Improvements in Static Balance Following an Oculomotor Exercise Program in Athletes
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 139
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Static balance -Stork test duration
研究概览
简要总结
The goal of this interventional study is to evaluate the effects of a six-week eye-movement exercise program on balance in athletes aged 15 to 30 years participating in basketball, football, and boxing. The main question it aims to answer whether performing daily exercises based on a standardized protocol improves balance and functional interaction among the oculomotor, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems.
Participants will perform six different exercises daily for 10 minutes over six weeks. During the first four weeks, exercises are performed on both legs, while in the last two weeks, exercises are performed on the dominant leg on a 10 mm rubber mat to increase vestibular challenge and stimulate functional integration among the sensory systems.
Balance will be assessed using the Leonardo system and the Stork test (s), focusing on single-leg stance on the dominant leg with eyes open during the last two weeks of training. Reaction time will also be evaluated as a secondary outcome to provide additional insight into sensorimotor performance.
All participants provided informed consent, and for those under 18 years of age, parental consent was obtained. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Sports of Tirana.
详细描述
Babetween the visual and vestibular systems, together with proprioceptive feedback, enable the central nervous system to regulate muscle tone and maintain the center of mass within the baselance is a critical component for motor control and body stability in both daily activities and sports performance. Maintaining balance requires coordination of the vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual systems, as well as the integration of motor responses. The visual system plays a central role in perceiving body position, spatial orientation, and environmental cues, providing essential information for postural control and adaptation to movement. Interactions of support. Visual training can enhance these interactions, improving optic flow and the accuracy of information sent to vestibular and somatosensory systems, ultimately supporting postural stability.
This study focused on training the visual-vestibular system through a standardized oculomotor exercise protocol designed to stimulate functional integration across sensory systems. The protocol includes six exercises targeting eye stretching, smooth pursuit, gaze stabilization, spatial localization, saccades, and vergence/convergence. Exercises are performed in progressive postural conditions, initially with both legs and later on the dominant leg using a 10 mm rubber mat to increase vestibular challenge and promote sensorimotor adaptation. All sessions are supervised individually in a distraction-free environment to ensure consistency, progression, and adherence.
Balance performance is assessed using complementary instrumented and clinical measures to provide sensitive and reliable evaluation. Postural stability is recorded under eyes open and eyes closed conditions using the Leonardo Mechanograph, capturing detailed metrics such as ellipse area (cm²) and sway velocity (mm/s) of the center of pressure trajectory, and the Stork test (s). Standardized procedures, including familiarization trials and controlled environmental conditions, are applied to minimize variability and potential bias.
In addition to balance outcomes, reaction time is evaluated as a secondary indicator of sensorimotor processing, reflecting the efficiency of visuomotor integration following oculomotor training.
The intervention is implemented with rigorous monitoring to ensure compliance and accurate delivery of the exercises, while participants continue their usual sports training. This approach allows for the assessment of functional improvements in postural control and sensorimotor performance resulting from targeted oculomotor training, extending previous findings in clinical populations to healthy athletes in basketball, football, and boxing.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 15 Years 至 30 Years（Child, Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Age 15-30 years
- •Be engaged in the relevant sports disciplines for a minimum of 12 months, a time considered sufficient for a sports specialization.
- •Healthy subjects without cardiorespiratory, psychological, vestibular, or oncological pathologies, as verified by self-declaration (Questionnaire, which is available as supplementary material) and their health booklet.
- •Training in the relevant disciplines 5x/week.
- •Having a visual acuity of 20/20 after testing, with or without glasses/contact lenses.
排除标准
- •Subjects with vertigo symptoms, with divergent/convergent strabismus
- •Subjects with cardiorespiratory, psychological, vestibular, or oncological problems
- •Athletes under the age of 15
- •Subjects with injury in the last 12 months that required medical attention, concussion, and cognitive deficits
研究组 & 干预措施
Experimental Group (EG)-Oculomotor Exercise Protocol
Participants perform the standardized oculomotor exercise protocol in addition to their usual sports training. Exercises are conducted daily for 10 minutes, 5 days per week, for 6 weeks. During the first four weeks, exercises are performed in a bipedal stance, and during the final two weeks, exercises are progressed to a single-leg stance on the dominant leg using a 10-mm rubber mat to increase vestibular challenge and sensory stimulation. All sessions are individually supervised by a licensed physiotherapist.
Interventions:
Oculomotor exercise protocol (eye stretching, smooth pursuit, gaze stabilization, spatial localization, saccades, vergence/convergence exercises)
干预措施: Oculomotor Exercise Protocol (Other)
Control Group (CG)-Usual Training
Participants continue their usual sports training routine without additional oculomotor exercises.
Interventions:
None / usual sports training
干预措施: Usual Training (Other)
结局指标
主要结局
Static balance -Stork test duration
时间窗: Baseline (pre-intervention) and 6 weeks (post-intervention)
Static balance assessed on the dominant leg with eyes open using Stork test. Duration of maintained position was recorded. Outcome expressed as duration in seconds (s).
Static balance-Center of pressure ellipse area
时间窗: Baseline (pre-intervention ) and 6 weeks (post-intervention)
Static balance assessed on the dominant leg with eyes open using the Leonardo Mechanograph system. Center of pressure ellipse area was recorded. Outcome expressed in (cm²).
次要结局
- Static balance-Postural sway velocity(Baseline( pre-intervention) and 6 weeks (post-intervention))
- Reaction time(Baseline (pre-intervention) and 6 weeks (post-intervention))
研究者
Andromeda Lalaj
MSC
Sport University of Tirana