View clinical trials related to Balance.
Filter by:Among the components of postural control, sensorial integration is of crucial importance. The most important sensorial inputs for postural maintenance are the vestibular system which provides information regarding accelerations of the head in space (HORAK 1994), the somatosensory system which provides proprioceptive information that are used to determine changes in body position (INGLIS 1994) and the visual system which provides information for self motion in the environment. The receptors and the integration channel of each sensorial system have inner characteristics which lead to different performance of the different input in regards to the task and the environmental context (FITZGERALD 1994). Most of time, sensorial information are congruent but sometimes they are conflicted. This is the case when being in a stationary train, the train beside going on, giving the illusory sensation of movement even if the vestibular system is not activated. A sensory weighting process is then necessary for subjects to control balance. The Central Nervous System (CNS) is thought to adjust the relative contribution of sensory input to control stance depending on environmental conditions (CENCIANNI 2006) and the reliability of the sensory input (OIE 2002, KESHNER 2004) in order to maintain or achieve the desired orientation in space and to provide postural stability. Nevertheless the interconnection of the multiple sensorial feedback involved in the postural control is not yet completely understood (CHIARI 2000). Today, there is no tool available to evaluate the individual use of the sensorial information to postural control. It seems interesting to have such a tool to better understand the sensorial preference of subjects. It would be of particular importance for patients with various pathologies in the aim to design individualized balance rehabilitation programs. The aim of the study was to test a tool built to evaluate the sensorial preference of subjects by studying their postural reaction related to the 3 main sensorial perturbations. Normal subjects will be first tested to assess the repeatability of the protocol and to collect normal values. Then, patients with post stroke hemiplegia, vestibular disease, neuropathy and fallers will be studied in order to test the feasibility of the protocol and to have preliminary data of sensorial preference among these populations.
The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a 6-month music-based multitask exercises program (Jaques-Dalcroze eurhythmics) in improving gait and balance, and reducing fall risk in community-dwelling older adults with an increased risk of falling.
The goal of the present study was to objectively evaluate the postural behaviour of type II obese patients as compared to adults showing a normal body mass index (BMI) in critical postural tasks.
Compared with cognitively normal older adults, those with mild cognitive problems (MCI) have a two-fold higher rate of falls, sustain more fractures, and have a higher rate of mortality due to falls. Why older adults with cognitive problems fall more frequently is not completely understood. What is known, however, is that attention is a necessary cognitive resource for normal walking and impairments in attention are associated with increased risk of falls in older adults. It has been suggested that cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI), medications used for treatment of dementia, may improve motor function and walking (gait performance). Since ChEI are known to improve attention, we hypothesized that ChEI will reduce falls risk in people with MCI by improving their gait velocity, improving their balance, and reducing their gait variability; a well-established risk factor for falls. In the proposed study, we will evaluate the effect of donepezil (ChEI) on gait velocity, gait variability, and the balance on 140 elderly individuals with MCI (70 intervention and 70 controls). Gait variables will be measured using an electronic walkway, and balance confidence using a validated scale (Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale; ABC) over four months. By characterizing and understanding the effects of cognitive enhancers on fall risk in older adults with cognitive impairments, we will be able to pave the way for a new approach to fall prevention in this population. We would establish that medications that augment cognitive function could be a complementary therapeutic option for reducing fall risk in people with MCI. This may lead to new approaches to prevent and treat fall risk in this population, which will lead to improve the autonomy and quality of life of seniors in early stage of dementia, and a decreased burden for the Ontario health care system.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether there are quantifiable differences in walking stability, as measured by the acceleration of the trunk or the variation in step length, between people with unilateral below-knee amputations from vascular reasons or from trauma reasons.
The proposed project is a Randomized Controlled study design. Seniors (age >65) willing to participate in the study will be shortly interviewed to assess eligibility according to the inclusion-exclusion criteria. The first 60 subjects who upon questioning were judged to meet the following inclusion criteria: 1. able to stand independently 90 seconds 2. able to walk 10 meters (with cane if necessary) 3. able to understand verbal instructions. The exclusion criteria will be: 1. Serious visual impairment 2. Inability to ambulate independently (cane acceptable, walker not). 3. Severely impaired cognitive status (score less then 24 in Mini Mental State Examination). 4. Persons with impaired communication capabilities. The whole project will be conducted over a period of 24 months. The proposed study is a randomized experimental intervention/ control group design. A total of 60 elderly volunteer subjects will be randomly assigned to two groups, exercise group (30) and control group (30). Twelve training periods will be performed with 8 subjects participating in training during each period (4 exercise groups). The exercise group will meet on 24 occasions over a period of 12 weeks (2 times/week). Gait and balance function will be tested in both groups with well established measuring techniques before and after the training period. The measuring techniques 1. Medical background variables. 2. Berg Balance Scale. 3. Late life Function and Disability Instrument. 4. Get up and go test - stand up and walk 3 meters turn around and walk back to the chair. 5. Fall Efficacy Scale 6. Fall incidence and fall severity. 7. 6-minute walk test. The control group will not perform any specific balance training during the 12 week period. These individuals from control will participate in a separate exercise program after the training period. The water training intervention is performed on different levels where each level reflects different increasing demands on the postural control system. The water exercises also include perturbation exercises that trigger specific reflex-like balance responses. On each level the instructor can instantly modify an exercise to be more or less challenging for each participant.
The significance of this population-based study is in producing new information for planning interventions and rehabilitation programs for the elderly, planning education of health care personnel and planning national health education programs for different age groups. The study consists of an epidemiological cross-sectional study and a randomized controlled intervention study. The study population consisted of all the 1689 home-dwelling women born during 1924-1927 residing in Oulu, Northern Finland, who were asked to a screening visit including bone mineral density (BMD) measurement of the distal radius in 1997. 1222 women attended the clinic and were afterwards mailed a postal questionnaire focusing on lifelong risk factors for osteoporosis, e.g. the amount of physical activity at work and during leisure time, daily intake of calcium and use of alcohol and cigarettes. Those with BMD value more than 20% lower than the reference value, underwent a densitometry of the hip. All women with femoral neck BMD more than 20% below the reference value (n=160) were randomly selected to either exercise (n=84) or control (n=76) group. At baseline and after that annually during the 30-month intervention, balance, muscle strength, aerobic capacity, walking speed, cognitive functions and mood are measured from all the participants. Hip BMD will be measured annually. The exercise group participates in a supervised training program with weekly sessions from the beginning of October to the end of April. In addition to the supervised sessions the participants train daily at home. From April to October the exercises are performed purely at home. The training regimen consists of balance, strength and impact exercises. The intervention group keeps diary of their daily physical activity. The number and severity of falls are recorded from both the groups. The purpose of the study is: 1. to identify factors accounting for low BMD in elderly home-dwelling women with severe osteopenia. 2. to evaluate how supervised regular weight-bearing exercise program affects BMD in elderly home-dwelling women with severe osteopenia 3. to evaluate how supervised regular balance and muscle training affects balance and muscle strength in elderly home-dwelling women with severe osteopenia. In addition the aim is to: 4. study how regular supervised exercise affects the incidence and severity of falls, mood and cognitive functions in women with severe osteopenia. Hypothesis and research methods The main hypothesis is that long-term supervised, mainly home- based regular impact-type and balance and muscle exercises can improve balance and muscle strength of lower extremities and maintain bone mass in elderly women. We also hypothesize that the incidence of falls is lower in the exercise group than in the controls and that the falls are more injurious in the control group than in the intervention group during the follow-up period
Falls are a major concern for the geriatric population and represent a significant public health problem. Various interventions are being explored to improve balance and decrease falls in the elderly. Success has been shown in some programs; various exercise interventions place emphasis on strength, balance, or endurance exercises. Results reported in the literature are still equivocal. Controversy exists as to optimal types of exercise, and the optimum frequency, duration, and intensity of exercise. It is believed that the SpineForce device, which places a unique combination of strength and balance demands upon the user, can result in rapid increases in balance as compared to other rehabilitation programs. Gains in balance have implications for geriatric populations as well as those seeking enhanced sports performance and injury prevention. The Purpose of this study is to assess the SpineForce device as a novel intervention in the treatment of balance disorders.
The purpose of this project is to examine the impact of sleeping pills and waking up in the middle of the night on walking balance and cognitive function, to identify risk factors for falls in older adults. A significant percentage of falls, approximately 33 to 52 percent, occur during the nighttime and morning hours when people are normally sleeping; therefore, it is possible that sleep and sleeping medication related impairments in balance may contribute to this risk.
The purposes of this study is to determined the effects of instrument applied spinal manipulative therapy upon dual-task performance involving complex postural and cognitive task.