Whole Body Vibration Exercise Training for Institutionalized Elderly

The Effects of Whole Body Vibration Exercise Training on Physical Functioning and Falls in Institutionalized Elderly: a Randomized Controlled Trial

It is hypothesized that whole body vibration exercise group will have significantly more improvement in physical functioning and reduction in fall incidence among institutionalized elderly, compared with conventional exercise group and control group.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Geriatric Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Whole body vibration; Behavioral: Conventional exercise; Behavioral: Control

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 68
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • New Territories
    • Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
      • Recruiting
      • Shatin Hospital
      • Contact: Philip Chan, MSc; Phone Number: 852-9851-1382; Email: cfl083@gmail.com

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:

• Functional Ambulation Category 1 to 4
• able to understand simple verbal commands
• able to tolerate intermittent physical activity for at least 45 minutes
• able to perform knee flexion >45 degree
• able to stand with or without support for 1 minute or more

Exclusion Criteria:

• peripheral vascular disease
• any symptoms associated with vestibular disorder
• any contraindications to exercise (e.g. unstable angina)
• any serious illnesses that preclude participation (e.g. cancer)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Whole body vibration; This group will receive whole body vibration and conventional exercise training (1 hour per session, 3 sessions per week, for 8 consecutive weeks).	Device: Whole body vibration; The vibration frequency and amplitude used will be 30-40 Hz and 1mm, respectively. The total exposure to the vibration stimulation is 4 minutes.
Active Comparator: Conventional exercise; This group will receive convention exercise training (1 hour per session, 3 sessions per week, for 8 consecutive weeks).	Behavioral: Conventional exercise; The conventional exercise training involves upper limb and lower limb strengthening exercises using sandbags.
Active Comparator: Control; This group will have exercise training that involve only the upper limbs (about 30 minutes per session, 3 sessions per week, for 8 consecutive weeks).	Behavioral: Control; The control treatment involves exercises of the upper limbs.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Timed-Up-and-Go test	It is a measure of functional mobility	week 0
Timed-up-and-go test		week 8

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Berg balance scale		week 0
Berg balance scale		week 8
leg extension strength		week 0
leg extension strength		week 8
shoulder abduction strength		week 0
shoulder abduction strength		week 8
elbow flexion strength		week 0
elbow flexion strength		week 8
six minute walk test		week 0
six minute walk test		week 8
Activities-specific balance confidence scale		week 0
Activities-specific balance confidence scale		week 8
Quick DASH	A measure of upper limb function	week 0
Quick DASH		week 8
Physiological Profile Assessment: short form		week 0
Physiological Profile Assessment: short form		week 8
falls incidence		Daily from week 0 to 12 months after termination of treatment/control period

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Collaborators: Shatin Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Marco Pang, PhD, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Bautmans I, Van Hees E, Lemper JC, Mets T. The feasibility of Whole Body Vibration in institutionalised elderly persons and its influence on muscle performance, balance and mobility: a randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN62535013]. BMC Geriatr. 2005 Dec 22;5:17. doi: 10.1186/1471-2318-5-17.
• Bruyere O, Wuidart MA, Di Palma E, Gourlay M, Ethgen O, Richy F, Reginster JY. Controlled whole body vibration to decrease fall risk and improve health-related quality of life of nursing home residents. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2005 Feb;86(2):303-7. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2004.05.019.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): April 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Anticipated): October 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 20, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 25, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): November 28, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): May 30, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 29, 2014
• Last Verified: May 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise; gait; rehabilitation; older adults; muscle; vibration; balance; fall
• Other Study ID Numbers: HSEARS20120730001