Does the Management of Visual and Audible Motion Information during an Immersive Virtual Reality Timed Up and Go Test Impact Locomotor Performance in the Elderly?

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Frédéric Muhla ◽  
Karine Duclos ◽  
Fabien Clanché ◽  
Philippe Meyer ◽  
Séverine Maïaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Motor Control ◽  
Optical Flow ◽  
Fear Of Falling ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Immersive Virtual Reality ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Friedman's Test ◽  
Risk Of Falls

<b><i>Background/Aims:</i></b> Falling among the elderly is a major public health issue, especially with the advancing age of the baby boomers. The fall risk assessment tests for many lack a context that would bring them closer to everyday life. Thus, immersive virtual reality, which makes it possible to simulate everyday situations, could make it possible to strengthen the quality of the assessment of the risk of falls. However, it is necessary to understand how the use of a virtual reality device influences the motor control of elderly participants. If vestibular physiotherapists use VR to virtualize their tools, what impact would a visual simulation of movement have on motor control in a locomotor task, if this simulation were plausible? <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Sixty-two elders (70.8 ± 6.7 years old) completed a Timed Up and Go task under 3 conditions: real, virtual reality, and virtual reality with visual and sound movement information. The virtual reality task takes place in a train either stationary at a station or in uniform linear motion. The time and number of steps were recorded using video, and comparisons between conditions were made using Friedman’s test. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The results show a significant increase in the time and number of steps in “virtual reality” condition compared to the “real” condition. They do not show significant differences between the 2 virtual conditions. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The use of a running virtual train to provide plausible movement is particularly distinguished from vestibular physiotherapy applications with first a fixed visual support partially obscuring the optical flow. This visual aid coupled with the attention dedicated to the task inhibits the effect of the moving environment on locomotion. However, the visual optical flow will potentially have an effect in people with fear of falling. Virtual reality shows great potential for the simulation of realistic environments for the assessment of the risk of falls and opens up avenues for the development of tests.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Gait Training to Promote Balance and Gait Among Older People: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Geriatrics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Kyeongjin Lee
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Gait Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Elderly Individuals ◽  
Functional Reach Test ◽  
Balance Ability ◽  
Standing Test ◽  
The One

Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury-related death in the elderly. This study evaluated the effect of virtual reality gait training (VRGT) with non-motorized treadmill on balance and gait ability of elderly individuals who had experienced a fall. Fifty-six elderly individuals living in local communities participated in this study. Subjects who met the selection criteria were randomly divided into a VRGT group (n = 28) and a control group (n = 28). The VRGT group received VRGT with non-motorized treadmill for 50 min a day for 4 weeks and 5 days a week. The control group received non-motorized treadmill gait training without virtual reality for the same amount of time as the VRGT group. Before and after the training, the one-leg-standing test, Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach test, and Timed Up and Go test were used to assess balance ability, and the gait analyzer system was used to evaluate the improvement in gait spatiotemporal parameters. In the VRGT group, the balance ability variable showed a significant decrease in the one-leg-standing test and a significant improvement in the Timed Up and Go test. With respect to spatiotemporal gait parameters, velocity and step width decreased significantly in the VRGT group (p < 0.05), and stride length and step length were significantly improved in the VRGT group (p < 0.05). VRGT with non-motorized treadmill has been shown to improve balance and gait ability in the elderly. This study is expected to provide basic data on exercise programs for the elderly to prevent falls.

Psychophysiological Markers of Performance and Learning during Simulated Marksmanship in Immersive Virtual Reality

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Sicong Liu ◽  
Jillian M. Clements ◽  
Elayna P. Kirsch ◽  
Hrishikesh M. Rao ◽  
David J. Zielinski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Motor Control ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Immersive Virtual Reality ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Beta Band ◽  
Neuroscience Research ◽  
Visual Motor ◽  
Behavioral Mechanisms ◽  
Visual Evoked

Abstract The fusion of immersive virtual reality, kinematic movement tracking, and EEG offers a powerful test bed for naturalistic neuroscience research. Here, we combined these elements to investigate the neuro-behavioral mechanisms underlying precision visual–motor control as 20 participants completed a three-visit, visual–motor, coincidence-anticipation task, modeled after Olympic Trap Shooting and performed in immersive and interactive virtual reality. Analyses of the kinematic metrics demonstrated learning of more efficient movements with significantly faster hand RTs, earlier trigger response times, and higher spatial precision, leading to an average of 13% improvement in shot scores across the visits. As revealed through spectral and time-locked analyses of the EEG beta band (13–30 Hz), power measured prior to target launch and visual-evoked potential amplitudes measured immediately after the target launch correlate with subsequent reactive kinematic performance in the shooting task. Moreover, both launch-locked and shot/feedback-locked visual-evoked potentials became earlier and more negative with practice, pointing to neural mechanisms that may contribute to the development of visual–motor proficiency. Collectively, these findings illustrate EEG and kinematic biomarkers of precision motor control and changes in the neurophysiological substrates that may underlie motor learning.

scholarly journals Impact of using immersive virtual reality over time and steps in the Timed Up and Go test in elderly people

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. e0229594
Author(s):  
Frédéric Muhla ◽  
Fabien Clanché ◽  
Karine Duclos ◽  
Philippe Meyer ◽  
Séverine Maïaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Immersive Virtual Reality ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Over Time

scholarly journals Effects of training with nintendo wii on balance and mobility in institutionalized elderly

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Lara Alves Moreira ◽  
Lívia Marcondes Faber ◽  
Marcos Eduardo Scheicher
Keyword(s):  
The Elderly ◽  
Functional Mobility ◽  
Static Balance ◽  
Nintendo Wii ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Institutionalized Elderly ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Risk Of Falls ◽  
Pre Treatment

Background: One of the consequences of the institutionalization of the elderly is the increased risk of falls. Games of video games have shown ability to improve balance in the elderly population, but there is no data on their use in institutionalized elderly. Objective: To evaluate the effects of training with Nintendo Wii on static balance and functional mobility in elderly living in Long-Term Care Facilities for Elderly. Methods: Participated in the research 10 institutionalized elderly, who underwent training with Nintendo Wii for eight weeks, twice a week. Functional mobility was assessed by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the static balance by a force platform. Results: Significant improvement in TUG was observed (17.65 ± 4.38s pre-treatment and 15.30 ± 3.70s p= 0.03). There was no significant improvement in the static equilibrium variables, but there was a tendency for improvement. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the intervention with Nintendo Wii significantly improved the functional mobility, but with no improvement in the static balance in the institutionalized elderly.

Subjective Hearing Difficulty and Fall Risk

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-390
Author(s):  
Robin E. Criter ◽  
Megan Gustavson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Fall Risk ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Functional Balance ◽  
Risk Of Falls ◽  
Hearing Difficulty ◽  
Recent Falls

Purpose Hearing loss is a risk factor for falls. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between subjective hearing difficulty and risk of falls. Method Community-dwelling older adults, aged 60 years and older, completed a case history; three questionnaires, including the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC); and one functional balance measure, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Pearson and Spearman correlations were calculated, and average scores were plotted according to group and HHIE score category for DHI, ABC, TUG, the number of medications, and the number of recent falls. Results Seventy-four participants were included in this analysis: 28 nonaudiology patients, 18 audiology patients with hearing aids, and 28 audiology patients without hearing aids. Significant positive correlations were noted between HHIE and DHI scores for audiology patients without hearing aids and between HHIE score and number of recent falls for audiology patients with hearing aids. When average scores were plotted for DHI, ABC, TUG, the number of medications, and the number of recent falls according to group and category, there were clear trends toward increased fall risk as HHIE score categories increased (i.e., mild to moderate to severe) based on previously used criteria. Conclusions Overall, a trend was noticed such that, for increasing HHIE score categories, fall risk increased. Significant correlations existed between HHIE score and some of the measures used to indicate fall risk (i.e., DHI score, number of recent falls). Future fall risk research should investigate subjective hearing difficulty as a risk factor, as well as pure-tone audiometric thresholds.

Korrelate der Sturzangst im Alter

2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadja Schott
Keyword(s):  
Ältere Menschen ◽  
Fear Of Falling ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Balance Confidence ◽  
Eine Hohe ◽  
Sf 36 ◽  
Körperliche Funktionsfähigkeit ◽  
Abc Scale

Zusammenfassung. Mit der vorliegenden Untersuchung wurde der Zusammenhang von Sturzangst (Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly: SAFE), funktionalem Gleichgewicht/Mobilität (Timed-Up-and-Go-Test, TUG; Gehgeschwindigkeit) und körperlicher Funktionsfähigkeit (SAFE Aktivitäten, Reduktionen; SF-36) bei älteren Erwachsenen untersucht. Darüber hinaus sollte die Mediatorfunktion sturzassoziierter Selbstwirksamkeit (Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale) in einem Strukturgleichungsmodell an 91 Erwachsenen (17 Männer, 74 Frauen) im Alter von 60 bis 93 Jahren ohne Sturzhistorie geprüft werden. Man findet signifikant negative Pfade von der Subskala SAFE Angst auf die sturzassoziierte Selbstwirksamkeit (β = -0.931; t = -8.117, p.001), d. h. dass ältere Menschen ohne aktuelle Sturzbiographie und nur geringer Sturzangst eine hohe sturzassoziierte Selbstwirksamkeit berichten. Ebenso ist der Effekt von Sturzangst auf die körperliche Funktionsfähigkeit hochsignifikant (β = -0.432, t = -2.686, p = .007). Für die sturzassoziierte Selbstwirksamkeit liegt ein hoher Zusammenhang mit dem funktionalen Gleichgewicht/Mobilität vor (β = 0.482, t = 2.050, p = .040), jedoch nicht mit der körperlichen Funktionsfähigkeit (β = 0.118, t = 0.916, p = .359). Für den Zusammenhang zwischen Sturzangst und funktionalem Gleichgewicht/Mobilität liegt eine vollständige Mediation durch die sturzassoziierte Selbstwirksamkeit vor. Der signifikante Einfluss von funktionalen Messungen und Verhaltensdaten auf die Sturzangst verdeutlicht die Notwendigkeit von Interventionen, die auf die Stärkung der sturzassoziierten Selbstwirksamkeit fokussieren, um so zur Reduktion von Sturzangst beizutragen.

scholarly journals Effects of a health promotion and fall prevention program in elderly individuals participating in interaction groups

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lays Cavallero Pagliosa ◽  
Alexandra Renosto
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Berg Balance Scale ◽  
Functional Abilities ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
Risk Of Falls ◽  
Falls In Elderly

Introduction Falls in elderly people are an increasing public health problem resulting in high costs to health services. Thus, it is essential to invest in the development of actions and programs focused on decreasing such risks. Objective To verify the effects of a program of health promotion and prevention of falls in relation to balance and functional abilities in elderly people participating in interaction groups in Caxias do Sul City, RS State. Materials and methods For this purpose, 14 elderly people were selected for assessment and reassessment through the following instruments: the Barthel Index, Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and a questionnaire to characterize the sample. Over the course of 2 months, group activities were conducted in a multi-sensory and proprioceptive circuit with a frequency of 2 times per week, totaling 14 meetings. Results The average age of participants was about 72 years old, mostly women (78.6%); 64.3% of them had experienced falls, and 92.9% had already practiced physical activities. After the intervention, there was an average increase of 9.14 points in the BBS (p = 0.000) and an average reduction of 4.4 seconds in gait speed on the TUG test (p = 0.000). Conclusion The application of the proposed program resulted in increasing balance and gait performance of the elderly, reducing the risk of falls.

scholarly journals Impact of insomnia on self-perceived health in the elderly

2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 277-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janiciene Silva ◽  
Annibal Truzzi ◽  
Fayanne Schaustz ◽  
Roberta Barros ◽  
Marisa Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Performance ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Familial Support ◽  
Katz Index ◽  
Risk Of Falls

ABSTRACT Health self-perception is a strong indicator of the health of a population. Objective To investigate the association between self-perceived health, and sociodemographic and clinical factors in a sample of elderly outpatients in Rio de Janeiro. Methods A sample of 345 elderly patients was assessed with an anamnesis, Lawton and Brody’s Scale, Katz Index, Geriatric Depression Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, and Study of Osteoporotic Fracture Index. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the predictors of self-perceived health. Results Risk of falls, frailty, functional performance on the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, insomnia, and familial support were related to self-perceived health. Insomnia was the variable that strongly influenced self-perceived health (OR = 0.47, CI 95%: 0.28–0.80, p = 0.01) in our sample. Conclusions The investigation of insomnia in the elderly should be routinely performed in primary care, because of the negative impact it imposes on the health of this population.

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