Comparative Effects of Virtual Reality and Vestibular Exercises on Balance Gait in Older Adults

Riphah International University44 enrolled

Overview

To compare the effects of virtual reality and vestibular exercises on balance, gait, and activities of daily living in older adults.

It will be a randomized clinical trial where non-probability convenience sampling technique will be used. Total 44 participants will be taken aged 60 to 85 years. All Participants will be randomized through lottery method and allocated into two groups. Group A (n=22) participants will receive Virtual Reality intervention with conventional treatment, while Group B (n=22) will receive Vestibular Exercises with conventional treatment. The Berg Balance Scale for balance assessment, Dynamic Gait Index for gait while Time Up and Go Test, and Modified Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living will be outcome measure tools.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Old Age Vestibular Disorder Balance Exercise

Interventions

virtual reality training groupOTHER

Participants will receive 40-minute sessions five days per week for six weeks of Virtual Reality intervention and conventional therapy.

vestibular exercise groupOTHER

Participants will receive 40-minute sessions five days per week for six weeks of Vestibular Exercises and conventional therapy.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 60 YearsMax age: 85 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Older adults with or without any assistive device. * Participants with a Mini-Mental State Examination score greater than 24. * Participants with a value greater than 10 secs on the Time Up and Go Test. Exclusion Criteria: * Severe visual or vestibular impairments (e.g., Meniere's disease, labyrinthitis). * Significant musculoskeletal impairments (e.g., arthritis, joint contractures). * Unstable medical conditions (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, cardiovascular disease). * History of epilepsy or seizures.

Locations (1)

Riphah International University

Lahore, Fedral, Pakistan

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

The Dynamic Gait Index (DGI)

The Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) is a clinical tool assessing balance during walking under different external conditions. It uses a four-point ordinal scale, with a total score of 24. Scores below 19 indicate a higher risk of falls in older adults, while scores above 22 suggest safe ambulation. The DGI has demonstrated validity as a measure of functional mobility and strongly predicts falls

Time frame: 6 months

Berg Balance Scale

Berg Balance Scale: is a clinical tool assessing static and dynamic balance through 14 functional tasks, each scored from 0 to 4, with a maximum score of 56. Scores below 45 indicate a higher risk of falling. It has demonstrated excellent validity, correlating well with the Timed Up-and-Go test. It also exhibits excellent test-retest reliability, making it a widely accepted tool for measuring balance and mobility.

Time frame: 6 months

Modified Barthel Index

Modified Barthel Index is widely accepted measure of physical disability, assessing activities of daily living. Scoring ranges from 0 to 20, with lower scores indicating increased disability. The total score reflects the patient's independence in daily activities, with changes of more than two points indicating a probable genuine change. The index has demonstrated validity, with scores between 0.73 and 0.77 compared to a motor ability index for stroke patients.It also exhibits high inter-rater and test-retest reliability,Higher scores indicates maximum recovery

Time frame: 6 months

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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