INDIVIDUALIZED DUAL-TASK TRAINING FOR BALANCE AND MOBILITY IN OLDER ADULTS

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to prevent functional decline and improve mobility in healthy older adults aged 65 and over. The main questions it aims to answer are:

What is the effect of individualized dual-task training on functional balance and mobility compared to standard training? Does personalized sensory and cognitive training significantly reduce the dual-task cost during walking tasks? Researchers will compare the Individualized Dual-Task Group to a Standardized Dual-Task Group and a Single-Task Control Group to see if personalized adjustments in sensory and cognitive loads lead to superior improvements in balance, gait speed, and motor-cognitive interference.

Participants will:

Complete an initial assessment of motor and cognitive capacities to determine individual baseline levels.

Participate in a supervised exercise program 3 days a week for 8 weeks, with each session lasting 40-45 minutes.

Perform motor tasks such as walking, obstacle crossing, and balance exercises while simultaneously engaging in cognitive tasks (e.g., counting, verbal fluency).

(For the individualized group) Undergo weekly adjustments in exercise difficulty, including sensory manipulations like surface changes and head movements based on their performance.

Conditions

• Healthy Older Adults
• Postural Balance
• Dual Task Exercises in Elderly People
• Dual Task Cost

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Individualized Dual-Task Training

An 8-week, supervised exercise program (3 sessions/week, 40-45 min). Training involves simultaneous motor (walking, balance, obstacle crossing) and cognitive tasks (counting, verbal fluency). The cognitive and sensory loads are adjusted weekly based on the participant's performance (Borg Scale and task accuracy) to maintain an optimal challenge level.

BEHAVIORAL

Standardized Dual-Task Training

An 8-week, supervised dual-task exercise program (3 sessions/week, 40-45 min). Participants perform the same motor and cognitive tasks as the individualized group, but the progression of difficulty is fixed and follows a pre-determined schedule regardless of individual performance changes.

BEHAVIORAL

Single-Task Motor Training

An 8-week program (3 sessions/week, 40-45 min) consisting only of motor exercises such as walking and balance tasks. No simultaneous cognitive tasks or sensory manipulations are provided during the training sessions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Sezen Karaborklu Argut

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sezen Karabörklü Argut, PhD · Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Faculty of Health Sciences

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-29

Primary Completion

2027-04-30

Completion

2027-04-30

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations