Attentional Focus Training on Visuomotor Control in Older Adults

NCT ID: NCT07085364

Last Updated: 2025-07-25

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 16 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-08-01
• Study Completion Date: 2026-05-31

Brief Summary

This study will be a pilot randomized controlled trial, to investigate the effectiveness of an external focus training on visuomotor performance while comparing with an active control group.

Detailed Description

All eligible participants will be randomly divided into two groups: external focus gait training group (EXT) and active control group (CON). All participants will complete two assessment sessions: at baseline (T0) and immediately following the completion of all training sessions (T1). A total of twelve training sessions (about 45 minutes per session), held twice a week for six weeks, would be provided to participants in both training groups.

Conditions

Gait; Attention; Older Adults

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

EXT

External focus manipulation

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Attentional focus

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Every training session will include the following activities for both groups: a 5-minute warm-up; a 30-minute walking training; and a 5-minute cool-down. The walking training will be conducted within a level-ground walking field. Participants will be instructed to look at and step on specific markers/labels that will be attached along the walking paths.

CON

Traditional manipulation

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Control

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Every training session will include the following activities for both groups: a 5-minute warm-up; a 30-minute walking training; and a 5-minute cool-down. The walking training will be conducted within a level-ground walking field. No markers/labels will be attached and no relevant instructions will be provided apart from the general instruction.

Interventions

Attentional focus

Every training session will include the following activities for both groups: a 5-minute warm-up; a 30-minute walking training; and a 5-minute cool-down. The walking training will be conducted within a level-ground walking field. Participants will be instructed to look at and step on specific markers/labels that will be attached along the walking paths.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Control

Every training session will include the following activities for both groups: a 5-minute warm-up; a 30-minute walking training; and a 5-minute cool-down. The walking training will be conducted within a level-ground walking field. No markers/labels will be attached and no relevant instructions will be provided apart from the general instruction.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• aged 65 or above
• able to walk independently indoor for at least 40 metres
• static visual acuity score 20/40 or above
• scoring 22/30 or above in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Hong Kong version
• without any history of untreated major neurological, vestibular or musculoskeletal deficits (e.g., stroke or Parkinson's disease)
• without any unstable medical condition that can compromise safety during the experiment
• scoring less than 24/28 in the Tinetti Balance Assessment Tool or scoring 50/56 or below in the Berg Balance Scale

Exclusion Criteria

• none

• Minimum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Other Identifiers

HSEARS20250107004

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id