Fine and Gross Motor Function and Relationship With Muscle Tone in Older Adults With and Without Dementia

The purpose of this study was (1) to investigate changes in gait, balance, fine motor function, and muscle tone, and (2) to find out if there is a correlation between muscle tone/presence of paratonia and motor function (gross and fine) in mild and moderate dementia.Three groups of participants were included in the study: healthy elderly (n=60), participants with mild dementia (n=31) and participants with moderate dementia (n=31). Measurements of fine motor function, balance, gait, presence of paratonia and muscle tone measurements were performed.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Dementia; Gait; Muscle Tone; Balance; Paratonia; Fine Motor Function
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Gait accelerometry; Other: balance accelerometry; Other: Fine motor skill test; Diagnostic test: Paratonia Assessment Instrument (PAI); Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 122
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Ghent, Belgium, 9000
    • Vakgroep Revaki - Ghent University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age >= 65 years
• walk independently for at least 11 meters
• HC: no cognitive deterioration, MiD: dementia, Global Deterioration Scale<5, MoD: dementia, Global Deterioration Scale 5 or 6

Exclusion Criteria:

• recent (≤ 6 months) orthopedic surgery

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: HC; Healthy controls, i.e. older adults without cognitive impairment	Other: Gait accelerometry; accelerometric assessment of gait (Dynaport Hybrid): 7m walk in 3 conditions (normal pace, fast, double task); Other: balance accelerometry; accelerometric assessment of balance (Dynaport Hybrid) during 10 seconds trial in 3 conditions (side-by-side, semitandem, tandem); Other: Fine motor skill test; assessment of fine motor skills with Purdue Pegboard, with dominant hand, non-dominant hand and bimanual; Diagnostic test: Paratonia Assessment Instrument (PAI); diagnosis of paratonia based on passive movement of the four limbs; Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone; MyotonPRO measurement of muscle tone
Other: MiD; older adults with mild dementia	Other: Gait accelerometry; accelerometric assessment of gait (Dynaport Hybrid): 7m walk in 3 conditions (normal pace, fast, double task); Other: balance accelerometry; accelerometric assessment of balance (Dynaport Hybrid) during 10 seconds trial in 3 conditions (side-by-side, semitandem, tandem); Other: Fine motor skill test; assessment of fine motor skills with Purdue Pegboard, with dominant hand, non-dominant hand and bimanual; Diagnostic test: Paratonia Assessment Instrument (PAI); diagnosis of paratonia based on passive movement of the four limbs; Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone; MyotonPRO measurement of muscle tone
Other: MoD; older adults with moderate dementia	Other: Gait accelerometry; accelerometric assessment of gait (Dynaport Hybrid): 7m walk in 3 conditions (normal pace, fast, double task); Other: balance accelerometry; accelerometric assessment of balance (Dynaport Hybrid) during 10 seconds trial in 3 conditions (side-by-side, semitandem, tandem); Other: Fine motor skill test; assessment of fine motor skills with Purdue Pegboard, with dominant hand, non-dominant hand and bimanual; Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone; MyotonPRO measurement of muscle tone

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
walking speed	gait speed parameter	through study completion, an average of 3 years
step regularity	gait parameter representing regularity, autocorrelation (method Moe-Nilssen 2004), value between 0 and 1, with 1 representing perfect regularity	through study completion, an average of 3 years
mediolateral jerk	balance smoothness and coordination, lower jerk values correspond with better smoothness of balance	through study completion, an average of 3 years
anteroposterior jerk	balance smoothness and coordination, lower jerk values correspond with better smoothness of balance	through study completion, an average of 3 years
Fine motor function	score on the Purdue pegboard test, maximal amount of (pairs of) pegs placed in 30 seconds (max. 25)	through study completion, an average of 3 years
presence of paratonia	Paratonia Assessment Instrument, resistance against passive movements of the four limbs is evaluated (Hobbelen 2008)	through study completion, an average of 3 years
MyotonPRO measurement of muscle tone	MyotonPRO measurement	through study completion, an average of 3 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
MyotonPRO measurement of elasticity	MyotonPRO measurement	through study completion, an average of 3 years
MyotonPRO measurement of mechanical stiffness	MyotonPRO measurement	through study completion, an average of 3 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Ghent

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 13, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 20, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): March 27, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 18, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 12, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Dementia
• Other Study ID Numbers: EC/2014/1240

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No