Visual Feedback to Improve Balance During Walking

Sensory Treadmill to Improve of Balance During Walking

The goal of this research is to determine if real time visual feedback of body movements improves balance control more than walking on a treadmill alone. Individuals participating in this research study will be tested using a battery of clinical strength and balance assessments twice before a 4 week training period and once after the training period. The 4 week training period will consist of 12 sessions walking on a treadmill. The experimental group will see real time visual feedback regarding their body movements, and the control group will not receive this visual feedback. Following the 4 week training each participant will again be tested using the battery of clinical strength and balance assessments.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Patient Falls; Other Fall
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Treadmill Walking; Other: Visual Feedback

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Mitchellville, Maryland, United States, 20721
      • Collington Episcopal Life Care Community
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19122
      • Pearson Hall, Temple University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Fall Prone Older Adults (history of falls or loss of balance)
• ability to walk on the treadmill hands-free without assistance
• Mini-Mental Status Exam > 23

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current enrollment in physical rehabilitation of any kind
• Medically unstable

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Walking & Visual Feedback; Individuals in this arm will walk on a treadmill while viewing real time visual feedback regarding their body motions and use the visual feedback to correct their body motions.	Procedure: Treadmill Walking; Individuals will walk at a "comfortable speed" on a treadmill without holding on to the hand rails.; Other: Visual Feedback; Real time feedback regarding body motion while walking.
Active Comparator: Walking & No Visual Feedback; Individuals in this arm will walk on a treadmill without viewing real time visual feedback regarding their body motion.	Procedure: Treadmill Walking; Individuals will walk at a "comfortable speed" on a treadmill without holding on to the hand rails.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from Baseline in BESTest Score, A clinical assessment of balance	Balance Evaluation System Test (BESTest)	Tested at 0, 4, and 8 weeks
Change from Baseline in Berg Balance Test Score		Test will be given at 0, 4, and 8 weeks
Change from Baseline in Activity Specific Balance Confidence Score	Questionnaire rating balance confidence	Tested at 0, 4, and 8 weeks
Change from Baseline in 6 Minute Walk Test		Tested at 0, 4, and 8 weeks
Change from Baseline in Comfortable Walking Speed	This value is determined for each training session	Measured daily, up to 12 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from Baseline in Muscle Strength	Strength of major muscles in the legs and trunk will be measured	Tested at 0, 4, and 8 weeks
Change from Baseline in Overground Walking Speed		Tested at 0, 4, and 8 weeks
Change from Baseline in Center of Mass variability	This measure is derived from recorded body position during each training repetition for each of up to 12 days of training.	Tested daily, up to 12 days
Change from Baseline in Power spectral density	This measure is derived from recorded body position during each training repetition for each of up to 12 days of training.	Tested daily, up to 12 days
Change from Baseline in Single/Dual Tasking ability		Tested at 0, 4, and 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Temple University
• Collaborators: University of Maryland
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: John Jeka, PhD, Temple University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Anson E, Thompson E, Karpen SC, Odle BL, Seier E, Jeka J, Panus PC. Visual biofeedback training reduces quantitative drugs index scores associated with fall risk. BMC Res Notes. 2018 Oct 22;11(1):750. doi: 10.1186/s13104-018-3859-7.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 12, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 18, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): September 24, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): April 21, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 19, 2016
• Last Verified: April 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Walking; Falls; Balance Training
• Other Study ID Numbers: 366151-1