor cortex., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)|Ankle, Knee and Hip joints range of motion's changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups during a gait cycle, Joint range of motion is measured through a motion capture system and quantifies the excursion of the joint during the gait task in degrees (º)., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)|Ankle, Knee and Hip joints maximum value changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups during a gait cycle, Joint maximum value is measured through a motion capture system and quantifies the maximum joint flexion during the gait task in degrees (º). This measure will be used to calculate joint range of motion (outcome 2)., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)|Ankle, Knee and Hip joints minimum value changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups during a gait cycle, Joint minimum value is measured through a motion capture system and quantifies the minimum joint flexion during the gait task in degrees (º). This measure will be used to calculate joint range of motion (outcome 2)., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)|Ankle, Knee and Hip joints angles during initial contact changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups during a gait cycle, Joint angle during initial contact is measured through a motion capture system and quantifies the angle of the respective joint at the moment the heel touches the ground during a gait cycle (heel strike) in degrees (º)., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)|Ankle, Knee and Hip joints angles during peak ground reaction force changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups during a gait cycle, PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)|Coefficient of variation (CV) changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups., CV is a common linear measure that translates the amount of variability within the signal and is calculated through the standard deviation normalised to the mean from each time series (stride time and stride length)., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)|Electromyography co-contraction changes from baseline (PRE to POS, PRE to FUP, POS to FUP) both within and between Fractal, Isochronous and Control groups., Co-contraction is the simultaneous activation of the agonist and antagonist muscles during a task. This parameter It is an important mechanism of the central nervous system to regulate joint stability and provide movement accuracy., PRE (baseline), POS (4 weeks after), FUP (8 weeks after)