View clinical trials related to Gait, Unsteady.
Filter by:Walking is a complex and continuous task that entails repetitive motions of the body. Relatively high gait variability sensitively predicts falls and cognitive decline in older adults. Previous work has identified an unique brain network relationship linked to gait variability and its relevant cognitive function (i.e., sustained attention). This project aims to develop a non-invasive brain stimulation montage designed to modulate the shared brain networks dynamics and to demonstrate its effects on resting state functional connectivity, gait and cognitive performance in older adults at risk for falls.
A fall in the elderly is defined by the WHO as "an event in which a person [over 65 years of age] inadvertently falls to a lower level on the ground or other surface than they were previously at". The severity of the consequences of falls is correlated with the age of the person who suffers them, making people over 65 at risk. Since 2000, the number of falls among the elderly has not decreased, including in institutions. Today, the direct and indirect costs of falls are estimated at 1.7 billion euros in France. The French National Authority for Health (HAS) stresses that the lack of success of prevention policies is due in particular to the lack of evaluation and prevention resources. In nursing homes, this lack of resources is sometimes used to justify passive restraint to ensure the safety of participants. However, this method poses the problem of the free movement of residents within the institution. The fall detection technologies already on the market do not allow for the assessment of the risk of falling and therefore for early action. Based on the latest scientific data in static posturography, researchers at the Borelli Centre have developed posturographic markers whose non-linear analysis makes it possible to establish an objective and clinically relevant score based on the study of the displacement of the centre of pressure. In contrast to the techniques commonly used in the laboratory to study balance (which are not usable in health care institutions because of their cost, lack of transportability and the expertise required to explore the recorded data), this method of measurement allows health care professionals to quickly and easily measure the balance of participants in routine consultations. Thus, special attention and targeted rehabilitation can then be implemented to prevent falls and their consequences.
Hearing impairment is common in older adults, and recent research points to associations between hearing impairment and balance/mobility. The association may be due to more attentional resources being used to compensate for the sensory loss, with less resources available for maintaining balance. The aim of this projects is therefore to investigate whether an exercise program with focus on motor-cognitive tasks is feasible for older adults with hearing impairment. The study is meant as a proof-of-concept study, where trialling will be evaluated, and results will be used to inform the design of a larger and adequately powered study.