Tele-Supervised Dual-Task Balance Training in Community-Dwelling Older Adults at Risk of Falls

Efficacy of Tele-Supervised Dual-Task Balance Training on Gait, Balance, and Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults at Risk of Falls

Dual-task training combines movement with cognitive tasks to improve gait, balance, and thinking.

This study will compare tele-supervised versus onsite dual-task balance training in older adults at risk of falls.

Sixty participants aged 65+ will be randomly assigned to either remote or face-to-face training for 8 weeks.

Both groups will follow the same program, delivered via video calls or direct supervision.

Outcomes measures will include gait speed, balance, and cognition using the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B).

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Telerehabilitation; Gait Balance
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Dual-task balance training program, delivered either via real-time video conferencing; Other: Face to face intervension

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Nadia M Radwan, PHD; Phone Number: +966561728094; Email: nadiaradwan18@yahoo.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• sixty literate, community-dwelling older individuals (male and female) 65 years of age or older
• access to the internet at home (for participants in the tele-supervised group)
• fall risk defined as a Berg Balance Scale score ˂52 (out of a total of 56 points)
• at least one fall during the preceding year
• as well as the capacity to walk on one's own without the need for an assistive device.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants with neurological or musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, orthopedic conditions)
• or severe sensory impairments that could interfere with participation or balance were excluded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Tele-supervised dual-task training group; The tele-supervised group will perform sessions at home through Zoom Video Communications. Each participant will receive an initial session to set up the device, camera position, lighting, and sound. Therapists will provide real-time supervision and feedback in both groups. Delivery will occur via video calls for the tele group and in person for the onsite group. Training will follow a fixed-priority strategy. Participants will divide attention equally between motor and cognitive tasks. Sessions will last 45 minutes. They will be conducted three times per week for eight weeks. Each session will include: 5 minutes warm-up, 35 minutes dual-task training, 5 minutes cool-down	Other: Dual-task balance training program, delivered either via real-time video conferencing; The tele-supervised group will perform sessions at home through Zoom Video Communications. Training will follow a fixed-priority strategy. Sessions will last 45 minutes. Each session will include: 5 minutes warm-up, 35 minutes dual-task training, and 5 minutes cool-down.
Experimental: Onsite rehabilitation group; The onsite group will receive the same dual-task balance training program, delivered face-to-face by a trained therapist at the physical therapy clinic, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, with a frequency and duration matched to the tele-supervised group.	Other: Face to face intervension; The onsite group received the same dual-task balance training program, delivered face-to-face by a trained therapist at the physical therapy clinic, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, with a frequency and duration matched to the tele-supervised group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Balance assessment	The most well-known balance test for evaluating adult balance and fall risk is the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The 14 items on the BBS have an ordinal scale of 0 to 4, totaling 56 points; a lower score denotes a higher risk of falling. Minimal function is represented by a score of 0, and maximal function is represented by a score of 4. It takes about twenty minutes to finish. The items are evaluated from the static position with increasing difficulty by decreasing the base of support to dynamic activities (Joa, 2024). BBS is reliable and valid in older individuals (Berg et al., 1992; Şahin et al., 2008).	8 weeks
Gait speed	Gait speed will be measured using the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT). A 14-meter walkway will be used, and participants will be asked to walk at their typical pace. The time will be recorded throughout the middle 10 meters to account for acceleration and deceleration. Meters per second will be used to measure walking speed; greater numbers denote superior performance. For assessing functional mobility in older persons, the 10MWT is a viable and trustworthy tool (Önal & Kocaman, 2025).	8 weeks
Cognitive function	The Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B) assessed divided attention, executive function, cognitive flexibility, and visual attention. As fast as they can, participants will connect 25 circles that alternate between letters and numbers (1-A-2-B); shorter completion times indicate better performance. For older adults, TMT-B is valid and reliable (Tombaugh, 2004; Sánchez-Cubillo et al., 2009).	8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Park, J. H. (2022). Is dual-task training clinically beneficial to improve balance and executive function in community-dwelling older adults with a history of falls? International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(16), 10198.
• Mou, C., & Jiang, Y. (2025). Effect of dual task-based training on motor and cognitive function in stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trails. BMC neurology, 25(1), 290.
• • Chandran, V., & Smitha, D. (2021). Comparison of Single Task and Dual Task Balance Training on the Quality of Life of Elderly with Balance Impairment. Indian Journal of Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy, 15(4).
• •Balcı, L. A., Soğukkanlı, K., Burcu, S., & Hanoğlu, L. (2022). Effects of single-task, dual-task and successive physical-cognitive training on fall risk and balance performance in older adults: a randomized trial. Journal of Exercise Therapy and Rehabilitation, 9(1), 1-11.
• • Falbo, S., Condello, G., Capranica, L., Forte, R., & Pesce, C. (2016). Effects of physical-cognitive dual task training on executive function and gait performance in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. BioMed Research International, 2016(1), 5812092.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): September 10, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 10, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 10, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 20, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 29, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: No. RHPT/026/004

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