The Influence of Movement Velocity Biofeedback on Muscle Activation and Self Perception in Older Adults With Sarcopenia

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Sarcopenia; Sarcopenia in Elderly; Age-associated Muscle Loss

• Registration Number: NCT06853275
• Lead Sponsor: Creighton University

Brief Summary

The overall objective for this clinical trial is to provide evidence for internal and external cueing for physical therapists and other rehabilitation clinicians to optimize resistance training within rehabilitation for older adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* What is the impact of external focus (providing velocity of movement for each repetition) compared to internal focus (i.e., no cues, control group) on physical percent velocity loss and neuromuscular activation in older adults with sarcopenia?

* Does internal and external focus influence motivation and perceptual workload following resistance training in older adults with sarcopenia?

Researchers will compare external focus to internal focus to see if external focus impacts percent velocity loss, motivation, and perceived workload.

Participants will:

* Visit the lab once per week for 3 weeks

* Perform exercise testing using a leg press

* Answer questionnaires regarding perceived workload and motivation before and after exercise

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-02-25
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-02-25
• Study First Posted: 2025-02-28
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-04-28
• Study Start: 2025-05
• Last Update Posted: 2025-05-01
• Primary Completion: 2027-12-31
• Study Completion: 2027-12-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

• Community-dwelling older adults 60-95 years of age
• Physically independent
• Free of severe mental impairment
• Score 4 or greater on the SARC-F sarcopenia questionnaire

Exclusion Criteria

• Participated in a structured resistance training program in the last 12 months
• Had a lower extremity injury or surgical intervention within the past 6 months
• Have neuromuscular (i.e., Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis), circulatory, or edema pathology

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Percent Velocity Loss	Week 1 and Week 2 Timepoints	The linear position transducer is a spring-powered retractable apparatus that attaches to the leg press on one end and to the machine near the participant's hip joint. Velocity data from a linear position transducer will be collected following each repetition. Percent velocity loss (%VL) measures the reduction in the movement speed from the initial repetition to the final repetition. The %VL will quantify the level of fatigue and performance decline that occurs throughout the repetitions of leg press. This would suggest that a higher %VL would indicate a greater degree of fatigue, while a lower %VL loss would indicate a better ability to maintain movement velocity across the repetitions.
Muscle Activation	Baseline, Week 1, and Week 2 Timepoints	To examine muscle activation, surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals will be collected in millivolts (mV) during each repetition using wireless sEMG sensors from the right vastus lateralis. A higher number of millivolts is associated with greater muscular activation. All sEMG signals will use a commercially available signal acquisition system. To optimize signal quality, the skin will be prepared, and the surface electrodes will be secured to the skin with skin-sensor adhesive in a standardized position directly above the muscle in line with the muscle fiber pennation in a bipolar fashion. An electrogoniometer will be placed across the right knee's joint space. The electrogoniometer will be calibrated to 90° flexion and 180° full extension of the knee joint.
Motivation	Week 1 and Week 2 Timepoints	The Dundee Stress State Questionnaire (DDSQ) has been used to determine task stress and performance impact of stress on task completion. Our proposal focuses on the motivation construct (15 item questionnaire, \~5 minutes to complete) of the DDSQ which has been shown to be reliable and scored on a 4-point Likert scale (Extremely = 4 Very much = 3 Somewhat = 2 A little bit = 1 Not at all = 0). The maximum score possible is 60 points and minimum score possible is 0 points. Higher scores indicate higher motivation. Note that certain items are reverse coded when scoring. Motivation will be assessed before sessions to determine baseline motivation to complete the resistance training protocol and 10 minutes after the resistance training protocol to determine if the visual movement velocity biofeedback improves motivation throughout the resistance training protocol.
Perceived Workload	Week 1 and Week 2 Timepoints	Perceived workload will be assessed using the NASA task index (NASA-TLX). This questionnaire assesses six separate indices that examine the mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration level following the completion of the resistance training protocol. Adjusted scores range from 0-500 with higher scores indicate greater demand, failure, higher effort, or higher frustration. The NASA-TLX will provide valuable information about how visual movement velocity biofeedback may change the perceived workload compared to the non-biofeedback condition.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Creighton University; 🇺🇸 Omaha, Nebraska, United States