Wii-Fit For Balance And Gait In Elderly Veterans

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Postural Balance
Gait, Unsteady

Interventions: Other: Wii-Fit exercises
Other: Cognitive remediation exercises

Registration Number: NCT02190045

Lead Sponsor: Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System

Brief Summary: Falls are a major public health problem. They are the leading cause of injuries and injury-related deaths in those aged over 65 years. Balance and gait abnormalities are major reasons for falls in elderly. Exercise interventions improve gait and balance in the elderly. Despite the many proven benefits of exercise, many older adults in the US remain sedentary. This study targets at improving balance and gait with use of Wii-Fit as an exercise program.

Detailed Description: Objectives/Rationale Falls are a major public health problem. They are the leading cause of injuries and injury-related deaths in those aged over 65 years. Balance and gait abnormalities are major reasons for falls in elderly. Exercise interventions improve gait and balance in the elderly. Despite the many proven benefits of exercise, many older adults in the US remain sedentary. This study targets at improving balance and gait with use of Wii-Fit as an exercise program.

Specific aims

1. To establish the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of an 8-week Wii-Fit program to improve measures of balance, and gait in older adults, compared to a cognitive remediation program, Brain fitness.

2. To compare the effect of an 8-week Wii-Fit program to Brain fitness program, on measures of biomechanical assessment, adherence, safety, physical activity, fear of fall, enjoyment, functional status, cognition and quality of life.

Design 8-week, randomized, parallel group, active intervention study Methods Patients will be recruited via IRB approved flyers posted in various locations of the Little Rock and North Little Rock CAVHS campuses and via referrals from the CAVHS providers. Thirty elderly Veterans will be randomly assigned to Wii-Fit arm or Brain fitness arm. Both groups will participate in the intervention for approximately 45 minutes 3 days a week for 8 weeks. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, and approximately week 4 and after completion of week 8. Balance and gait will be assessed by Berg Balance Scale. Secondary outcome measures include biomechanical testing for gait and balance, Safety, Adherence, measures of functional status, cognition, quality of life, fear of falling, physical activity and physical activity enjoyment.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

Subjects age ≥ 60 years
Fall risk as measured by Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is ≤ 52
Normal cognition as measured by Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE ≥ 24)
Able to consent

Exclusion Criteria

Subjects using wheel chair or walkers for mobility
Subjects with absolute contraindications per ACSM guidelines
Any medical condition (per the relative contraindications per ACSM guidelines below) that in the opinion of the study physician is likely to compromise their ability to safely participate in the exercise program.

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Wii-Fit program	Wii-Fit exercises	Wii-Fit exercises will be adminstered for 45 minutes 3 days a week for 8 weeks
Cognitive remediation program	Cognitive remediation exercises	Cognitive remediation exercises will be adminstered for 45 minutes 3 days a week for 8 weeks

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Berg Balance Scale	8 weeks	The primary efficacy outcome was the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), which assesses balance impairments in older adults and is a good measure of static and dynamic stability. It consists of 14 tasks performed in a standardized order with each task scored on a five-point scale according to quality or time ranging from "0" (lowest level of function) to "4" (highest level). The maximum score is 56. BBS has an excellent inter-rater reliability (0.98). A change of four points is considered the minimally detectable change for community dwelling older adults that ambulate without an assistive device.

Secondary Outcome Measures