Fine and Gross Motor Function and Relationship With Muscle Tone in Older Adults With and Without Dementia

University Ghent

Status: Completed

Conditions: Paratonia; Balance; Muscle Tone; Fine Motor Function; Gait; Dementia

Treatments: Other: Fine motor skill test; Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone; Diagnostic Test: Paratonia Assessment Instrument (PAI); Other: Gait accelerometry; Other: balance accelerometry

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03479567

EC/2014/1240

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study was (1) to investigate changes in gait, balance, fine motor function, and muscle tone, and (2) to find out if there is a correlation between muscle tone/presence of paratonia and motor function (gross and fine) in mild and moderate dementia.Three groups of participants were included in the study: healthy elderly (n=60), participants with mild dementia (n=31) and participants with moderate dementia (n=31). Measurements of fine motor function, balance, gait, presence of paratonia and muscle tone measurements were performed.

Enrollment: 122 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age >= 65 years
• walk independently for at least 11 meters
• HC: no cognitive deterioration, MiD: dementia, Global Deterioration Scale<5, MoD: dementia, Global Deterioration Scale 5 or 6

Exclusion criteria

• recent (≤ 6 months) orthopedic surgery

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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122 participants in 3 patient groups

HC

Other group

Description:

Healthy controls, i.e. older adults without cognitive impairment

Treatment:

Other: Gait accelerometry

Other: balance accelerometry

Diagnostic Test: Paratonia Assessment Instrument (PAI)

Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone

Other: Fine motor skill test

MiD

Other group

Description:

older adults with mild dementia

Treatment:

Other: Gait accelerometry

Other: balance accelerometry

Diagnostic Test: Paratonia Assessment Instrument (PAI)

Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone

Other: Fine motor skill test

MoD

Other group

Description:

older adults with moderate dementia

Treatment:

Other: Gait accelerometry

Other: balance accelerometry

Other: myotonometric measurement of muscle tone

Other: Fine motor skill test