Effects of Rehabilitative Exergame Training on Foot Muscle Activity, Balance, and Mobility in Older Adults

The Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE) is a widely used, brief cognitive screening tool adapted from the original Mini-Mental State Examination. It evaluates global cognitive function across several domains, including orientation, attention, immediate and delayed memory, language, and visuospatial abilities. The total score ranges from 0 to 30, with lower scores indicating greater cognitive impairment. The SMMSE is administered face-to-face and typically requires 5-10 minutes to complete. In this study, the SMMSE is used to screen cognitive eligibility and ensure participants have sufficient cognitive capacity to follow instructions and provide informed consent.

Surface EMG Frequency-Domain Parameters During Functional Reach Test

Description:

Frequency-domain characteristics of the surface EMG signal will be analyzed during the Functional Reach Test to evaluate neuromuscular activation patterns. Parameters such as median frequency and mean frequency will be extracted to assess muscle activation characteristics.

Unit of Measure:

Hertz (Hz)

Time Frame:

Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 8)

The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is one of the most commonly used clinical tools for the assessment of balance and gait and is recommended by clinical practice guidelines for evaluating fall risk (Bohannon, 2006). This relatively simple assessment measures the time required for an individual to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, return to the chair, and sit down, with the total duration recorded in seconds. A cut-off value of 14 seconds has been suggested to indicate increased fall risk.

In the Cognitive Timed Up and Go test (TUG-cognitive), participants are additionally instructed to count backward by threes as quickly and safely as possible, starting from a randomly selected number between 20 and 100, while performing the motor task. A cognitive task duration of ≥15 seconds has been reported to predict backward falls with an accuracy of 87%.

Surface EMG Muscle Activation During Functional Reach Test

Description:

Surface electromyography (sEMG) will be used to assess neuromuscular activation of trunk and lower extremity muscles during the Functional Reach Test. Muscle activation will be quantified using amplitude-based parameters derived from the sEMG signal, including root mean square (RMS) values.

Unit of Measure:

Microvolts (µV), RMS

Time Frame:

Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 8)

Center of pressure displacement will be measured using the Sensormedica platform to assess postural control. Anterior-posterior and medial-lateral CoP displacement will be analyzed during balance tasks.Unit of Measure:

Millimeters (mm) or centimeters (cm)

Postural sway characteristics, including CoP path length and CoP velocity, will be assessed during static and dynamic balance tasks using the Sensormedica system.Unit of Measure:

Centimeters (cm), centimeters per second (cm/s)

Load symmetry between the lower extremities will be evaluated during balance tasks using plantar pressure data obtained from the Sensormedica system.

Unit of Measure:

Percentage (%)

The Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) is a clinical assessment tool primarily focused on evaluating dynamic balance. It is widely used to assess balance impairment and fall risk. The scale consists of 14 task items, representing the four major balance control systems derived from the original BESTest: anticipatory postural adjustments, reactive postural control, sensory orientation, and dynamic gait stability.

The test includes functional tasks such as standing, rising onto the toes, single-leg stance, forward, backward, and lateral reactive stepping responses, gait speed changes, head turns during walking, obstacle negotiation, and timed walking tasks performed on foam surfaces and inclined surfaces with eyes closed, as well as walking with changes in gait pattern. Higher scores indicate better dynamic balance performance.

Lower extremity muscle strength in older adults will be assessed using the MicroFET 2 Handheld Dynamometer . Muscle strength is defined as the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) achieved under standardized testing conditions. For each muscle group, participants will perform three maximal voluntary contractions. During each trial, force will be gradually increased over 2 seconds and then maintained at the maximal level for 3 seconds. The highest recorded value will be used for analysis.

The following muscle groups will be tested:

• Knee extensor strength: Measured in the sitting position with the knee joint in extension.
• Knee flexor strength: Measured in the prone position with the knee joint in flexion.
• Ankle dorsiflexor strength: Measured in the sitting position with the ankle in dorsiflexion.
• Ankle plantar flexor strength: Measured in the sitting position with the ankle in plantar flexion.

The test assesses dynamic balance. As a clinical assessment, it is reliable and valid in older adults, easy to administer and score, quick to perform, requires minimal space, and does not require specialized equipment. Owing to its evaluation of movement in four directions and the inclusion of low-height obstacles (2.5 cm), it is considered a unique assessment tool (Dite & Temple, 2002).