Sensorimotor Adaptation Training’s Effect on Head Stabilization in Response to a Lateral Perturbation in Older Adults

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina R. Buccello-Stout ◽  
Ronita L. Cromwell ◽  
Jacob J. Bloomberg ◽  
Elbert B. Whorton
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Visual Scene ◽  
Training Effect ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sensorimotor Adaptation ◽  
Head Stabilization ◽  
Movement Strategy ◽  
Angular Velocities ◽  
Experimental Group

The goal of this study was to determine if exposure to sensorimotor adaptation training improved head stabilization in older adults. Sixteen participants, age 66–81 yr, were assigned at random to the control group (n= 8) or the experimental group (n= 8). Both groups first completed 6 trials of walking a foam pathway consisting of a moveable platform that induced a lateral perturbation during walking. Head-in-space and trunk-in-space angular velocities were collected. Participants from both groups then trained twice per week for 4 wk. Both groups walked on a treadmill for 20 min. The control group viewed a static scene. The experimental group viewed a rotating visual scene that provided a perceptual-motor mismatch. After training, both groups were retested on the perturbation pathway test. The experimental group used a movement strategy that preserved head stabilization compared with the controls (p< .05). This training effect was not retained after 4 wk.

scholarly journals One-Year Follow-Up of Healthy Older Adults with Electroencephalographic Risk for Neurocognitive Disorder After Neurofeedback Training

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Graciela C. Alatorre-Cruz ◽  
Thalía Fernández ◽  
Susana A. Castro-Chavira ◽  
Mauricio González-López ◽  
Sergio M. Sánchez-Moguel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Theta Activity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Improvement ◽  
One Year ◽  
Experimental Group

Background: In healthy older adults, excess theta activity is an electroencephalographic (EEG) predictor of cognitive impairment. In a previous study, neurofeedback (NFB) treatment reinforcing reductions theta activity resulted in EEG reorganization and cognitive improvement. Objective: To explore the clinical applicability of this NFB treatment, the present study performed a 1-year follow-up to determine its lasting effects. Methods: Twenty seniors with excessive theta activity in their EEG were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. The experimental group received an auditory reward when the theta absolute power (AP) was reduced. The control group received the reward randomly. Results: Both groups showed a significant decrease in theta activity at the training electrode. However, the EEG results showed that only the experimental group underwent global changes after treatment. These changes consisted of delta and theta decreases and beta increases. Although no changes were found in any group during the period between the posttreatment evaluation and follow-up, more pronounced theta decreases and beta increases were observed in the experimental group when the follow-up and pretreatment measures were compared. Executive functions showed a tendency to improve two months after treatment which became significant one year later. Conclusion: These results suggest that the EEG and behavioral benefits of this NFB treatment persist for at least one year, which adds up to the available evidence contributing to identifying factors that increase its efficacy level. The relevance of this study lies in its prophylactic features of addressing a clinically healthy population with EEG risk of cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Longitudinal impact and effects of booster sessions in a cognitive training program for healthy elderly

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Matias Felix ◽  
Marcela Mansur Alves ◽  
Mariana Teles ◽  
Laura Jamison ◽  
Hudson Golino
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Passive Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Longitudinal Impact ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Booster Sessions ◽  
Experimental Group

This paper reports the results from a three-years follow-up study to access the long-term efficacy of a cognitive training for healthy older adults and investigates the effects of booster sessions on the cognitive performance of the participants using an innovative analytical approach from information theory. Design: semi-randomized quasi-experimental controlled design. Participants: 50 healthy older adults, (M = 73.3, SD = 7.77) were assigned into an experimental (N = 25; Mean age = 73.9; SD = 8.62) and a passive control group (N = 25; mean age = 72.9; SD = 6.97). Instruments: six subtests of WAIS and two episodic memory tasks. Procedures: the participants were assessed in four occasions: after the end of the original intervention, pre-booster sessions (three years after the original intervention), immediately after the booster sessions and three months after the booster sessions. Results: the repeated measures ANOVA showed that two gains reported in the original intervention were identified in the follow-up: Coding (F(1, 44) = 11.79, MSE = 0.77, p = .001, ηˆG2 = .084) and Picture Completion (F(1, 47) = 10.01, MSE = 0.73, p = .003, ηˆG2 = .060). After the booster sessions, all variables presented a significant interaction between group and time favorable to the experimental group (moderate to high effect sizes). To compare the level of cohesion of the cognitive variables between the groups, an entropy-based metric was used. The experimental group presented a lower level of cohesion in three of the four measurement occasions, suggesting a differential impact of the intervention with immediate and short-term effects, but without long-term effects.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of a Dyadic Pain Management Program for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Chronic Pain: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (14) ◽  
pp. 4966
Author(s):  
Ziyan Li ◽  
Mimi Tse ◽  
Angel Tang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pain Management Program ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Experimental Group

Background: Chronic pain is a major health problem among older adults and their informal caregivers, which has negative effects on their physical and psychological status. The dyadic pain management program (DPMP) is provided to community-dwelling older adults and informal caregivers to help the dyads reduce pain symptoms, improve the quality of life, develop good exercise habits, as well as cope and break the vicious circle of pain. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was designed and all the dyads were randomly divided into two groups: the DPMP group and control group. Dyads in the DPMP group participated in an 8-week DPMP (4-week face-to-face program and 4-week home-based program), whereas dyads in the control group received one page of simple pain-related information. Results: In total, 64 dyads participated in this study. For baseline comparisons, no significant differences were found between the two groups. After the interventions, the pain score was significantly reduced from 4.25 to 2.57 in the experimental group, respectively. In the repeated measures ANOVA, the differences in pain score (F = 107.787, p < 0.001, d = 0.777) was statistically significant for the group-by-time interaction. After the interventions, the experimental group participants demonstrated significantly higher pain self-efficacy compared with the control group (F = 80.535, p < 0.001, d = 0.722). Furthermore, the elderly increased exercise time significantly (F = 111.212, p < 0.001, d = 0.782) and reported developing good exercise habits. Conclusions: These results provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of a DPMP for relieving the symptoms of chronic pain among the elderly.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Limbs Exercise as a Treatment in Improving the Psychomotor Speed in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiang ◽  
Chen ◽  
Wang ◽  
Liu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychomotor Speed ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Limb Exercise

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of therapeutic structured limb exercises intended to improve psychomotor speed in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Forty-four patients with mild cognitive impairment who met the inclusion criteria were selected and assigned randomly to either an experimental group (22 patients) or a control group (22 patients). The numbers of participants were selected based on the calculated sample effect size (N = 38). The study involved a 10-week intervention, in which participants completed structured limb exercises during 60-min training sessions delivered three times per week. Forty-one subjects completed the experimental programme. Scores in the Finger Tapping Test (FTT), Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), along with electroencephalography (EEG) data, were collected before, during and after the intervention. The experimental and control groups were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The patients with MCI in the experimental group achieved significantly improved scores in the FTT, the PPT and all dimensions of the MoCA. Moreover, these patients exhibited significant increases in the alpha and beta EEG wave power values in all brain areas of MCI patients, indicating that limb exercise training positively influenced their brain functions. Conclusions: The results conclude that a structured therapeutic limb exercise intervention can effectively improve psychomotor speed in patients with MCI and mitigate declines in cognitive function. This training intervention appears to be effective as a treatment for community-dwelling patients with MCI.

scholarly journals Proprioceptive Training to Improve Static and Dynamic Balance in Elderly

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 194-199
Author(s):  
Giovanni Esposito ◽  
Gaetano Altavilla ◽  
Felice Di Domenico ◽  
Sara Aliberti ◽  
Tiziana D’Isanto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Fear Of Falling ◽  
Dynamic Balance ◽  
Step Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Static Balance ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Proprioceptive Training ◽  
Risk Of Falls ◽  
Experimental Group

Background: The risk of falls is a major cause of disability in older adults. A single fall, for the elderly, increases the risk of frequent falls and often causes an increased fear of falling again, which can become debilitating. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to test the effects of 12 weeks of proprioceptive training on the static and dynamic balance of older adults who have experienced at least one fall without compromising consequences. Method: The sample consisted of older adults, aged 60 to 80 years, randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group, which followed a proprioceptive training protocol at a physiotherapy studio, and a control group, which did not observe any treatment. Static and dynamic balance assessment was performed pre-and post-intervention. The tests administered were the Berg Balance Test for the evaluation of static balance, and the Four-Square Step Test, for dynamic balance. A questionnaire to assess confidence and fear of falling was administered at the end of the protocol. Independent sample t-test was performed to analyze differences between groups and two-way ANOVA to test the null hypothesis of no change different over time between groups (interaction intervention × time). A Chi-Square was performed to analyze perceptions. Conclusions: The results showed that 12 weeks of proprioceptive training effectively improved dynamic and static balance in older adults. The perceptions of the experimental group were more positive than the other one, in terms of the importance of physical activity to prevent the risk of falls, fear of falling again, and experience of falls during the last 12 weeks.

scholarly journals The Dual-Language Semantic Computerized Program (DISC) Maintained Local Switch Costs in MCI Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 520-521
Author(s):  
W Quin Yow ◽  
Hui-Ching Chen ◽  
Tharshini Lokanathan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Task Switching ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Accelerated Aging ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Switching Task ◽  
Experimental Group

Abstract It has been proposed that switching cost deficit in executive control (Velichkovsky et al., 2020) could be used as an early marker for abnormal aging processes. Although research with technology-based intervention has shown benefits in improving cognitive performance with older adults, the overall results are mixed (Ge et al, 2018). This study aims to investigate whether computerized intervention program (e.g., DISC) would help to reduce the switching costs deficits in mild-to-moderate cognitively-impaired older adults (MCI-OA). Fourteen MCI-OA (79.75±6,94) and 9 cognitively-healthy OA (age 77,25±6,9) were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group (a final sample size of 30 MCI and 40 cognitive-healthy older adults would be ready by conference time). All participants first completed a set of cognitive tasks as part of a larger study (i.e., pre-tests) (e.g., MMSE, Ravens, cued-base Task Switching Task). The experimental group then played cognitive games on a touch-screen tablet for about 30-40 minutes per session with a total of 24 sessions over 8-12 weeks. The control group continued their daily activity as per usual for 8-12 weeks. Participants were then asked to complete the same set of cognitive tasks again post-test. Control group MCI-OA performed worse for the local costs in the cued Task Switching task (p&lt;.05), whereas experimental group MCI-OA maintained their performance (p=.40) post-test compared to pre-test. All cognitively-healthy OA did not show any difference in performance irrespective of condition. This suggests that the DISC program could be an effective tool in slowing down the abnormal accelerated aging process.

The Impact of Working Memory Training on Cognitive Abilities in Older Adults: The Role of Cognitive Reserve

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-61
Author(s):  
Sara Mičič ◽  
Marina Horvat ◽  
Karin Bakracevic
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine whether Working Memory (WM) training improves the cognitive functioning of older adults and to determine the role of cognitive reserve in WM training. Method: Twenty-one older adults, aged between 65 and 91 years were included in the study. Ten of them were in the experimental group and 11 in the passive control group. The experimental group underwent 15 training sessions of n-back training over a period of five weeks, whereas the control group remained passive. All participants (from the experimental and control group) were tested before the training, one week after the training, and three months after the training with Rey– Osterrieth/Taylor Complex Figure test (ROCF), Digit span, and TMT (part A and part B). Results and Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that although the experimental group slightly improved their performance on the trained task, the progress was not statistically significant. There was also no statistically significant transfer of training effects onto tasks of visual-spatial and verbal memory, as well as those related to executive functioning. However, the study did identify a statistically significant correlation between cognitive reserve and certain tests performed at the final testing: tasks measuring executive functioning and spatial ability. Results also revealed that the group that showed improvement in the training task was significantly better in the ROCF test in comparison with the group that had not improved their performance on the N-back task. Thus, visual-spatial abilities (visual perception, construction, and memory) were more connected with success in WM training, than other measured cognitive abilities (e.g. verbal and numerical memory).

scholarly journals Effects of Horticultural Activities on Attitudes toward Aging, Sense of Hope and Hand–Eye Coordination in Older Adults in Residential Care Facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6555
Author(s):  
Hui-Ying Chu ◽  
Hui-Shan Chan ◽  
Mei-Fang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Residential Care Facilities ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Attitudes Toward Aging ◽  
Hand Eye Coordination ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Experimental Group

This study investigated the effects of an 8-week horticultural activity intervention on attitudes toward aging, sense of hope, and hand–eye coordination in 88 older adults in residential care facilities. In the experimental group, the mean score for “attitudes toward aging” increased from 3.81 before the intervention to 4.74 points after the intervention (standard deviation SD = 0.24 and 0.27, respectively), and the control group dropped from 3.75 to 3.70 (standard deviations, respectively SD = 0.27 and 0.28). The mean score for “sense of hope” increased from 3.28 before the intervention to 3.81 points after the intervention (SD = 0.49 and 0.26, respectively). In contrast to the control group, the mean score gradually declined from 3.26 to 3.16 points (standard deviation SD = 0.54 and 0.48, respectively). In the test of hand–eye coordination, the time required to complete the cup stacking test significantly decreased from 33.56 to 25.38 s in the experimental group but did not significantly change in the control group. Generalized estimating equation analysis revealed a significant interaction between group and time (p < 0.001). The data trends revealed significant differences in outcomes between the experimental group and the control group. At 3 months after the end of the study, the effect size in the experimental group remained higher than that in the control group.

Promoting Volunteering Among Older Adults in Hong Kong: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 968-977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Da Jiang ◽  
Lisa M Warner ◽  
Alice Ming-Lin Chong ◽  
Tianyuan Li ◽  
Julia K Wolff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Action Planning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Active Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Experimental Group

Abstract Background and Objectives Volunteering has consistently been associated with better mental, physical, and cognitive health in older adulthood. However, the volunteering rate of older adults in Hong Kong is much lower than in Western countries. Few studies have examined whether interventions can be effective in motivating older adults to volunteer in Hong Kong. To fill this gap, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of a theory-based social-cognitive intervention on volunteering. Research Design and Methods A total of 264 community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong (Mage = 69.95 years, SDage = 6.90 years, 81.06% female) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or an active control group. Participants in the experimental group received 4 weekly 1-hr face-to-face volunteering intervention sessions. Those in the active control group received parallel sessions targeting physical activity instead of volunteering. The time spent on volunteering per month was self-reported and measured at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after the intervention. Self-efficacy, intention, action planning, and self-monitoring of volunteering were measured as mediators. Results Monthly volunteering minutes increased among participants in the experimental group when compared with the active control group at 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups. Self-efficacy, intention, and action planning consistently mediated the effect of the intervention on volunteering minutes. Discussion and Implications The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention on volunteering behavior in older adults in Hong Kong through well-established behavior change techniques.

scholarly journals The Effect of Lumbar Erector Spinae Muscle Endurance Exercise on Perceived Low-back Pain in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-92
Author(s):  
Muhammad Tufail ◽  
Haebin Lee ◽  
Yang Gyu Moon ◽  
Hwang Kim ◽  
KwanMyung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Standing Position ◽  
Erector Spinae ◽  
Muscle Endurance ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Exercise Fatigue ◽  
Experimental Group

This study investigates changes in lumbar erector spinae (LES) muscle endurance, perceived low-back pain (LBP), and perceived exercise fatigue in older adults, and analyzes the trends of these changes during a 5-week lumbar exercise. Sixteen older adults with LBP were equally and randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group with incline-standing and the control group with the level-standing positions. They were separately treated with lumbar exercise tasks and 10 seconds of muscle endurance tests using surface electromyography (sEMG). There was a trend of changes in both groups. The exercise tasks led to increase LES muscle endurance in the experimental group (53.7%) and the control group (45.4%) and decrease perceived LBP score significantly with the incline-standing position. There was no significant difference between the two groups in perceived exercise fatigue (p>0.05). Trunk flexion and extension with an incline-standing position can be an effective method to increase LES muscle endurance and reduce LBP in older adults.

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