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Pilot Study of Virtual Gait Training in Older Adults

NCT01607736 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 12

Last updated 2012-05-30

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Older individuals suffer from falls and fear of falling. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a novel virtual gait training on walking performance and fear of falling in older adults, and to evaluate the feasibility of the virtual gait training program. The investigators hypothesize that virtual gait training in older adults over a three week period will both improve gait parameters as measured by a GAITRite® electronic walkway system, and reduce their fear of falling as measured by the Falls Efficacy Scale-International version.

Conditions

  • Frail Elderly

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Virtual Gait Training

The intervention consisted of 12-minute virtual gait training sessions once daily for a total of 14 weekdays within a three-week period. The intervention video showed walking legs of a 30-year-old woman for female and a 46-year-old man for male participants. The video screen was adjusted in height such that it corresponded to the legs of the standing participant, with a mirror placed above it. Participants began the training session with a circa one minute of concentration on the upcoming intervention. Afterwards, the video was started. Participants were instructed to stand (when necessary, to sit) and observe the video and mirror, and to imagine themselves walking. Training sessions were supervised by a physical therapist who gave additional instructions and comments regarding participants' visual/kinesthetic imagination of themselves performing the observed movement. Verbal and physical reactions during training sessions were documented in written form and sometimes videotaped.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Reto W Kressig, MD · Dept. of Geriatrics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2011-05-31
Primary Completion
2011-08-31
Completion
2011-08-31

Countries

  • Switzerland

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01607736 on ClinicalTrials.gov