Can Entertaining Action-video Games Enhance Dynamic Visual Function and Improve Balance? A Randomized Controlled Trial.
- Conditions
- Vision, Balance and Falls in Older Adults
- Interventions
- Behavioral: ControlBehavioral: Slow-paced action video gameBehavioral: Fast-paced action video game
- Registration Number
- NCT02252874
- Lead Sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Brief Summary
This project is aimed to find out whether action video games can enhance dynamic visual function and improve balance function in the community-dwelling older adults. It is also aimed to examine the relationship between dynamic visions and balance functions.
- Detailed Description
Balance control is an important component even in a very simple daily task like walking. However, as we age, our physical and visual function would gradually deteriorate even in the absence of health or eye problems. Improving elderly balance control through different training is one way to prevent falls. In our project, we investigate the use of action video games, which is easy-to-find and entertaining, as a visual function trainer to improve balance of older adults.
We hypothesize that the training would show an improvement in both balance and dynamic vision. Our primary hypothesis is that postural sway in static and dynamic balance measures will improve after action video-game intervention. For secondary outcome measures, we hypothesize that the training will improve dynamic visual function (as measured by dynamic visual acuity and dynamic contrast sensitivity), and visual attention measures (as measured by useful field of view, multiple object tracking and spatial attention).
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 160
- Ability to understand and speak Cantonese
- No formal training or regular practice of balance function (e.g. Tai-chi)
- Little and preferably no video-game experience
- Best corrected distance acuity of 0.2 logMAR or better
- Any diagnosed ocular diseases and ocular-motor abnormalities
- Suffering form severe medical problems or self reported neurological or cognitive disorders
- Suffering from physical impairments or physical limitations restricting them from training
- Having self reported vestibular or cerebellar dysfunction, history of vertigo or severe hearing loss
- Suffering from crippling arthritis, or a recent fracture of lower limb
- Planned major surgery during the trial
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Control Group Control Receive leisure activities (e.g. reading, web-surfing, playing chess/ Mahjong) Twenty hours (2-3 sessions per week, 1.5 hours per session) Intervention Group 1 Slow-paced action video game Receive slow motion Nintendo Wii video games Twenty hours ( 2-3 sessions per week, 1.5 hours per session) Intervention Group 2 Fast-paced action video game Receive fast motion Nintendo Wii video games (e.g. shooting game) Twenty hours ( 2-3 sessions per week, 1.5 hours per session)
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Static and dynamic postural sway on forced platform Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16 1. Static Balance - postural sway when standing on firm or foam surface.
2. Dynamic Balance:
1. Limits of stability (LOS)
2. Sequential weight shifting test (SWS)
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Multiple tracking objects (MOT) Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16 One of the visual attention measures - Multiple tracking objects (MOT)
Useful Field of View (UFOV) Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16 One of the visual attention measures - Useful Field of View (UFOV)
Grating visual acuity at different moving speeds Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16 Dynamic visual function measure - Grating visual acuity is measured with different moving speeds
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Allen MY Cheong
🇨🇳Hong Kong, China