Aging, Balance Impairment, Cognitive Function, Fatigue
Conditions
Keywords
Action Observation Therapy, Balance, Exercise therapy, Functional capacity
Brief summary
This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effects of Action Observation Therapy (AOT) on cognitive function, balance, fatigue, and functional capacity in geriatric individuals. Participants aged 65 years and older were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group, an exercise group, or an action observation therapy group. The intervention period lasted 8 weeks. The exercise group received a conventional exercise program, while the action observation therapy group watched exercise videos before performing the same exercises. The control group did not participate in any structured exercise program during the study period. Outcome measures included cognitive function, balance performance, fatigue levels, and functional capacity. The study evaluated whether adding action observation therapy to conventional exercise provides additional benefits in older adults.
Detailed description
This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effects of Action Observation Therapy (AOT) on cognitive function, balance, fatigue, and functional capacity in geriatric individuals aged 65 years and older. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) a control group that did not receive any structured exercise intervention during the study period, (2) an exercise group that participated in a conventional exercise program, and (3) an action observation therapy group that watched exercise demonstration videos prior to performing the same conventional exercise program. The intervention period lasted 8 weeks. The conventional exercise program included balance, strengthening, and functional mobility exercises appropriate for older adults. The action observation therapy group observed standardized exercise videos to facilitate motor learning before actively performing the exercises. Primary and secondary outcome measures included cognitive function (e.g., Montreal Cognitive Assessment), balance performance (e.g., Timed Up and Go Test and One-Leg Stand Test), fatigue levels (e.g., Fatigue Severity Scale), and functional capacity (e.g., 6-Minute Walk Test). Assessments were performed at baseline and at the end of the 8-week intervention period. The primary objective of the study was to determine whether adding action observation therapy to conventional exercise provides additional benefits in cognitive and functional outcomes in geriatric individuals.
Interventions
OTHERAction
exercise
OTHERAction Observation Therapy
Based on exercise recommendations for older adults from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the researcher developed a conventional exercise training programme suitable for participants aged 65 and over, incorporating balance, strength and flexibility exercises. In parallel, an action observation therapy exercise video recording was prepared for the experimental group participants. The exercises were easy to learn, not complex in terms of memory and performance, performed standing up without sitting down, and progressed from easy to difficult. The exercise programme was carried out for a total of 16 sessions over four weeks, with 8 repetitions per set for the first four weeks and 12 repetitions per set for the next four weeks, for 30-45 minutes, twice a week. Participants in the control group were informed that they would be enrolled in their preferred exercise programme afterwards, and no exercise programme was implemented throughout the study. The same exercise program
Sponsors
Hasan Kalyoncu University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Masking description
This study was conducted as an open-label trial. Participants and researchers were aware of group assignments due to the nature of the exercise and action observation interventions. No blinding was applied.
Intervention model description
Participants were randomly assigned to one of three parallel groups: a control group, an exercise group, or an action observation therapy group. Each group received its assigned intervention throughout the 8-week study period without crossover between groups.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Aged 65 years and older * Community-dwelling older adults * Able to ambulate independently with or without an assistive device * Able to understand and follow verbal instructions * Provided written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Severe neurological, vestibular, or orthopedic conditions affecting balance or mobility * Severe visual or hearing impairment interfering with participation * Diagnosed psychiatric disorders affecting cognitive assessment * Participation in another structured exercise program during the study period * Any medical condition contraindicating exercise participation
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Functional capacity | Baseline and 8 weeks | To determine functional capacity, the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) was administered in accordance with the American Thoracic Society protocol. During the test, patients were expected to complete the test by walking as fast as possible on a 30-metre straight corridor without running. Before starting, individuals were informed about the test and verbally advised that they could slow down, rest, and terminate the test if they felt tired or short of breath. The 6MWT test was interpreted according to gender using the following formulas |
| Dynamic balance performance | Baseline and 8 weeks | During the test, the time it took for the patient to get up from the chair they were sitting in, walk a distance of 3 meters, then return to the starting position was measured |
| Static balance performance | Baseline and 8 weeks | The test was performed to measure static standing capacity. The time was started when the person lifted their foot and stopped when the lifted foot touched the ground, the supporting foot bounced, or the person had to take support to maintain balance. It was performed twice with eyes open, and the average time was recorded |
| Fatigue Level Assement | Baseline and 8 weeks | Fatigue severity scale was applied to evaluate the fatigue levels of the patients. This scale consists of a total of 9 questions, and each question was scored from one to seven depending on the participants' agreement with the questions. The scores on the scale are 1 point for strongly disagree, 3 points for tend to disagree, 4 points for undecided, 5 points for tend to agree, and 7 points for strongly agree |
| Cognitive function | Baseline and 8 weeks | Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The MoCA evaluates global cognitive performance including attention, memory, language, executive functions, and visuospatial abilities in older adults. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORIlker Demir, PhD
Hasan Kalyoncu University
Outcome results
None listed