To Compare the Effect Between Two Different Priorities Dual Task Balance Training in Older Adults with Balance Impairment

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background </strong>and Purpose: Balance is controlled through a complex process involving sensory, visual, vestibular and cerebral functioning which get affected by various neurological disorders such as fall. The purpose of the study was to compare the efficiency of three different balance training strategies in an effort to understand the mechanisms underlying training-related changes in dual task balance performance of older adults with balance impairment.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods:</strong> 45 older adults with balance impairment were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups. Group one received single task balance training, group two received dual task training balance training under fixed priority, group three received dual task balance training under variable priority. Subjects received one-hour individualized training sessions, five times in a week for two weeks. Berg balance scale and time up and go test were the outcome measure and their scores for all groups were taken prior and after the training.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> One-way analysis of variance was used to analyse the difference among the balance improvement in Group one, two and three. And the results revealed that post intervention scores were highly significant (p£ 0.05) in group two and group three performed better than group one.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> In conclusion, dual task training is effective in improving balance under dual task context in older adults with balance impairment, and single task training may not generalize to balance performance under dual task conditions.</p>