The Effects of Interactive Perturbation-based Balance Training in Older Adults

互動式動態平衡干擾訓練對老人之影響

簡若恩(Jo-En Chien) ； 徐瑋勵(Wei-Li Hsu)

《物理治療》 42卷4期 (2017/12) Pp. 361-362

https://doi.org/10.6215/FJPT.2017.74.P31

摘要

Background and Purpose: Falling is an important issue in older adults because they have a high risk of bruises or fracture after falls. Previous balance training studies for older adults focused on muscle strengthening and clinical outcome measurements than biomechanical parameters to quantify the training effect. Because walking is one of the fall-related movements in daily living, it is important to understand the balance recovery during quiet standing and walking. This study investigated the changes in the balance performance of older adults after they received 8-week interactive perturbation-based balance training during quiet standing and walking. Methods: Participants aged between 60 to 80 years old were recruited to receive a twice a week, eight-week interactive perturbation-based balance training using a perturbation-based treadmill, which can generate forward, backward, and lateral perturbations during quiet standing and walking. The biomechanical and clinical assessments were conducted before and after training. The participants performed quiet standing, the Timed Up and Go Test, the Functional Reach Test, and level-ground walking. Biomechanical parameters including the inclination angle between the center of mass (COM) and the center of pressure (COP), the trajectory of the COP, and the distance of the Functional Reach Test were calculated. A paired t-test was used to compare the differences of variables between pre-test and post-test. The significant level was set at 0.05. Results: A total of 17 participants (12 female; Age: 68.33 ± 5.80 years) were included in this study. After they received 8-week interactive perturbation-based balance training, their performance of Timed Up and Go test (8.15 ± 0.79 s, p = 0.02) and their center of mass stability during quiet standing with perturbation (89.51 ± 45.83, p = 0.02) improved significantly. Conclusion: This interactive perturbation-based balance training exerted a positive effect on performance-based balance function and dynamic postural control in older adults. Clinical Relevance: This study provides the evidence showing this novel balance training program improved balance control performance in older adults. The findings provide a new paradigm of treatment approaches for balance control.