Can thinking about movement improve movement speed in older adults?

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Elderly; Mobility; Physical Medicine / Rehabilitation - Physiotherapy

• Registration Number: ACTRN12617000122358
• Lead Sponsor: Vaughan Nicholson

Brief Summary

Purpose: To investigate the influence of a single session of locomotor-based motor imagery training on motor learning and physical performance. Patients and methods: Thirty independent adults aged >65 years took part in the randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted within an exercise science laboratory. Participants were randomly divided into three groups following baseline locomotor testing: motor imagery training, physical training, and control groups. The motor imagery training group completed 20 imagined repetitions of a locomotor task, the physical training group completed 20 physical repetitions of a locomotor task, and the control group spent 25 minutes playing mentally stimulating games on an iPad. Imagined and physical performance times were measured for each training repetition. Gait speed (preferred and fast), timed-up-and-go, gait variability and the time to complete an obstacle course were completed before and after the single training session. Results: Motor learning occurred in both the motor imagery training and physical training groups. Motor imagery training led to refinements in motor planning resulting in imagined movements better matching the physically performed movement at the end of training. Motor imagery and physical training also promoted improvements in some locomotion outcomes as demonstrated by medium to large effect size improvements after training for fast gait speed and timed-up-and-go. There were no training effects on gait variability. Conclusion: A single session of motor imagery training promoted motor learning of locomotion in independent older adults. Motor imagery training of a specific locomotor task also had a positive transfer effect on related physical locomotor performance outcome

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2017-01-24
• Study Completion: 2017-08-01
• Last Update Posted: 28 June 2021

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

independently mobile
can commit to the study time frames

Exclusion Criteria

any falls in the past 12 months
require a walking aid for indoor mobility
acute or terminal illness
unstable cardiovascular and/or respiratory disorder
neurological disease
joint replacement in the past six months.

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Timed to complete the Combined mobility task once[Baseline and immediately after training or control session];Timed up and go[Basleline and immediately after training or control session]

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Imagined timed up and go[Baseline and immediately after training or control session];Gait variability is assessed on the GaitRite mat. The mat detects foot placements during gait. [Baseline and immediately after training or control session]