Effects of Regular Exercise on Sensory-motor Functions and Fall Risk in the Elderly

Primary outcomes

1. Fall Risk

   Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 months

   Morse Fall Scale (MFS) will be used to assess fall risk. For MFS; A total score between 0-24 indicates a low risk of falling; 25-50 indicates moderate risk of falling, and total score of 51 and above indicates a high risk of falling.

2. Fall Risk

   Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 months

   Missouri Alliance for Home Care (MAHC-10) Fall Risk Assessment Questionnaire will be used to assess fall risk. The MAHC-10 fall risk assessment questionnaire with 10 questions is method for determining the risk of falling in the home environment. The minimum score "0", indicates no risk factors while maximum score "10" indicates that all risk factors are present. A score below 4 indicates no risk of falling, a scores 4 or above indicate high risk of falling.

3. Vibration Sense

   Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 months

   Vibration sense will be assesed from the 1st metatarsal head of the dominant and non-dominant feet using a tuning fork (128 Hz, Mesitas Istanbul, Turkiye). Participants will be asked to start the digital stopwatch in their hand when they felt the vibration and to stop the stopwatch when the vibration ended. The assessment will be repeated three times and the average value will calculate. The values obtained will record in seconds (s). The sensation of vibration felt for more than 10 seconds will be categorized as "normal," felt for 1-9 seconds as "reduced," and felt for less than 1 second as "absent"

4. Proprioception Sense

   Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 months

   Ankle proprioception sense will be evaluated using the angle repetition test. A 180-degree platform drawn at 1° intervals will be used for ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion movements. The target angles for the test will be determined as 10° for dorsiflexion movement and 20° for plantar flexion. Before the evaluation, the participants will be asked to perceive that position by passively bringing their feet to the target angles (dorsiflexion: 10°, plantar flexion: 20°). Then, the participants will be asked to actively find the target angles for dorsiflexion and plantar flexion separately, starting from the 0° point with their eyes closed. The margin of error between the reached angles and target angles will be recorded in degrees (°). Measurements will be repeated three times in the side-lying position for both ankles, and the average values will be recorded.

5. Isometric Muscle Strength

   Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 months

   The ankle dorsi flexor, plantar flexor, invertor and evertor isometric muscle strength will be measured using a digital dynamometer (Model-01165, Lafeyette Instrument®, USA) in the supine position, with the knee joint stabilised in extended position with the help of a belt. Three consecutive measurements will be recorded in kilogram and will be averaged. Thirty seconds rest intervals will be given between each measurement.

6. Static Balance

   Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 months

   The "Standing Stork Balance Test (SSBT)" will be used to assess static balance. The participant stands barefoot with their hands on their hips. They lift one leg and place the sole of the lifted foot against the inside of the opposite knee. The timer starts as soon as the participant is in position and stops when: The participant's heel touches the ground. The lifted foot moves away from the knee. The participant loses balance or moves their hands from their hips. Each participant will be performed the test three times and the average time for each leg was recorded as seconds for each sides.

7. Reaction Time

   Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 months

   Foot reaction time will be measured using the MoART (Multi-Operational Apparatus for Reaction Time) Lafayette Reaction Measuring device (Lafayette Instrument Company, Model no. 35601, USA), which is generally used for hand reaction assessments. In this study, the device will be modified for ankle reaction time measurements. For plantar flexor reaction time, the response mode will be set to "press," and for dorsiflexor reaction time, it will be set to "release." Three measurements will be taken for each test on both sides, and the average will be recorded in milliseconds (msec). All measurements will be performed in a quiet environment with participants seated on a back-supported chair.

8. Postural Stability

   Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 months

   The PROKIN-PK200W* (Tecnobody, Italy) device will be used to evaluate postural stability. Four different half-spherical heads can be placed under the mobile platform: easy/shallow, medium, hard/deep or rectangular. In the current study, two measurements will be taken in 30 seconds in bipedal stance with the hands on the waist using the easy head of the device and the average values will be recorded. A total of five different data will be obtained from the participants: total oscillation amount (circumference value), percentage value of the area gap showing the percentage of the area drawn according to the reference circle, oscillation speed, average oscillations in the antero-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions.