Effect of Timing and Coordination Training on Gait Kinematics and Interlimb and Intralimb Coordination in Older Adults with Mild Fall Risk: A Randomised Controlled Trial

According to the World Health Organization, the number of people aged 60 and above is expected to rise significantly, with falls being a leading cause of injury-related deaths in this age group. Falls in older adults are often caused by multiple factors, including physiological, musculoskeletal, and environmental influences. Gait abnormalities and impaired movement coordination are key risk factors for falls. Studies suggest that movement variability plays a crucial role in maintaining balance, but excessive or insufficient variability can lead to instability. Traditional exercise programs may not be as effective as task-oriented motor learning exercises, which focus on improving timing and coordination in walking movements. The study aims to analyze gait parameters and coordination in this population and explore whether specialized timing and coordination training can enhance mobility and reduce fall risk.

Subjects fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be recruited from Jamia Millia Islamia, and informed about the study. Subjects will be explained the purpose, methodology, and possible risks of the study. They will be given a written informed consent form explaining their rights as research subjects. Risk of falls screening will be done using Short-Falls Efficacy Scale-International (Short FES-I) to determine mild risk of falls elderly population. we will use a new 2D motion analysis system called GaitON (Auptimo Technologies LLP, India) to investigate the gait kinematic parameters during walking. Stance phase to Swing phase %, single support to double support %, joint angles (hip, knee & ankle), stride length, step length data will be collected pre- intervention. TUG & POMA test will also be performed during pre-intervention. A familiarization session will be conducted for the subjects prior to the intervention and no data will be collected in the familiarization session. Intervention group 1 will receive Timing and Coordination Training whereas; Control group 2 will not receive any intervention and will continue to do their day-to-day activities. Post-intervention data will be collected after 8 weeks.