Effect of Oculomotor and Gaze Stability Exercises on the Improvement of Balance After Stroke

Individuals older than 60 years old, discharged after suffering brain stroke with referral to the rehabilitation outpatient clinic, will be assessed for orthostatic balance. Patients with positive Romberg test are invited to participate in the trial. Participants will be randomized to either the current rehabilitation protocol or to an supplemental intervention focused on oculomotor and gaze stability exercises to be applied at home for three weeks. Participants will be assessed with standardized, validated tools.

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Key information

Conditions

Stroke Brain Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebrovascular Disorders Distorted; Balance Nervous System Diseases Vascular Diseases

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

The study aims to evaluated the effect of a home program of oculomotor and gaze stability exercises on improvement the balance in stroke patients.

Individuals older than 60 years old, discharged after suffering brain stroke and referred to the neurologic rehabilitation outpatient clinic, will be assessed for a neuro-motor deficits. Patients will be consider eligible if they had positive Romberg test (disorder of orthostatic balance) and they will be invited to participate in the trial. Patients with previous balance problems will be excluded.

Participants will be allocated in two intervention groups through block randomization, either the current rehabilitation protocol or to an supplemental intervention focused on oculomotor and gaze stability exercises to be applied at home for three weeks. Participants will be assessed with Motor Assessment Scale, Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go Test.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Stroke diagnosis 3 to 15 months before recruitment
Balance deficits (positive Romberg)
Patients able to walk 3 meters without assistance with or without an assistive device

Exclusion criteria

Balance problems previous to the index stroke
Severe osteo-articular lesions that compromise the ability to perform the proposed exercises
Previous exposure to oculomotor or gaze stability exercises

Treatment and study plan

Oculomotor and Gaze Stability Exercises

Other

Daily oculomotor and gaze stability exercises, twice a day, for three weeks

Primary outcomes

Berg Balance Scale (BBS)

Time frame: Change on BBS from baseline up to three weeks of intervention

Balance measure used in older people with impairment in balance function by assessing the performance of functional tasks
Timed Up and Go Test (TUG)

Time frame: Change on TUG from baseline up to three weeks of intervention

simple test used to assess mobility and requires both static and dynamic balance

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effectiveness of Oculomotor and Gaze Stability Exercises on the Improvement of Balance After Brain Stroke in Patients Older Than 60 Years Old

Acronym: BETTERBALANCE

Important dates

Study start: 2014
Primary completion: 2020
Study completion: 2020
First posted: Nov 3, 2014
Registry last updated: Mar 25, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed