Acupoint Stimulation and Exercise for Taiwanese Pre-frail Older Adults

Tainan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare30 enrolled

Overview

This study aims to explore the relationships between frailty, daily physical activity, sleep quality, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitutions among older adults in Taiwan. In the trial phase, a randomized controlled trial will be conducted specifically for pre-frail older adults. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the exercise training group (Vivifrail program) or the integrated group combining exercise with daytime and sleep-improving acupoint stimulation. The study evaluates the combined efficacy of these non-invasive interventions on reducing frailty severity, improving sleep, and enhancing daily physical functions.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Frailty Sleep Quality Aging

Interventions

A 12-week home-based multimodal exercise program including daily walking, upper limb resistance training, balance exercises, and flexibility training, tailored to pre-frail older adults.

Acupoint StimulationOTHER

Daily home-based acupoint self-massage (2-3 times per day, 3-5 minutes per point) targeting specific meridians (including Spleen, Stomach, and Bladder meridians) to alleviate fatigue and promote sleep quality.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 50 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Individuals who are capable of undergoing frailty assessments. 2. Individuals who possess effective communication skills. 3. Aged 50 years or older. 4. Willing to provide written informed consent, keep a 7-day sleep diary, and complete related questionnaires. 5. Identified as pre-frail (frailty score of 1-2 points) according to the frailty phenotype criteria for the clinical trial phase. Exclusion Criteria: 1\. Individuals who are unwilling or unable to wear an actigraph (wrist monitor) or undergo physical measurements.

Locations (1)

Tainan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare

Tainan, Taiwan

RECRUITING

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in Frailty Score

Evaluated using the Fried frailty phenotype criteria, which includes five components: unintentional weight loss, weakness (grip strength), exhaustion, slowness (walking speed), and low physical activity. Each component is scored as 0 or 1, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 5. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome (higher severity of frailty).

Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 12

Change in Sleep Quality

Measured via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire (global score ranges from 0 to 21, where higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality) and objective metrics from the 7-day wrist actigraphy (including total sleep time and sleep efficiency).

Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, and Week 12

Central Contacts

Yu-Ching Hsu, MD

CONTACT

+886-6-2202121 tnhpcm2017@gmail.com

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.