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Dual-taskNCT07393516

EFFECTS OF VARIABLE-PRIORITY DUAL-TASK TRAINING ON BALANCE, GAIT, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ELDERLY WOMEN IN CHINA

A study testing Variable-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training, Fixed-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training and Phsical training in people with Dual-task and Older Adults (65 Years and Older), run by Yu Xiao at 1 site in China.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This clinical trial aims to investigate the effects of variable-priority dual-task training on balance, gait, and quality of life in Chinese elderly women, exploring more effective training methods to help healthy elderly women improve balance and gait performance, reduce fall rates, and enhance quality of life. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 65 to 90 years, women only
What is being tested?
Variable-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training, Fixed-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training and Phsical training
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
75 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
5 Nov 2023to 18 Jun 2024
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 65 to 90 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • age ≥65 years; (2) no severe visual or hearing impairments; (3) no limb disabilities or physical mobility impairments, able to stand and walk independently without the use of walking aids; (4) no neurological diseases or cognitive impairment; (5) MoCA score ≥26; (6) informed consent and voluntary participation.

Who cannot join

  • severe cardiovascular, pulmonary, or musculoskeletal system diseases; (2) neurological diseases severely affecting balance function, such as stroke or Parkinson's disease; (3) mental illnesses such as depression or use of psychiatric medications; (4) need for assistive devices for walking; (5) simultaneous participation in other clinical trials.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

China1 site
  • Jinheyuan Community Senior Citizens Activity Center, Hongshan District

    Wuhan, Hubei, 430070

Other trials in China

About this study

This clinical trial aims to investigate the effects of variable-priority dual-task training on balance, gait, and quality of life in Chinese elderly women, exploring more effective training methods to help healthy elderly women improve balance and gait performance, reduce fall rates, and enhance quality of life. The trial primarily seeks to address the following questions:

H01: Between the three intervention groups (VPDT, FPDT, and PT), there are no statistically significant differences in balance among healthy older Chinese women at baseline (T1), week 6 (T2), or week 12 (T3).

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H02: Between the three intervention groups (VPDT, FPDT, and PT), there are no statistically significant differences in gait among healthy older Chinese women at baseline (T1), week 6 (T2), or week 12 (T3).

H03: Between the three intervention groups (VPDT, FPDT, and PT), there are no statistically significant differences in QoL among healthy older Chinese women at baseline (T1), week 6 (T2), or week 12 (T3).

Researchers will compare variable-priority dual-task training with a placebo (fixed-priority dual-task training and physical training) to determine whether variable-priority dual-task training effectively improves balance, gait, and quality of life in Chinese elderly women.

Participants will:

Undergo three 60-minute training sessions per week for 12 weeks; Each session combines concurrent cognitive and physical training, with slight variations in content across the three groups; Outcome measurements will be taken at baseline, week 6 post-intervention, and week 12 post-intervention.

Being tested
Variable-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training, Fixed-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training, Phsical training
Keywords
Balance, Gait, Older adults, Quality of life, dual-task training, Variable-priority dual-task training

What participants receive

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

  • Variable-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task TrainingBehavioural

    Intervention Description (VPDT):

    Participants will receive variable-priority cognitive-motor dual-task training (VPDT) for 12 weeks. Training will be delivered in supervised sessions 3 times/week, 60 minutes/session, in a small group format. Each session combines functional balance and gait tasks (e.g., sit-to-stand, obstacle negotiation, line walking, turning, transfers) with concurrent cognitive tasks (e.g., serial subtraction/1-back/semantic fluency). Variable-priority instructions are used: participants are coached to flexibly shift attention between the motor and cognitive task across repetitions/blocks, with individualized cueing. Attendance is recorded each session; adverse events are monitored and managed according to a predefined safety protocol.

  • Fixed-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task TrainingBehavioural

    Intervention Description (FPDT):

    Participants will receive fixed-priority cognitive-motor dual-task training (FPDT) for 12 weeks, supervised 3 times/week, 60 minutes/session. The motor tasks and cognitive tasks are matched to the VPDT group in type and total practice time. Fixed-priority instructions are used: participants are instructed to maintain equal and consistent attention to both tasks simultaneously throughout training, without shifting priorities across blocks. Progression and safety monitoring follow the same principles as VPDT. Attendance and adverse events are documented.

  • Phsical trainingBehavioural

    The PT group first performed a 10-minute warm-up exercise. Then, in the order of the exercise tasks, they performed sit-ups, stand-ups, seated rowing, object transfer, obstacle avoidance, and connected walking training. Finally, a 10-minute relaxation activity was performed. Session duration, weekly frequency, and supervision were matched across the VPDT and FPDT groups, but PT consisted only of single-task exercises (no cognitive tasks or priority instructions).

Study groups in NCT07393516
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Variable-priority dual-task trainingExperimentalVariable priority dual-task training requires participants to perform cognitive-motor dual-task training while adjusting attention priorities based on instructions such as "posture priority" or "cognitive priority." During training, the coach monitored behaviour for adherence to the instructed priority (e.g., excessive stopping to respond during cognitive-priority bouts, reduced responding/ignoring prompts during cognitive-priority bouts, or unsafe postural behaviour during posture-priority bouts). When deviations were observed, standardized corrective prompts were delivered immediately and the priority instruction was restated. Cognitive-task performance (correct/total responses) was recorded for each bout as an adherence indicator of engagement with the instructed attentional priority. Marked accuracy deterioration or obvious non-compliance triggered real-time coaching prompts to restore the intended priority strategy while maintaining safe postural control.
Receives: Behavioral: Variable-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training
Fixed-priority dual-task trainingActive comparatorFixed-priority dual-task training requires participants to perform cognitive-motor dual-task training simultaneously. At the beginning of each session and before each motor-task set, participants were instructed to "pay equal attention to the motor and cognitive tasks throughout," aiming to maintain safe, stable movement while responding as accurately as possible. Participants were asked to repeat the instruction in their own words to confirm understanding. During training, the coach monitored behaviour for signs of disproportionate prioritization (e.g., pausing the motor task to answer, ignoring the cognitive prompt, or unsafe postural behaviour). Standardized reminders (e.g., "keep both tasks equally important") were delivered when needed. Cognitive responses were checked in real time, and incorrect responses were corrected immediately to reinforce engagement with the cognitive task while maintaining safe postural control.
Receives: Behavioral: Fixed-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training
Phsical trainingActive comparatorThe PT group first performed a 10-minute warm-up exercise. Then, in the order of the exercise tasks, they performed sit-ups, stand-ups, seated rowing, object transfer, obstacle avoidance, and connected walking training. Finally, a 10-minute relaxation activity was performed. Session duration, weekly frequency, and supervision were matched across the VPDT and FPDT groups, but PT consisted only of single-task exercises (no cognitive tasks or priority instructions).
Receives: Behavioral: Phsical training

What is being measured

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

  1. Dual-Task 10-Meter Walk Test

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks

  2. 10-Meter Walk Test

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks

  3. Timed Up and Go Test

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks

  4. Dual-Task Timed Up and Go Test

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks

  5. Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks

  6. Single-Legged Closed-Eyed Standing Test

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks

  7. Berg Balance Scale

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks

  8. Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. 36-Item Short Form of Health Survey

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks

Timeline

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

  1. First posted6 Feb 2026
  2. Study start5 Nov 2023
  3. Primary completion10 Jun 2024
  4. Study completion18 Jun 2024

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
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
75 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07393516
Sponsor's protocol ID
JKEUPM-2023-373
Status last verified
Jan 2026
First submitted
30 Jan 2026
Last updated
6 Feb 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided: The plan to share individual participant data (IPD) has not yet been determined. The study team is developing a data management and sharing plan and will consider data sharing after study completion, subject to ethics approval, participant consent, and institutional policies. Any shared dataset would be de-identified and provided under appropriate data-use agreements.

Publications

  • Trombini-Souza F, de Maio Nascimento M, da Silva TFA, de Araujo RC, Perracini MR, Sacco ICN. Dual-task training with progression from variable- to fixed-priority instructions versus dual-task training with variable-priority on gait speed in community-dwelling older adults: A protocol for a randomized controlled trial : Variable- and fixed-priority dual-task for older adults. BMC Geriatr. 2020 Feb 22;20(1):76. doi: 10.1186/s12877-020-1479-2.

    PubMed 32087694
  • Effect of agility training under single-task condition versus training under dual-task condition with different task priorities to improve balance in the elderly.

  • Lussier M, Bugaiska A, Bherer L. Specific transfer effects following variable priority dual-task training in older adults. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2017;35(2):237-250. doi: 10.3233/RNN-150581.

    PubMed 27372514
  • Silsupadol P, Shumway-Cook A, Lugade V, van Donkelaar P, Chou LS, Mayr U, Woollacott MH. Effects of single-task versus dual-task training on balance performance in older adults: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2009 Mar;90(3):381-7. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2008.09.559.

    PubMed 19254600
  • Sengar S, Raghav D, Verma M, Alghadir AH, Iqbal A. Efficacy Of Dual-Task Training With Two Different Priorities Instructional Sets On Gait Parameters In Patients With Chronic Stroke. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2019 Oct 17;15:2959-2969. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S197632. eCollection 2019.

    PubMed 31695387

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Variable-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training, Fixed-Priority Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Training and Phsical training in people with Dual-task and Older Adults (65 Years and Older), run by Yu Xiao 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 1 inclusion and 1 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 6 Feb 2026. 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. 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?

Dual-Task 10-Meter Walk Test (time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks). The study lists 8 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 NCT07393516, which also lists 5 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 6 Feb 2026.

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