This study investigated the effects of cervical proprioceptive exercise training on cervical proprioception, kinesiophobia and pain catastrophising in sarcopenic nursing home residents. In this randomized controlled study, 63 nursing home residents were screened for sarcopenia based on the EWGSOP2 criteria, which include assessments of handgrip strength (Jamar dynamometer), physical performance (4-meter walking test), and muscle mass evaluated by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. Thirty-one residents diagnosed with sarcopenia were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 17), which completed 12 supervised sessions of conventional exercises (postural, cervical range of motion, and isometric exercises) over six weeks, or an experimental group (n = 14), which received an additional 12 sessions of cervical proprioceptive exercises. Both groups were evaluated before and after the intervention. Cervical joint position sense, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, were assessed using the Joint Position Error Test; the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia; the Pain Catastrophizing Scale.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
31
Participants in the control group received classical exercise training for 6 weeks.
Participants in the experimental group received cervical proprioception exercises in addition to classical exercise training for 6 weeks.
Nevia Oran Nursing Home
Ankara, çankaya, Turkey (Türkiye)
Assessment of cervical proprioception
Cervical proprioception was assessed using joint position error test. While seated, the participant faced a board positioned 90 cm away at head level, consisting of concentric circles (40 cm diameter, 1-cm increments), and wore a cap with a mounted laser pointer The participant first aligned the laser with the central point to establish the neutral position, then-with eyes open-was guided through flexion, extension, right/left rotation, and right/left lateral flexion, returning to neutral after each movement. The same six movements were then actively performed with eyes closed . Six repetitions were completed for each direction, and the point at which the laser stopped was marked on the board after every trial . The mean of these points was calculated, and angular deviation from the target was determined using the arctan method based on the fixed distance to the board. A deviation of more than 4 degrees was considered to indicate impaired proprioception.
Time frame: 10 months
Assessment of kinesiophobia
Kinesiophobia was assessed using the Kinesiophobia Causes Scale (KCS) . Developed by Kocjan and Knapik (2014), the scale identifies the biological and psychological sources of fear of movement and contributes to understanding the underlying causes of reduced motor activity. It comprises two domains: biological and psychological. The biological domain includes morphological factors, movement requirements, energy resources, biological drives, negative experiences, motor competence, and beliefs related to body care, while the psychological domain assesses factors such as confidence, self-efficacy, and social interaction that contribute to avoidance behavior. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Çayır et al. (2020). The scale consists of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Higher scores indicate greater fear of movement.
Time frame: 10 months
Assessment of pain catastrophizing
Pain catastrophizing was assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), a 13-item measure evaluating maladaptive thoughts and feelings related to pain. The scale includes three subdimensions: helplessness, magnification, and rumination . Each item is scored on a 0-4 scale, and subscale scores are obtained by summing the corresponding items; the total PCS score is calculated as the sum of all items . The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Uğurlu et al. (2017) . Total scores range from 0 to 52, with higher scores indicating greater pain catastrophizing.Scores above 30 reflect clinically significant levels of catastrophizing.
Time frame: 10 months
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