A comparative study on the effects of Tai Chi and Matter of Balance on measures of balance and fall efficacy in older adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Thomas K. Skalko, PhD, LRT/CTRS, FDRT ◽  
Lacey A. Burgess, LRT/CTRS ◽  
Megan Janke, PhD, LRT/CTRS
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Tai Chi ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Future Application ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Balance Confidence ◽  
Balance Tests ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Abc Scale

The purpose of this study was to compare two intervention strategies, Tai Chi (TC) (n = 12) and Matter of Balance (MOB) (n = 13) on balance and fall efficacy of older adults (≥65 years) as compared to a control group (n = 12). The study compared changes in balance and fall efficacy of the two strategies in an effort to evaluate fall reduction programs for future application. Participants were assessed via a pretest to post-test, 8-10 weeks apart using two balance tests: 8-Foot Up and Go test and the Multi-Directional Reach Test. Fall efficacy was measured with the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale. Results from this study indicate that the TC group and MOB group were both effective in improving or maintaining balance and fall efficacy as compared to the control group. Results demonstrated trending toward TC as having a greater impact on participants’ overall balance measures.

scholarly journals Multidirectional Overground Robotic Training Leads to Improvements in Balance in Older Adults

Robotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Lara A. Thompson ◽  
Mehdi Badache ◽  
Joao Augusto Renno Brusamolin ◽  
Marzieh Savadkoohi ◽  
Jelani Guise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Robotic System ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Support Surface ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Robotic Training ◽  
Balance Confidence ◽  
Balance Ability ◽  
Abc Scale

For the rapidly growing aging demographic worldwide, robotic training methods could be impactful towards improving balance critical for everyday life. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that non-bodyweight supportive (nBWS) overground robotic balance training would lead to improvements in balance performance and balance confidence in older adults. Sixteen healthy older participants (69.7 ± 6.7 years old) were trained while donning a harness from a distinctive NaviGAITor robotic system. A control group of 11 healthy participants (68.7 ± 5.0 years old) underwent the same training but without the robotic system. Training included 6 weeks of standing and walking tasks while modifying: (1) sensory information (i.e., with and without vision (eyes-open/closed), with more and fewer support surface cues (hard or foam surfaces)) and (2) base-of-support (wide, tandem and single-leg standing exercises). Prior to and post-training, balance ability and balance confidence were assessed via the balance error scoring system (BESS) and the Activities specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, respectively. Encouragingly, results showed that balance ability improved (i.e., BESS errors significantly decreased), particularly in the nBWS group, across nearly all test conditions. This result serves as an indication that robotic training has an impact on improving balance for healthy aging individuals.

scholarly journals Reducing Ageism: PEACE (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences) Model

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 647-647
Author(s):  
Sheri Levy ◽  
Ashley Lytle ◽  
Jamie Macdonald ◽  
MaryBeth Apriceno
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Positive Education ◽  
Experimental Control ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Aging Anxiety ◽  
Model Components ◽  
Aging Knowledge

Abstract Drawing on interdisciplinary theorizing and research, the PEACE (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences) model points to two interrelated factors that reduce ageism: providing education about aging and positive intergenerational contact experiences with older adults (Levy 2016). Evidence supporting the model will be discussed including a semester-long pre-posttest intervention with undergraduates (non-gerontology course) who learned about aging and had face-to-face and Instagram contact with older adults (Lytle, Nowacek, & Levy, 2020), brief online pre-post test experimental-control group studies with undergraduates and a community sample who learned about aging and positive intergenerational contact experiences (Lytle & Levy, 2017), and an online experimental-control group study with undergraduates who viewed brief videos addressing PEACE model components (Lytle, Macdonald, Apriceno, & Levy, under review). Across studies, PEACE model interventions promoted increased aging knowledge as well as reduced negative stereotyping of older adults, aging anxiety, and concerns about aging. Future directions will be discussed.

scholarly journals Shingles Immunity and Health Functioning in the Elderly:Tai Chi Chihas a Behavioral Treatment

2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Irwin ◽  
Jennifer Pike ◽  
Michael Oxman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Behavioral Treatment ◽  
Tai Chi ◽  
Relaxation Response ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Varicella Zoster ◽  
Specific Immunity ◽  
Health Functioning ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Both the incidence and severity of herpes zoster (HZ) or shingles increase markedly with increasing age in association with a decline in varicella zoster virus (VZV)-specific immunity. Considerable evidence shows that behavioral stressors, prevalent in older adults, correlate with impairments of cellular immunity. Moreover, the presence of depressive symptoms in older adults is associated with declines in VZV-responder cell frequency (VZV-RCF), an immunological marker of shingles risk. In this review, we discuss recent findings that administration of a relaxation response-based intervention,tai chi chih(TCC), results in improvements in health functioning and immunity to VZV in older adults as compared with a control group. TCC is a slow moving meditation consisting of 20 separate standardized movements which can be readily used in elderly and medically compromised individuals. TCC offers standardized training and practice schedules, lending an important advantage over prior relaxation response-based therapies. Focus on older adults at increased risk for HZ and assay of VZV-specific immunity have implications for understanding the impact of behavioral factors and a behavioral intervention on a clinically relevant end-point and on the response of the immune system to infectious pathogens.

Chinese Martial Art Training Failed to Improve Balance or Inhibit Falls in Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ada W. W. Ma ◽  
Hsing-Kuo Wang ◽  
Duan-Rung Chen ◽  
Ya-Mei Chen ◽  
Yvonne T. C. Chak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Peak Force ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Balance Performance ◽  
Balance Confidence ◽  
Martial Art ◽  
Knee Flexors

This randomized controlled trial explored the effects of a Ving Tsun (VT) Chinese martial art training program on reactive standing balance performance, postural muscle reflex contraction latency, leg muscle performance, balance confidence and falls in community-dwelling older adults. We randomly assigned 33 healthy older adults to either a VT group (mean age = 67.5 years) or a control group (mean age = 72.1 years). The VT group received two 1-hour VT training sessions per week for three months (24 sessions). Primary outcome measures collected before and after the intervention period were electromyographic muscle activation onset latencies of the hamstring and gastrocnemius and the center of pressure path, length and movement velocity in standing (reactive balance performance). Secondary outcome measures included isometric peak force and time to isometric peak force of the knee extensors and flexors, the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale score, and fall history. Results revealed that the mean gastrocnemius muscle activation onset latency was significantly longer (22.53 ms) in the VT group after the intervention. The peak force of the knee flexors significantly increased (by 1.58 kg) in the control group over time but not in the VT group. The time to reach peak force in the knee flexors was significantly longer (by 0.51 s) in the control group (but not the VT group) at posttest compared with the pretest value. No other significant group, time, or group-by-time interaction effects were noted. We discussed possible reasons for the failure of three months of martial art training to benefit fall risks among these older adults.

Tai Chi Enhances Self-Efficacy and Exercise Behavior in Older Adults

2001 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuzhong Li ◽  
Edward McAuley ◽  
Peter Harmer ◽  
Terry E. Duncan ◽  
Nigel R. Chaumeton
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Tai Chi ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Exercise Adherence ◽  
Exercise Behavior ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Random Effects Models

The article describes a randomized, controlled trial conducted to examine the effects of a Tai Chi intervention program on perceptions of personal efficacy and exercise behavior in older adults. The sample comprised 94 low-active, healthy participants (mean age = 72.8 years. SD = 5.1) randomly assigned to either an experimental (Tai Chi) group or a wait-list control group. The study length was 6 months, with self-efficacy responses (barrier, performance efficacies) assessed at baseline, at Week 12, and at termination (Week 24) of the study. Exercise attendance was recorded as an outcome measure of exercise behavior. Random-effects models revealed that participants in the experimental group experienced significant improvements in self-efficacy over the course of the intervention. Subsequent repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that participants’ changes in efficacy were associated with higher levels of program attendance. The findings suggest that self-efficacy can be enhanced through Tai Chi and that the changes in self-efficacy are likely to improve exercise adherence.

scholarly journals AgingPLUS: Theoretical Background and Study Design of the Randomized Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 434-435
Author(s):  
George Rebok ◽  
David Roth ◽  
Kaigang Li ◽  
Abigail Nehrkorn-Bailey ◽  
Diana Rodriguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Experimental Medicine ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Goal Planning

Abstract The AgingPLUS program targets three psychological mechanisms that are known barriers to middle-aged and older adults’ engagement in physical activity (PA): Negative views of Aging (NVOA), low self-efficacy beliefs, and poor goal planning skills. These risk factors are addressed in a 4-week intervention program that is compared to a generic health education program as the control group. Middle-aged and older adults (age 45-75 years) are enrolled in the trial for 8 months, with four assessment points: Baseline (pre-test), Week 4 (immediate post-test), Week 8 (delayed post-test), and Month 6 (long-term follow-up). The major outcome variables are participants’ engagement in PA as assessed via daily activity logs and actigraphs. Positive changes in NVOA, self-efficacy beliefs, and goal planning are the intervention targets and hypothesized mediating variables leading to increases in PA. This trial adopted the experimental medicine approach to assess the short- and long-term efficacy of the AgingPLUS program.

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<.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.

scholarly journals Comparing the short and original versions of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale in older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 790-790
Author(s):  
Chad Tiernan ◽  
Allon Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Tool Selection ◽  
Balance Confidence ◽  
Confidence Assessment ◽  
Abc Scale ◽  
Primary Predictor

Abstract Balance confidence assessment in older adults has implications for falls and quality of life. It remains unclear whether the original Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC-16) scale or the shortened 6-item (ABC-6) scale is recommended. To further inform the decision-making process of balance confidence tool selection, a secondary analysis of an existing dataset consisting of 77 community-dwelling older adults was performed. ABC-16 and ABC-6 association and agreement, internal consistencies, and relationships with self-rated health (SRH) were assessed. Participants were primarily female (80.5%) between the ages of 60 and 87 years. Results indicated a strong association between the scales [r = .97, p<.001); ICC(2,1) = .80] but limited agreement (95% Limits of Agreement range = 22.1; mean difference of 7.2 points in the direction of the ABC-16). Cronbach’s alphas were .95 (ABC-16) and .89 (ABC-6), suggesting high internal consistency for both scales but possible item redundancy with the ABC-16. Regression model 1 (ABC-6 = primary predictor) explained more of the variance (R2=.36) in SRH compared to model 2 (ABC-16 = primary predictor; R2=.29). Hotelling’s t-test [t(74)=2.4, p=.008] indicated that the correlation coefficient (Multiple R) from the ABC-6 model was significantly higher than the correlation coefficient from the ABC-16 model. In conclusion, despite a high correlation, the two scales did not agree strongly and should not be considered interchangeable. Given that the ABC-16 takes longer to administer, does not relate to SRH as strongly, and could have redundant items, the ABC-6 should be considered for balance confidence assessment in older adults.

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