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OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07088848

Gamified Digital Balance Assessment

A randomized controlled trial involving 30 older adults will compare the digitalized Brief-BESTest and the GDBA. Quantitative outcomes included perceived exertion, enjoyment, competence, pressure, and intention to continue use. Qualitative interviews explore user experience.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Hongqiao Community

Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200240, China

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • aged 60 or older, living independently, able to walk with or without an assistive device (without external help), willing and able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

  • conditions that impede walking (e.g., hip fractures, lower limb amputations, hemiparesis), medications causing dizziness or affecting balance (e.g., psychotropic drugs), self-reported cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, musculoskeletal, or mental disorders, severe fatigue or pain, severe uncorrected vision or hearing impairments that may affect their ability to interact with the digital system

Treatment and study plan

Gamified Digital Balance Assessment

Device

The GDBA further enhances the digitalized Brief-BESTest experience by incorporating gamification elements tailored to older adults, including points, avatars, real-time performance graphs, and leaderboards. The system provides automated feedback and maintains engagement through periodic avatar demonstrations when user inactivity is detected. Upon meeting task initiation criteria, a countdown triggers data capture.

The interface is designed for accessibility, featuring a high-contrast color scheme (black background with orange/green highlights), voice prompts, and intuitive controls. Upon completion, users receive a comprehensive report including total score, task-level feedback and training recommendations. A leaderboard feature promotes continued engagement, with gamified training modules under development.

At the end of the assessment, the system displays a summary including total balance score, task-specific feedback, a fall risk rating, and personalized training suggestions. Users

Digitalized Brief-BESTest design

Device

The digitalized Brief-BESTest was designed to digitize and automate the Brief-BESTest. While the traditional clinician-administered Brief-BESTest relies on subjective scoring, the digitalized Brief-BESTest enables self-guided assessments with automated, objective scoring-improving accessibility in community and home settings.

The system employs OpenPose to capture skeletal data via a standard 2D camera, tracking 17 anatomical landmarks (e.g., nose, neck, shoulders, hips, knees). Ten joint angles relevant to static and dynamic postural tasks (e.g., standing, sitting, single-leg stance, and simulated falls) are computed. The torso is defined as a vector from the neck to the midpoint between the hips, serving as a reference for postural alignment.

To convert pixel-based coordinates into metric units, the system uses the user's self-reported height with adjustments based on ISO anthropometric standards (correction factors: 10.77 cm for males, 10.06 cm for females) to approximate true body

Primary outcomes

  1. Balance Performance:

    Time frame: Through intervention completion, an average of 10 mins

    Balance ability was assessed using the digitalized Brief-BESTest

Secondary outcomes

  1. Fatigue level

    Time frame: Through intervention completion, an average of 10 mins

    Motivational engagement was evaluated using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Gamification in Balance Assessment Tools

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Jul 28, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 28, 2025

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.

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