Vibrational-proprioceptive Resistance Exercise Training Versus Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Training in Elderly People With Muscle Weakness (MOBIL)

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Electrical Stimulation and Physical Rehabilitation

Status: Completed

Conditions: Muscle Weakness Condition; Therapy Effect

Treatments: Device: Vibrational-proprioceptive Resistance Exercise Training; Device: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01679977

MOBIL

Details and patient eligibility

About

Study the structural behaviours of weak muscle of elderly and evaluate the efficiency of two different types of training.

Enrollment: 150 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65 to 85 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age related muscle weakness
• age between 65-85 years
• all inclusion criterias must be fullfilled

Exclusion criteria

• recent hip or knee endp-prosthesis (within last 2 years), longstanding immobility
• body mass index greater than 40
• acute thrombosis in lower extremity (within last 3 weeks)
• severe articular effusion
• acute infection
• known myopathy
• relevant neurological diseases with gait disorders (e.g. poly neuropathy, Parkinson's disease)
• dementia, impaired cognitive abilities
• diseases of the vestibular system causing vertigo or impairing balance
• symptomatic cardio pulmonal diseases within the last 6 months
• not or insufficient treated hypertonia
• rheumatic diseases
• other relevant functional impairment of the musculo-skeletal system caused by surgery, trauma or degenerative diseases
• pain in the lower extremity (VAS > 5)
• if one of the above criteria applies the subject will be excluded from the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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150 participants in 3 patient groups

Legpress

Active Comparator group

Description:

Subjects in the LP group train on a custom built, computer controlled, linear electric motor powered leg press device. The so called "swinging" vibrational-proprioceptive mode is used, which means that constant velocity of the pedals (0.3 m/s and 0.2 m/s for concentric and eccentric phase, respectively) are interrupted by short stops (every 8 mm), resulting in short force peaks appearing throughout the movement. Training load is progressively increased throughout the training.

Treatment:

Device: Vibrational-proprioceptive Resistance Exercise Training

E-Stim

Active Comparator group

Description:

ES training is performed with a custom-built battery-powered stimulator. The subject are seated over the edge of the therapeutic table with the trunk upright and lower legs freely swinging. Two conductive rubber electrodes covered by wet sponge are placed on the anterior thigh on each side of the body. The electrode pairs are connected to the independent channels of the stimulator and the left and the right thigh are stimulated in an alternative manner. Each repetition (i.e. ES evoked muscle contraction) is evoked by a 3.5 s train (60 Hz) of electrical pulses (rectangular, biphasic, width 0.6 ms). Consecutive contractions of the same thigh are separated by 4.5 s off intervals. Maximal tolerable intensity should be used and is monitored during the training sessions. In all the subjects this should induce a tetanic contraction of the stimulated muscles.

Treatment:

Device: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Training

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

This group only perform the same measurements as the intervention groups and lives their live as usual in between.