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

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

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.

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.

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.

Study 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.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Dual-Task Cost (DTC) of Functional Mobility — Baseline and at the end of the 8-week intervention.
  Dual-Task Cost (DTC) will be calculated based on the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test performance. DTC represents the percentage change in TUG time during a cognitive-motor dual-task condition (e.g., walking while counting backwards) compared to a single-task condition (walking only). The formula is: DTC = \[(Dual-Task Time - Single-Task Time) / Single-Task Time\] X 100. A higher percentage indicates greater interference and poorer dual-task performance.

Trial sites (1)

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