Effects of Balance Training With Gaze Stabilization Exercises in Elderly Patients With Chronic Dizziness

Effects of Balance Exercise With or Without Gaze Stabilization Exercises on Clinical Outcomes in Elderly Patients With Chronic Dizziness:A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of balance training with and without gaze stabilization exercises on clinical outcomes in elderly patients with chronic dizziness: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Dizziness
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Gaze Stabilization Exercises; Other: Balance Training

Detailed Description

In older adults dizziness is a common condition which is associated with repeated falls, fear of falling, depression, anxiety and ultimately loss of independence during activities of daily living. The main objective of this research was to compare the effects of balance training with and without Gaze Stabilization exercises on clinical outcomes in elderly patient with chronic dizziness.Total 64 participants after referral from neurologist were recruited in this study. These participants were randomly assigned into two groups i.e. Group A (Gaze group) and Group B (control group) with 32 participants in each group by sealed envelope method. Gaze group performed balance exercises with gaze stability exercises. Gaze stability exercises are further classified as adaptation and substitution exercises. Adaptation exercises support long term changes with a purpose of decreasing symptoms and maintain postural stability. On the other hand the substitution exercises improving central preprogrammed movement of eyes. Basically gaze stability exercises are defined as habituation exercises which reduce the symptoms of provoking stimulus by continuous exposure to it whereas, group B performed balance exercises with saccade eye exercises.Balance training includes both static and dynamic balance exercises, aimed to improved balance and postural stability with gradually increasing to challenging task. Exercises in balance training included a) single leg balance on firm surface b) heel stand c) marching on firm surface d) toe stand e) tandem walk f) forward and backward walking from normal base of support to weekly progression and training from eyes open to eye close from stable to unstable surface. Berg Balance Scale, Disability Handicapped inventory and Activity Specific Balance Confidence Scale were used to measure outcome variables.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 64
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab
    • Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, 5400
      • Univeristy Of Lahore

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 85 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Geriatric population
• Both Gender
• H/O chronic dizziness with normal vestibular function
• H/O age related balance impairment
• H/O impaired balance having a Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score between 35-45
• Participant have sufficient cognitive and communication skills

Exclusion Criteria:

• H/O insufficient communication skills to follow instructions
• H/O impaired vestibular function
• H/O Visual impairment
• H/O Severe hearing loss
• H/O mental disorder that could restrains the ability to concentrate during therapy
• H/O Other systematic diseases
• Any history of marked musculoskeletal impairment, lower limb injury, surgery other than age related changes and balance disorder due to other neurological conditions like Parkinsonism, stroke, multiple sclerosis etc. were excluded from the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Gaze Group; Participants performed balance training with gaze stabilization exercises	Other: Gaze Stabilization Exercises; Gaze group performed balance exercises with gaze stability exercise.Gaze stability exercises included two types of exercises vestibular adaptation and substitution exercises. In Adaptation exercises individual need to fixate on a visual target during horizontal and vertical head movement with a purpose of increasing gaze stability and a long term gain to vestibular system. Subsitution exercises are planned to use other eye movement stratigies to substitute vestibular function and sustained visual fixation. During Substitution exercises individual need to perfomed eye head movement between target with a purpose of clear sighting during these tasks. Balance exercises consist of both static and dynamic balance exercises with weekly progression making balance exercises more challenging.
Other: Control Group; Participants performed balance training with saccade eye exercises	Other: Balance Training; Participants performed balance training with saccade eye exercises.balance exercises included both static and dynamic balance exercises with a purpose of increasing mobility and stability of a posture by weekly progression. These exercises included standing on firm and foam surface with eyes open or close, heel stand, toe stand, marching on firm surface, forward and backward walking with normal base of support with weekly progression. Each task was performed for 5 repetitions with weekly progression in each task.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Berg Balance Scale	Balance was measured using Berg Balance Scale	6 Weeks
Disability Handicapped Inventory	Precieved Disability was measured using Disability Handicapped Invertory	6 Weeks
Activity Specific Balance Confidence	Risk of Fall Prevention was measured using Activity Specific Balance Confidence	6 Weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Lahore
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Syeda Nida Fatima, University of Lahore

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Geraghty AWA, Essery R, Kirby S, Stuart B, Turner D, Little P, Bronstein A, Andersson G, Carlbring P, Yardley L. Internet-Based Vestibular Rehabilitation for Older Adults With Chronic Dizziness: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Primary Care. Ann Fam Med. 2017 May;15(3):209-216. doi: 10.1370/afm.2070.
• Hall CD, Heusel-Gillig L, Tusa RJ, Herdman SJ. Efficacy of gaze stability exercises in older adults with dizziness. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2010 Jun;34(2):64-9. doi: 10.1097/NPT.0b013e3181dde6d8.
• Jahn K. The Aging Vestibular System: Dizziness and Imbalance in the Elderly. Adv Otorhinolaryngol. 2019;82:143-149. doi: 10.1159/000490283. Epub 2019 Jan 15. Review.
• Maciaszek J, Osinski W. Effect of Tai Chi on body balance: randomized controlled trial in elderly men with dizziness. Am J Chin Med. 2012;40(2):245-53.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 5, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 5, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): December 8, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 10, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 10, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 11, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 11, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 10, 2021
• Last Verified: February 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; Labyrinth Diseases; Ear Diseases; Vestibular Diseases; Sensation Disorders; Vertigo; Dizziness
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB-UOL-FAHS/718-XII/2020

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No
• IPD Plan Description: Results of study

Drug and device information, study documents

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