File
D.H. Chun Kim1, J. Maria Ribeiro Bacha1, B. Caruso Soares1, J.E. Pompeu1
1University of Sao Paulo, Department of Physical Therapy, Speech and Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Background: With the aging process, the organism undergoes transformations that generate a decline in organs and systems, among them the skeletal muscle system and senses together generate the impairment of postural control. Proposing intervention measures that postpone this decline is of paramount importance. The scientific literature shows that postural control is a skill controlled by motor and cognitive functions. Given this context, there is still a gap in the science if interventions with associated cognitive and motor through virtual reality stimuli show superior gains in postural control when compared to purely cognitive and motor stimuli in real environment.
Purpose: To compare the effects of two cognitive motor training interventions: real and virtual on the postural control of the older adults and to verify the duration of the effects of the interventions after 30 days of follow-up.
Methods: This was a quasi-experimental , blind and clinical trial. Participants in the study were 30 older adults with a mean age of 70 years, divided between real cognitive motor training (RCMT) and virtual cognitive motor training (VCMT), with 15 in each group. All subjects underwent 14 intervention sessions, twice a week, for seven weeks.
The RCMT group performed cognitive-motor training in the real environment, composed of four multitasking stations practiced on unstable surfaces (Station1, Station2, Station3, and Station4). The VCMT group practiced cognitive-motor training (in the virtual environment) through Kinect Adventures commercial interactive video games (Space Pop, 20,000 Leaks, Reflex Ridge, and River Rush). All participants were submitted to three evaluations: pre-training, post-training, and thirty days after the interventions (follow up) performed by an evaluator blind in relation to the interventions. Postural control (anticipatory postural adjustments; postural responses; sensory orientation, and balance during gait) was assessed using the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test Scale. . Statistical analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test to verify possible differences between groups and evaluations. We adopted an alpha of 0.05.
The RCMT group performed cognitive-motor training in the real environment, composed of four multitasking stations practiced on unstable surfaces (Station1, Station2, Station3, and Station4). The VCMT group practiced cognitive-motor training (in the virtual environment) through Kinect Adventures commercial interactive video games (Space Pop, 20,000 Leaks, Reflex Ridge, and River Rush). All participants were submitted to three evaluations: pre-training, post-training, and thirty days after the interventions (follow up) performed by an evaluator blind in relation to the interventions. Postural control (anticipatory postural adjustments; postural responses; sensory orientation, and balance during gait) was assessed using the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test Scale. . Statistical analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test to verify possible differences between groups and evaluations. We adopted an alpha of 0.05.
Results: Both groups presented improvement on post-treatment and follow-up endpoints with the superiority of the VCMT.
Conclusion(s): In view of these findings, we can conclude that in addition to RCMT through physical therapy resources, VCMT through Kinect Adventures interactive video games can be a useful and complementary tool for postural control in the older adult.
Implications: Virtual reality may prove to be a complementary tool for the rehabilitation of postural control of the older adult.
Funding, acknowledgements: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.
Keywords: Aged., Virtual Reality., Postural Balance.
Topic: Older people
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Committee: Ethics Committee of the Medical School
Ethics number: 45547415.8.0000.0065
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
