Effect of Visual Cue Training on Balance and Walking in Elderly: A Single Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Balance disorders emblematize as a sprouting area of public health concern, due to its conjunction with falls amidst the elderly dwellers in the community. As age increases there is a marked reduction in functioning of visual system and gaze behaviour which adversely affects balance and gait in elderly. Balance and gait training methods aided by visual cues are technology based so the study was initiated to find about a visual cue training method which is feasible and can be used in rural settings easily amongst the elderly veterans of the community. Aim: To determine the effect of visual cue training on balance and walking in elderly population. Materials and Methods: The study was a single blind randomized controlled trial carried out in Abhaya Ashraya old age home, Assaigoli, Mangalore. A total of 55 patients were screened out of which 40 patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. All participants receive balance training for 30 minutes. In addition, the experimental group received visual cues along with balance training. Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) scores were taken pre and posttreatment in both the groups. Paired and independent t-test was used for comparing within and between group difference respectively of the experimental and control group of BBS and DGI scores. Results: There was a significant improvement in the Berg balance and Dynamic gait index scores before and after the intervention within the groups and between the groups with a p-value<0.001 in both experimental and control group but more marked improvement was found in experimental group with mean difference of 4.9 and 2.2 for BBS and DGI respectively. Conclusion: The present study concludes that visual cue training can be utilized as a simple and effective tool for training in clinical settings to address sprouting public health issue of balance and gait disorders which is cohesively coupled with catastrophe of falls admist elderly residents in the community.

Keywords

• accidental falls
• feedback
• gait
• geriatrics
• neuronal plasticity
• vision