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Elderly PopulationNCT07150364

Comparison of Square Stepping Exercise and Wobble Board Exercise in Elderly Population

A study testing Square Stepping Exercise and Wobble Board Exercise in people with Elderly Population, run by Riphah International University at 1 site in Pakistan.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Cognitive decline and balance issues are key contributors to falls. Square Stepping Exercise (SSE) and Wobble Board Exercise (WBE) both are the promising forms of balance training. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 60 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Elderly Population
What is being tested?
Square Stepping Exercise and Wobble Board Exercise
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
38 participants
Where
1 sitePakistan
Study dates
17 Nov 2024to 30 Jan 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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

  • Elderly individuals age 60 years and above of both genders according to the guidelines of World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Participants whose Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score will be >24/30 ensuring sufficient cognitive ability to follow instructions and participate in exercise.
  • Participants whose Berg Balance Scale scores of more than 41/56 ensuring that the participants have moderate level of balance ability.
  • Vital signs within normal range for elderly population.
  • Ability to walk independently with or without an assistive device (e.g., canes).

Who cannot join

  • Participants who have severe musculoskeletal or neurological disorders affecting gait or balance (e.g., Parkinson's disease, and stroke) because of the complex impacts of these conditions on general cognitive and physical functions.
  • Participants who undergoes recent fractures or injuries affecting participation in physical activity.
  • Participants who have uncontrolled cardiovascular or metabolic conditions (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, and diabetes mellitus) that could significantly interfere with exercise.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Imran Amjad, Phd contact

03324390125

imran.amjad@riphah.edu.pk

Pakistan1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Khursheed Old Home

    Lahore, Punjab Province, 54800

    Fatima Tariq, 03344255033, Fatima.tariq@riphah.edu.pk

    Hafsa Ahsan, MS-NMPT

    Recruiting

Other trials in Pakistan

About this study

Official title: Comparison of Square Stepping Exercise and Wobble Board Exercise on Cognition, Balance and Fall Risk in Elderly Population

Cognitive decline and balance issues are key contributors to falls. Square Stepping Exercise (SSE) and Wobble Board Exercise (WBE) both are the promising forms of balance training. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare these two exercises to determine their effects on cognition, balance, and fall risk in elderly population.

Read the detailed description

The study in 2016 described the effects of square stepping exercises versus traditional balance exercises on improving balance and reducing fear of falling in the elderly. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and Fall Efficacy Scale (FES) were used for assessments. Both groups showed significant improvements in BBS and TUG scores (p<0.0001), but the square stepping exercise group demonstrated more significant gains. The study concluded that square stepping exercises were more effective in enhancing balance and reducing fear of falling compared to traditional balance exercises.This study addresses a notable gap in existing literature by comparing the effects of Square Stepping Exercise and Wobble Board Exercise in improving cognition, balance, and fall risk among the elderly. While both exercises have been recognized individually for their benefits, but their comparative effectiveness remains understudied. By focusing on this comparison, this study aim is to fill this gap and offer valuable insights into the most effective intervention for enhancing functional independence and promoting healthy aging.

Being tested
Square Stepping Exercise, Wobble Board Exercise
Keywords
Balance, Cognition, Fall risk, Square-stepping exercise, Wobble board

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Square Stepping ExerciseOther

    5 days per week for 6 weeks. 30 minutes per session with appropriate rest interval in between.

  • Wobble Board ExerciseOther

    5 days per week for 6 weeks. 30 minutes per session with appropriate rest interval in between.

Study groups in NCT07150364
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Square Stepping ExerciseExperimentalIn SSE, step patterns are performed on a mat
Receives: Other: Square Stepping Exercise
Wobble Board ExerciseExperimentalPerson is standing on a wobble board, that unexpectedly translates or tilts
Receives: Other: Wobble Board Exercise

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Fall Efficacy Scale- international (FES- I)

    The FES-I is designed to assess concern about falling while performing basic and instrumental indoor and outdoor activities. This scale consists of 16 items (10 items from the original FES and six additional social activities items). Each item is scored with a four- point scale (1 = not concerned at all, 4 = very concerned). The summation of scores gives a total score from 16 (absence of FOF) to 64 (extreme concern of falling). This scale was used as a criterion scale in the present study with a cutoff point of 23.

    Measured: 6th week

  2. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)

    The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is a widely used tool for screening cognitive function and assessing the severity of cognitive impairment. It assesses areas such as orientation, registration, attention and calculation, recall, language, and visual construction. The MMSE consists of 30 questions with a maximum score of 30 points in which score between 24-30 is consider normal, score 18-23 is consider mild cognitive impairment and score between 0-17 is consider severe cognitive impairment.

    Measured: 6th week

  3. Berg Balance Scale (BBS)

    The BBS evaluates a participant's balance based on 14 items scored and takes 15-20 min to complete. The score for each item ranges from 0 to 4 points, with an overall maximum score of 56 points. Balance is evaluated by asking participants to perform a variety of sitting, transferring and standing positions. In an assessment of which cut- off scores on the BBS best predict the risk of falling. The score of 41-56 indicates low risk of fall, 21-40 indicates medium risk of fall, and 0-20 indicates the high risk of fall.

    Measured: 6th week

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Time up and Go test (TUG)

    The TUG is a performance-based measure of functional mobility initially developed to identify mobility and balance impairments in older adults. The TUG test takes only a few minutes to complete. In this test, participants are asked to stand up from a chair, walk 3 m, turn, walk 3 m back and sit down again. The time taken to perform this task indicates high or low falls risk. The cut- off scores reported in the articles varied from 10.9 seconds to 13 seconds.

    Measured: 6th week

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted2 Sep 2025
  2. Study start17 Nov 2024
  3. Primary completion30 Nov 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Jan 2026 (estimated)

Resources

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
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
38 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07150364
Sponsor's protocol ID
REC/RCR&AHS/24/02101
Status last verified
Aug 2025
First submitted
24 Aug 2025
Last updated
2 Sep 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Delbaere K, Valenzuela T, Lord SR, Clemson L, Zijlstra GAR, Close JCT, Lung T, Woodbury A, Chow J, McInerney G, Miles L, Toson B, Briggs N, van Schooten KS. E-health StandingTall balance exercise for fall prevention in older people: results of a two year randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2021 Apr 6;373:n740. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n740.

    PubMed 33824131
  • Forbes PA, Chen A, Blouin JS. Sensorimotor control of standing balance. Handb Clin Neurol. 2018;159:61-83. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63916-5.00004-5.

    PubMed 30482333
  • Guirguis-Blake JM, Michael YL, Perdue LA, Coppola EL, Beil TL. Interventions to Prevent Falls in Older Adults: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA. 2018 Apr 24;319(16):1705-1716. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.21962.

    PubMed 29710140
  • Henry M, Baudry S. Age-related changes in leg proprioception: implications for postural control. J Neurophysiol. 2019 Aug 1;122(2):525-538. doi: 10.1152/jn.00067.2019. Epub 2019 Jun 5.

    PubMed 31166819
  • Franzel K, Koschate J, Freiberger E, Shigematsu R, Zieschang T, Tietgen S. Square-stepping exercise in older inpatients in early geriatric rehabilitation. A randomized controlled pilot study. BMC Geriatr. 2024 Apr 10;24(1):326. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-04932-3.

    PubMed 38600478
  • Thomas E, Battaglia G, Patti A, Brusa J, Leonardi V, Palma A, Bellafiore M. Physical activity programs for balance and fall prevention in elderly: A systematic review. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Jul;98(27):e16218. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016218.

    PubMed 31277132
  • Kawabata M, Gan SR, Shen-Hsing AC. Effects of Square Stepping Exercise on cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults: A center-based hybrid trial. BMC Geriatr. 2024 Apr 25;24(1):374. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-04904-7.

    PubMed 38664613
  • Taghavi Asl A, Shojaedin SS, Hadadnezhad M. Comparison of effect of wobble board training with and without cognitive intervention on balance, ankle proprioception and jump landing kinetic parameters of men with chronic ankle instability: a randomized control trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022 Sep 30;23(1):888. doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05706-x.

    PubMed 36180870
  • Rudnicka E, Napierala P, Podfigurna A, Meczekalski B, Smolarczyk R, Grymowicz M. The World Health Organization (WHO) approach to healthy ageing. Maturitas. 2020 Sep;139:6-11. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2020.05.018. Epub 2020 May 26.

    PubMed 32747042
  • Meimandi M, Fadavi-Ghaffari M, Taghizadeh G, Azad A, Lajevardi L. Falls Efficacy Scale and Single Item Question: Screening Accuracy for Older Adults Residing in Nursing Homes. Clin Gerontol. 2021 Oct-Dec;44(5):544-551. doi: 10.1080/07317115.2020.1858467. Epub 2020 Dec 15.

    PubMed 33320074
  • Dewan N, MacDermid JC. Fall Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). J Physiother. 2014 Mar;60(1):60. doi: 10.1016/j.jphys.2013.12.014. Epub 2014 May 3. No abstract available.

    PubMed 24856947
  • Patnode CD, Perdue LA, Rossom RC, Rushkin MC, Redmond N, Thomas RG, Lin JS. Screening for Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA. 2020 Feb 25;323(8):764-785. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.22258.

    PubMed 32096857
  • Meekes WM, Korevaar JC, Leemrijse CJ, van de Goor IA. Practical and validated tool to assess falls risk in the primary care setting: a systematic review. BMJ Open. 2021 Sep 29;11(9):e045431. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045431.

    PubMed 34588228
  • Zahedian-Nasab N, Jaberi A, Shirazi F, Kavousipor S. Effect of virtual reality exercises on balance and fall in elderly people with fall risk: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatr. 2021 Sep 25;21(1):509. doi: 10.1186/s12877-021-02462-w.

    PubMed 34563120

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Square Stepping Exercise and Wobble Board Exercise in people with Elderly Population, run by Riphah International University at 1 site in Pakistan.

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 5 inclusion and 3 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Sep 2025. 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 Pakistan. 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. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Imran Amjad, Phd (03324390125, imran.amjad@riphah.edu.pk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Fall Efficacy Scale- international (FES- I) (time frame: 6th week). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07150364, which also lists 14 linked publications.

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 2 Sep 2025.

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