Vision, Balance and Falls in Older AdultsNCT02252874
Can Entertaining Action-video Games Enhance Dynamic Visual Function and Improve Balance? A Randomized Controlled Trial.
A study testing Slow-paced action video game and Fast-paced action video game in people with Vision, Balance and Falls in Older Adults, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
This project is aimed to find out whether action video games can enhance dynamic visual function and improve balance function in the community-dwelling older adults. It is also aimed to examine the relationship between dynamic visions and balance functions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Vision, Balance and Falls in Older Adults
- What is being tested?
- Slow-paced action video game and Fast-paced action video game
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 160 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- Sep 2014to Jun 2017
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 60 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Ability to understand and speak Cantonese
- No formal training or regular practice of balance function (e.g. Tai-chi)
- Little and preferably no video-game experience
- Best corrected distance acuity of 0.2 logMAR or better
Who cannot join
- Any diagnosed ocular diseases and ocular-motor abnormalities
- Suffering form severe medical problems or self reported neurological or cognitive disorders
- Suffering from physical impairments or physical limitations restricting them from training
- Having self reported vestibular or cerebellar dysfunction, history of vertigo or severe hearing loss
- Suffering from crippling arthritis, or a recent fracture of lower limb
- Planned major surgery during the trial
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Can Entertaining Action-video Games Enhance Dynamic Visual Functions and Improve Balance? A Randomized Controlled Trial.
This project is aimed to find out whether action video games can enhance dynamic visual function and improve balance function in the community-dwelling older adults. It is also aimed to examine the relationship between dynamic visions and balance functions.
Read the detailed description
Balance control is an important component even in a very simple daily task like walking. However, as we age, our physical and visual function would gradually deteriorate even in the absence of health or eye problems. Improving elderly balance control through different training is one way to prevent falls. In our project, we investigate the use of action video games, which is easy-to-find and entertaining, as a visual function trainer to improve balance of older adults.
We hypothesize that the training would show an improvement in both balance and dynamic vision. Our primary hypothesis is that postural sway in static and dynamic balance measures will improve after action video-game intervention. For secondary outcome measures, we hypothesize that the training will improve dynamic visual function (as measured by dynamic visual acuity and dynamic contrast sensitivity), and visual attention measures (as measured by useful field of view, multiple object tracking and spatial attention).
- Being tested
- Slow-paced action video game, Fast-paced action video game, Control
- Keywords
- balance, visual function, community-dwelling older adults, action video-game
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Slow-paced action video gameBehavioural
20 hours slow-paced action video games
Fast-paced action video gameBehavioural
20 hours fast-paced action video games
ControlBehavioural
20 hours leisure activities
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control Group | Placebo comparator | Receive leisure activities (e.g. reading, web-surfing, playing chess/ Mahjong) Twenty hours (2-3 sessions per week, 1.5 hours per session) Receives: Behavioral: Control |
| Intervention Group 1 | Active comparator | Receive slow motion Nintendo Wii video games Twenty hours ( 2-3 sessions per week, 1.5 hours per session) Receives: Behavioral: Slow-paced action video game |
| Intervention Group 2 | Active comparator | Receive fast motion Nintendo Wii video games (e.g. shooting game) Twenty hours ( 2-3 sessions per week, 1.5 hours per session) Receives: Behavioral: Fast-paced action video game |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Static and dynamic postural sway on forced platform
- Static Balance - postural sway when standing on firm or foam surface.
- Dynamic Balance:
- Limits of stability (LOS)
- Sequential weight shifting test (SWS)
Measured: Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16
Secondary outcomes (3)
Grating visual acuity at different moving speeds
Dynamic visual function measure - Grating visual acuity is measured with different moving speeds
Measured: Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16
Useful Field of View (UFOV)
One of the visual attention measures - Useful Field of View (UFOV)
Measured: Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16
Multiple tracking objects (MOT)
One of the visual attention measures - Multiple tracking objects (MOT)
Measured: Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Sep 2014 (estimated)
- Study startSep 2014
- Primary completionFeb 2017
- Study completionJun 2017
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Vision, Balance and Falls in Older AdultsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Waterloo, University of California, Berkeley
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Allen MY Cheong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Investigators
- Allen MY Cheong, PhD, Principal investigator, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02252874
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- K-ZK 93
- Status last verified
- Feb 2018
- First submitted
- 24 Sep 2014
- Last updated
- 23 Feb 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Feb 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Can Entertaining Action-video Games Enhance Dynamic Visual Functions and Improve Balance? A Randomized Controlled Trial.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02252874
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- K-ZK 93
- Keywords
- balance, visual function, community-dwelling older adults, action video-game
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Waterloo, University of California, Berkeley
- Study start
- Sep 2014
- Primary completion
- Feb 2017 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jun 2017 (actual)
- First posted
- 30 Sep 2014 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This project is aimed to find out whether action video games can enhance dynamic visual function and improve balance function in the community-dwelling older adults. It is also aimed to examine the relationship between dynamic visions and balance functions.
Detailed description
Balance control is an important component even in a very simple daily task like walking. However, as we age, our physical and visual function would gradually deteriorate even in the absence of health or eye problems. Improving elderly balance control through different training is one way to prevent falls. In our project, we investigate the use of action video games, which is easy-to-find and entertaining, as a visual function trainer to improve balance of older adults.
We hypothesize that the training would show an improvement in both balance and dynamic vision. Our primary hypothesis is that postural sway in static and dynamic balance measures will improve after action video-game intervention. For secondary outcome measures, we hypothesize that the training will improve dynamic visual function (as measured by dynamic visual acuity and dynamic contrast sensitivity), and visual attention measures (as measured by useful field of view, multiple object tracking and spatial attention).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control Group | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: ControlReceive leisure activities (e.g. reading, web-surfing, playing chess/ Mahjong) Twenty hours (2-3 sessions per week, 1.5 hours per session) |
| Intervention Group 1 | Active comparator | Behavioral: Slow-paced action video gameReceive slow motion Nintendo Wii video games Twenty hours ( 2-3 sessions per week, 1.5 hours per session) |
| Intervention Group 2 | Active comparator | Behavioral: Fast-paced action video gameReceive fast motion Nintendo Wii video games (e.g. shooting game) Twenty hours ( 2-3 sessions per week, 1.5 hours per session) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Ability to understand and speak Cantonese
- No formal training or regular practice of balance function (e.g. Tai-chi)
- Little and preferably no video-game experience
- Best corrected distance acuity of 0.2 logMAR or better
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Any diagnosed ocular diseases and ocular-motor abnormalities
- Suffering form severe medical problems or self reported neurological or cognitive disorders
- Suffering from physical impairments or physical limitations restricting them from training
- Having self reported vestibular or cerebellar dysfunction, history of vertigo or severe hearing loss
- Suffering from crippling arthritis, or a recent fracture of lower limb
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Slow-paced action video game20 hours slow-paced action video games | Behavioural | Intervention Group 1 |
| Fast-paced action video game20 hours fast-paced action video games | Behavioural | Intervention Group 2 |
| Control20 hours leisure activities | Behavioural | Control Group |
Primary outcome
Static and dynamic postural sway on forced platform
Time frame: Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16
1. Static Balance - postural sway when standing on firm or foam surface. 2. Dynamic Balance: 1. Limits of stability (LOS) 2. Sequential weight shifting test (SWS)
3 secondary outcomes
Grating visual acuity at different moving speeds
Time frame: Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16
Useful Field of View (UFOV)
Time frame: Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16
Multiple tracking objects (MOT)
Time frame: Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Feb 2018.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Allen MY Cheong, PhD principal investigator
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Slow-paced action video game and Fast-paced action video game in people with Vision, Balance and Falls in Older Adults, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Feb 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Static and dynamic postural sway on forced platform (time frame: Change from baseline at week 8 and change from baseline at week 16). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Feb 2018; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 27 Oct 2026.