View clinical trials related to Balance.
Filter by:Determine the short-term and lasting effects of intensity-matched exercise programs on level 2-3 PD patients' clinical symptoms, postural control, and mobility. Hypothesis 1. The inclusion of a Borg-scale/heart-rate matched active control group will allow us to test the idea that, in addition to a fitness element, the reflexive movements that chellenge PD patients' sensorimotor system will improve patients' clinical symptoms, posture, and mobility more than fitness training and that such lasting effects will be superior in the agility compared with the fitness-control group. This hypothesis emered from the idea that the favorable results in the currently under review paper may be in part due to a simple conditioning effect instead of a specific motor learning effect caused by the xbox training. 2. If feasible, i.e., if there is a lerge enough pool of patients to randomize, a balance training group will be also added to test the idea that the reflexive actions evoked by the agility program by xbox exergaming still produce superior adaptations vs. the balance group because xbox forces patients to rapidly and reflexively execute movements (respond to cues, prompts), while balance training allows patients to stop, go, stop, and go and disrupt the continous execution of linked movements. The disruptions of movement chains could arise from small losses of balance on the unstabel surfaces, need for patients to re-initiate every movement element of a sequence, planning each movement element. It is not clear yet how it woul be possible to match all three intervention groups on Borg/heart rate intensity.
After a stroke, people find it difficult to perform everyday activities independently, like getting dressed, preparing meals, and shopping, limiting their independence and requiring the assistance of a family member, friend or a home care worker. Losing one's independence can decrease quality of life. Functional exercise classes run by physical therapists where people with stroke practice getting in and out of a chair, stepping, and walking, can improve the ability to balance, walk, and do everyday activities. These classes are not commonly available in community centres, mainly because fitness instructors do not receive training in how to run exercise classes for people with stroke. Therefore there is a need to make these functional exercise programs available in local community centres. The objective of this project is to test procedures for running a large study to see whether people with stroke improve their ability to do everyday activities after participating in functional group exercise classes for 12 weeks in local community centres. If ability to do everyday activities improves, the investigators wish to see if the improvement is still present 3, 6 and 9 months later. Physical therapists at a nearby hospital will teach fitness instructors how to run the exercise class, help out during the classes, and answer questions by email or phone. Before conducting the larger Canada-wide study, it is important to determine the interest in such a program, the acceptability of the evaluations and the costs associated with the program, the degree of improvements resulting from the program, and if fitness instructors are able to run the program as planned. In Toronto, London and Pembroke, Canada, managers at a hospital and a nearby recreation centre have agreed to help run the exercise program. A recruiter will ask people with stroke who can walk and are being discharged home from the hospital whether they can be called about the study. People with stroke and a caregiver who agree to participate in the study will complete four evaluations when they enter the study, and 3, 6, and 12 months later. At each evaluation, people with stroke will perform tests of balance and walking, and complete questionnaires about their mood, participation in valued activities, and quality of life. After the first evaluation, the investigators will use a process like flipping a coin, to see if the person with stroke will begin the exercise program immediately or 12 months later. The investigators will call people each month to ask if a fall occurred. The investigators will interview exercise participants, family members and hospital/recreation staff at the end of the study to ask about the experiences. This project is unique because the program combines the expert knowledge and skills of physical therapists and fitness instructors. The exercise program involves practicing everyday movements, making the exercises easy for fitness instructors and people with stroke to learn. Each exercise has multiple levels of difficulty so the instructor can adapt exercises to how the person is feeling. The exercise program does not require expensive equipment (e.g. chairs, stepping stools) and therefore can be offered in most community centres. Finally, an extensive network of hospitals providing stroke care and community centres run by recreation organizations exists in Canada. Thus, if this program is beneficial, it could easily be made widely available. With the number of Canadians living with the consequences of stroke increasing every year, access to a functional exercise programs in local community centres will improve their ability to function and live independently in the community and reduce the burden on family or caregivers and on the healthcare system.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether intensive slackline training improves spatial orientation abilities, balancing skills and causes neuroplasticity in related brain cortical regions.
The purpose of the present study was to measure the effect of proprioceptive training, short-term, on dynamic postural balance during pregnancy and after 8 weeks of follow-up. Thirty-nine pregnant women were randomized to either the intervention group(n=20) , which would perform proprioceptive exercise, or the control group(n=19, no intervention) .
Background: Taking into consideration the ongoing inversion of the population pyramid and the limitations and medical conditions, which predispose to episodes of falling among elderly people, the implementation of exercises and physical treatments capable of promoting postural balance in the group studied is made necessary. Objectives: Assess the influence of the electronic platform Kinect Sensor® (KS) as a tool in the treatment of postural balance in elderly individuals. Method: The study included 10 elderly (60 to 70 years old) and 10 young (20 to 30 years old) individuals. Treatment protocol composed of five weeks with sessions performed twice a week with application of KS. Initial and final evaluation included static and dynamic balance instruments: Berg Balance scale and Timed up and Go and Romberg Tandem tests.
Impaired standing balance, fatigue and abnormal eye movements are common problems in persons with MS. These complaints are related to advanced disability and decreased quality of life for persons with MS. Researchers from the University of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center (RMMSC) at the Anschutz Medical Campus have recently completed and published a research study that showed an exercise program consisting of balance and eye movement training, referred to as a vestibular rehabilitation program, was very effective in improving self-reported fatigue and standing balance in persons with MS. This initial study was the first to have proven that this type of exercise program is able to improve both of these potentially devastating complaints. The investigators from this initial study have partnered with other well-established researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center (RMMSC) at the Anschutz Medical Campus to advance our knowledge of the effect of vestibular rehabilitation for persons with MS. Using the findings from the initial study, the investigators propose to conduct a larger study specifically identifying persons with MS who have brain lesion involvement in areas that control balance and eye movements. Primarily, the current study will determine if those individuals who have involvement in these areas of the brain improve more in balance and fatigue compared to those who do not following participation in a vestibular rehabilitation program. Additionally, the investigators will test if study participants who have abnormal eye movement control, will improve their eye movement control following the training program. For persons with MS, impaired eye movements can lead to a considerable decline in health status, further illustrating the importance of the research plan to study this important factor. The investigators believe that greater improvements in balance and fatigue are possible from a longer treatment, and that participants who have brain lesion involvement in areas that help control balance and eye movements will benefit greater than those who do not. This information is important to determine who is more likely to benefit from a vestibular rehabilitation program. Additionally, the researchers will be able to measure changes in eye movement control, providing valuable insight into the reasons for the program's effectiveness.
To examine the change in balance that occurs in older individuals when exposed to different colored lights at night.
The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel exercise intervention for individuals who live with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Most boxing injuries occurs over head and neck which leads to potentially acute or chronic head and neck injuries. Patients with whiplash injury has been reported, reflected by increased body sway and reduced ability to overcome challenging balance tasks. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the fitness and balance outcomes between the boxers and the control group, and boxers undergoing posterior-neck icing effects.
Subjects will be secured and rotated in a whole body gyroscope, similar to a flight trainer for astronauts. The rotations will be in many directions and the speed will be at 90 deg/sec. The effects of this rotation on the ability to stand upright will be measured.