None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
It is well established that with normal ageing come reductions in mobility, physical ability and associated functional performance. It has been identified that a mismatch between actual physical abilities and perceived physical ability are associated with increased falls risk and risk-taking behavior in older adults. This mismatch between physical and perceived abilities may be partly due to impairments in motor planning which commonly deteriorates with ageing. A simple way to measure the association between actual and perceived abilities is to compare the difference (error) in time or distance between actual and imagined (or perceived) performance. Motor imagery is the imagining of an action without its physical execution and can effectively improve motor skill and promote motor leaning as it activates areas of the brain that are normally activated during actual physical performance. Motor imagery has been shown to improve muscle strength and mobility, but it is not known whether motor imagery can influence the relationship between actual and perceived ability. The aim of this study is to identify whether four weeks of motor imagery training can improve physical abilities together with perception of motor abilities in older adults.
Interventions
Participants in the intervention group will undertake 15 minutes of guided motor imagery training five times per week for four weeks. The guided motor imagery will be provided in the form of narrated audio files and are accompanied by video clips of each task. The audio and video files will be uploaded onto a portable music player/tablet or the mobile phone of each participant and are set out as a schedule. A total of three or four tracks will be scheduled for each session to ensure each session
Participants in the intervention group will undertake 15 minutes of guided motor imagery training five times per week for four weeks. The guided motor imagery will be provided in the form of narrated audio files and are accompanied by video clips of each task. The audio and video files will be uploaded onto a portable music player/tablet or the mobile phone of each participant and are set out as a schedule. A total of three or four tracks will be scheduled for each session to ensure each session is limited to 15 minutes. All imaging tasks and instructions are designed to get participants to imagine the movements from a first-person perspective and progress in difficulty during the program. The audio tracks will encourage participants to imagine themselves completing balance and mobility related tasks such as reaching and walking up stairs. Participants will be provided with an instruction booklet with a schedule of files to listen to on certain days and a checklist to monitor their progress during the program. The motor imagery intervention was specifically designed for this study and target movements to improve balance and mobility tasks. Adherence will be monitored in two ways: 1) by participants completing a training diary, 2) monitoring track/video views on the electronic device using device analytics.
Sponsors
Vaughan Nicholson
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
65 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
aged 65-90 years, independent community dwelling and willing to be randomised and commit to the study requirements.
Exclusion criteria
Acute or terminal illness, unstable or ongoing cardiovascular and/or respiratory disorder, neurological disease or impairment, joint replacement surgery in the past six months, or the inability to commit to a period of time equivalent to the duration of the study. Impaired vision that precludes them from seeing an object (bar) from 7m.
Outcome results
None listed