Using SPOZ Technology to Support and Enhance the Vitality Acupunch (VA) Exercise Program for Older Adults With Dementia

December 18, 2025 updated by: Kuei-Min Chen, Ph.D., RN., Kaohsiung Medical University

The Integration of SPOZ Technology to Support and Enhance the Vitality Acupunch Exercise Program for Improving the Cognitive Behavioral Impairment and Sensory Perceptual Impairment of Older Adults With Dementia

This project was aimed to examine the effects of a six-month VA exercise program incorporate the SPOZ technology in improving the cognitive behavioral impairment and sensory perceptual impairment of older adults with dementia in adult daycare centers.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the effects of a six-month VA exercise program incorporated the SPOZ technology in improving the cognitive behavioral impairment (using Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire) and sensory perceptual impairment (using Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia) of older adults with dementia in adult daycare centers. Using convenience sampling, 10 adult daycare centers with 142 older adults were recruited, and then cluster-randomized by the daycare centers to an experimental or a control group. The experimental group received a 40-minute program 3 times a week for 6 months; the control group maintained their routine activities. The two groups were measured at three time points: before the intervention, and at three months and six months of the intervention.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
142

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Kuei-Min Chen, PhD
  • Phone Number: 886-7-3136900
  • Email: kmc@kmu.edu.tw

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
    • Taiwan
      • Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Taiwan, 80708
        • Kaohsiung Medical University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • diagnosed as dementia by a physician, or
  • screened by the SPMSQ as dementia
  • age 65 and older

Exclusion Criteria:

  • have severe cardiopulmonary disease
  • have physical mobility impairment
  • have spinal cord injury

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Control
Participants in the control group maintained their routine activities.
Other: Control
Participants maintained their routine activities.
Experimental: VA-SPOZ exercise program
The VA-SPOZ exercise program was comprised of three parts: (1) the first part had 5 movements, including breathing regulation, alternating arm stretching, trunk movement, alternating left and right legs, and gradually started the blood circulation in a gentle way; (2) the second part had 14 movements, using five punching techniques, the left and right arms alternating in a natural parabola, and punching the acupoints to vibrate meridians. The purpose of the second part of the movement was to stimulate the 14 meridians and to promote the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body; (3) the third part had 5 movements, which were to adjust the breath, relax the muscles, stretch the body, and warm the face and lower back of the body by hand touch. Participants wore SPOZ devices on both hands to record and track the accuracy of the movements.The 40-minute program was administered three times a week for 6 months.
Other: VA-SPOZ exercise program
The VA-SPOZ exercise program had three phases and took 40 minutes to complete. The program was performed in a seated position, and the participants wore SPOZ devices on both hands to record and track the accuracy of the movements.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cognitive status
Time Frame: 6 months
measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. A scale that includes seven aspects: visuospatial and executive functioning, animal naming, delayed recall (short-term memory), attention, language, abstraction, and orientation. The total score ranges between 0 and 30: a score ≥ 26 indicates no cognitive impairment, 18-25 indicates mild cognitive impairment, 10-17 represents moderate impairment, and < 10 indicates severe impairment.
6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain status
Time Frame: 6 months
measured by the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia. A 5-item scale that includes patient's breathing pattern, uncomfortable/negative vocalization, facial expression, body language, and soothability. Scores are rated on a scale of 0-2. The total score is between 0 and 10; a higher score indicates a higher level of observed discomfort.
6 months
Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)
Time Frame: 6 months
measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire. The 12 items measure 12 psychiatric behavioral symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, agitation/aggression, depression/bad mood, anxiety, euphoria/elation, apathy, vocally disruptive behaviors, irritable/changeable mood, aberrant motor behaviors, sleep/nighttime behaviors, and changes in appetite/eating behaviors. The assessment consists of three parts: (1) to determine the presence or absence of symptoms, 0 = no, 1 = yes; (2) to determine the severity of the symptoms, rating between 1 and 3, and the total score is 36 with higher scores indicate more severe symptoms; (3) to rate the degree of caregiver's distress caused by the client's symptoms on a scale of 0-5, and the total score is 60 with higher scores indicating greater distress.
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Kaohsiung Medical University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Kuei-Min Chen, PhD, Kaohsiung Medical University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 23, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 18, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 18, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 16, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 16, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 23, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 24, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 18, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • KMUHIRB-F(I)-20240009(1)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings