Attention, Gait, Older Adults
Conditions
Keywords
attentional focus, gait, visual search, older adults
Brief summary
This study will be a pilot randomized controlled trial, to investigate the effectiveness of an external focus training on visuomotor performance while comparing with an active control group.
Detailed description
All eligible participants will be randomly divided into two groups: external focus gait training group (EXT) and active control group (CON). All participants will complete two assessment sessions: at baseline (T0) and immediately following the completion of all training sessions (T1). A total of twelve training sessions (about 45 minutes per session), held twice a week for six weeks, would be provided to participants in both training groups.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALControl
Every training session will include the following activities for both groups: a 5-minute warm-up; a 30-minute walking training; and a 5-minute cool-down. The walking training will be conducted within a level-ground walking field. No markers/labels will be attached and no relevant instructions will be provided apart from the general instruction.
BEHAVIORALAttentional focus
Every training session will include the following activities for both groups: a 5-minute warm-up; a 30-minute walking training; and a 5-minute cool-down. The walking training will be conducted within a level-ground walking field. Participants will be instructed to look at and step on specific markers/labels that will be attached along the walking paths.
Sponsors
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* aged 65 or above * able to walk independently indoor for at least 40 metres * static visual acuity score 20/40 or above * scoring 22/30 or above in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Hong Kong version * without any history of untreated major neurological, vestibular or musculoskeletal deficits (e.g., stroke or Parkinson's disease) * without any unstable medical condition that can compromise safety during the experiment * scoring less than 24/28 in the Tinetti Balance Assessment Tool or scoring 50/56 or below in the Berg Balance Scale
Exclusion criteria
* none
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Visual search behaviours - fixation duration | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by a wireless eye tracker; recorded the duration that the gaze is fixated on each area of interest |
| Gait stability - variability of stride time | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by a 3-D motion capture system; stride time is defined as the interval between two consecutive heel strikes of the same foot; the variability measure is represented by the coefficients of variation (CV) \[(standard deviation/mean) × 100\] |
| Gait stability - variability of stride length | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by a 3-D motion capture system; stride length is defined as anterior-posterior (A-P) distance between two consecutive heel strike positions of the same foot; the variability measure is represented by the coefficients of variation (CV) \[(standard deviation/mean) × 100\] |
| Gait stability - variability of step width | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by a 3-D motion capture system; step width is defined as medial-lateral (M-L) distance between two consecutive heel strike positions of the opposite feet; the variability measure is represented by the coefficients of variation (CV) \[(standard deviation/mean) × 100\] |
| Visual search behaviours - location of fixation | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by a wireless eye tracker; recorded the location that the gaze is fixated on |
| Visual search behaviours - the number of fixation | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by a wireless eye tracker; recorded the number of times the gaze is fixated on each area of interest |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Falls efficacy | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by the Chinese version of the Falls Efficacy Scale International; min: 16; max: 64; higher scores reflect greater concern about falling |
| Conscious movement processing | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by the Chinese version of the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale; min: 10, max: 60; higher scores reflect higher propensity for conscious movement processing |
| Functional balance | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by the Berg Balance Scale; min: 0; max: 56; higher scores reflect better functional balance |
| Functional mobility | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by the Timed 'Up & Go' Test (in seconds); a longer time to complete reflects poorer functional mobility |
| Functional balance and gait | baseline (pre-intervention), immediately after intervention (post-intervention) | measured by the Tinetti Balance Assessment Tool; min: 0; max: 28; higher scores reflect better functional balance and gait |
Outcome results
None listed