Attentional Focus Training on Visuomotor Control in Older Adults

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Older Adults; Gait; Attention

Treatments: Behavioral: Attentional focus; Behavioral: Control

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07085364

HSEARS20250107004

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will be a pilot randomized controlled trial, to investigate the effectiveness of an external focus training on visuomotor performance while comparing with an active control group.

Full description

All eligible participants will be randomly divided into two groups: external focus gait training group (EXT) and active control group (CON). All participants will complete two assessment sessions: at baseline (T0) and immediately following the completion of all training sessions (T1). A total of twelve training sessions (about 45 minutes per session), held twice a week for six weeks, would be provided to participants in both training groups.

Enrollment: 16 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• aged 65 or above
• able to walk independently indoor for at least 40 metres
• static visual acuity score 20/40 or above
• scoring 22/30 or above in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Hong Kong version
• without any history of untreated major neurological, vestibular or musculoskeletal deficits (e.g., stroke or Parkinson's disease)
• without any unstable medical condition that can compromise safety during the experiment
• scoring less than 24/28 in the Tinetti Balance Assessment Tool or scoring 50/56 or below in the Berg Balance Scale

Exclusion criteria

• none

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

16 participants in 2 patient groups

EXT

Experimental group

Description:

External focus manipulation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Attentional focus

CON

Active Comparator group

Description:

Traditional manipulation

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control