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Tele-Supervised Dual-Task Balance Training in Community-Dwelling Older Adults at Risk of Falls

ConditionsTelerehabilitationGait Balance
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age65-80
SponsorPrince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University

About this trial

Dual-task training combines movement with cognitive tasks to improve gait, balance, and thinking.

This study will compare tele-supervised versus onsite dual-task balance training in older adults at risk of falls.

Sixty participants aged 65+ will be randomly assigned to either remote or face-to-face training for 8 weeks.

Both groups will follow the same program, delivered via video calls or direct supervision.

Outcomes measures will include gait speed, balance, and cognition using the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B).

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

sixty literate, community-dwelling older individuals (male and female) 65 years of age or older

access to the internet at home (for participants in the tele-supervised group)

fall risk defined as a Berg Balance Scale score ˂52 (out of a total of 56 points)

at least one fall during the preceding year

Disqualifiers

Participants with neurological or musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, orthopedic conditions)

or severe sensory impairments that could interfere with participation or balance were excluded.

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Dual-task balance training program, delivered either via real-time video conferencing

    Other intervention

    The tele-supervised group will perform sessions at home through Zoom Video Communications. Training will follow a fixed-priority strategy. Sessions will last 45 minutes. Each session will include: 5 minutes warm-up, 35 minutes dual-task training, and 5 minutes cool-down.

  • Face to face intervension

    Other intervention

    The onsite group received the same dual-task balance training program, delivered face-to-face by a trained therapist at the physical therapy clinic, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, with a frequency and duration matched to the tele-supervised group.

Treatment groups

60 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Tele-supervised dual-task training groupExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Onsite rehabilitation groupExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Balance assessment

The most well-known balance test for evaluating adult balance and fall risk is the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The 14 items on the BBS have an ordinal scale of 0 to 4, totaling 56 points; a lower score denotes a higher risk of falling. Minimal function is represented by a score of 0, and maximal function is represented by a score of 4. It takes about twenty minutes to finish. The items are evaluated from the static position with increasing difficulty by decreasing the base of support to dynamic activities (Joa, 2024). BBS is reliable and valid in older individuals (Berg et al., 1992; Şahin et al., 2008).

Time frame
8 weeks
2

Gait speed

Gait speed will be measured using the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT). A 14-meter walkway will be used, and participants will be asked to walk at their typical pace. The time will be recorded throughout the middle 10 meters to account for acceleration and deceleration. Meters per second will be used to measure walking speed; greater numbers denote superior performance. For assessing functional mobility in older persons, the 10MWT is a viable and trustworthy tool (Önal \& Kocaman, 2025).

Time frame
8 weeks
3

Cognitive function

The Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B) assessed divided attention, executive function, cognitive flexibility, and visual attention. As fast as they can, participants will connect 25 circles that alternate between letters and numbers (1-A-2-B); shorter completion times indicate better performance. For older adults, TMT-B is valid and reliable (Tombaugh, 2004; Sánchez-Cubillo et al., 2009).

Time frame
8 weeks

Secondary outcomes

Other outcomes

Locations

This trial has no locations.

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

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