Community-based Tai Chi, Balance, and Fall Risk

Completed

• Conditions: Fall; Postural Balance; Proprioceptive Disorders
• Interventions: Behavioral: tai chi

• Registration Number: NCT04173936
• Lead Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Asheville

Brief Summary

Aims: Examine the effects of a community Tai Chi program on measures of balance and sensorimotor function.

Methods: In a pre-test and post-test design, balance was measured in older adults (N=344; 73.4±7.4 years) with 30-second chair stand, timed-up and go, and 4-stage balance test following a 12-week community-based tai chi intervention. Balance measures and additional sensorimotor measures, including hip abductor electromechanical delay and hip proprioception, were measured in a smaller sample of older adults (n=11; 67.3±3.7 years).

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-01-11
• Primary Completion: 2017-06-15
• Study Completion: 2017-06-15
• Status Verified: 2019-11
• Study First Submitted: 2019-11-18
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-11-21
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-11-21
• Study First Posted: 2019-11-22
• Last Update Posted: 2019-11-22

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 405

Inclusion Criteria

• age 60 years or older
• ability to independently ambulate
• self-described concern with stability and/or mobility.

Exclusion Criteria

• Neurological diagnosis
• Participants body weight exceeds >450 pounds).

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Tai Chi	tai chi	All participants enrolled in a 12 week community-based tai chi program.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
30-second chair number	12 weeks	The number of times a person can stand up and sit down from a chair in 30 seconds
Timed Up and Go	12 weeks	The time (in seconds) for a person to stand from a chair, walk 10 feet, turn 180 degrees and return to sit in the chair
4 stage balance test	12 weeks	How long (in seconds) can a person stand with feet together, stand with one foot forward and to the side, stand in tandem (one foot immediately in front of the other, and stand on one foot
Brief-Balance Evaluation System Test	12 weeks	The bBESTest is an 8-item, clinically-based assessment measuring anticipatory postural adjustments, compensatory postural responses, sensory orientation, stability in gait, and the timed up-and-go test.
Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) scale	12 weeks	the ABC scale assesses self-reported confidence during 16 activities related to mobility.
Hip abductor muscle contraction time	12 weeks	Hip abductor muscle contraction speed as measured as the time (in milliseconds) between the onset of electromyography signal and torque onset from hip muscle abduction
Hip joint proprioception error	12 weeks	The magnitude of proprioception error was measured on the participant's dominant lower extremity with a custom-built device25,51 that allows for rotation around the axis of a semi-goniometer to measure proprioception in the transverse plane at the hip joint. Proprioception was assessed by measuring the accuracy of actively pointing a marked line on the second toe to target angles along the semi-goniometer during two conditions, a vision condition and an occluded vision condition.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

UNC Asheville; 🇺🇸 Asheville, North Carolina, United States