Abstract

In older adults, falls commonly lead to injury, loss of independence, associated illness, and early death. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of perceptual learning exercises on static balance in a normal healthy geriatric population. A total of 28 healthy elderly subjects (19 female and 9 male) participated in this randomized two-group parallel controlled trial. The whole population was divided into control (group A) and experimental (group B) using the convenience sampling method. Static balance in terms of postural sway of all subjects was measured with the help of a trivially-made swaymeter, before and after the treatment protocol. The experimental group received perceptual learning exercises, i.e. hardness discrimination task, using three different levels of hardness of rubber sponges for 10 days while the control group received conventional physiotherapy exercises for postural control such as maintenance of standing balance with forward and backward perturbations, shifting of weight load from one foot to the other on the health metre, and tandem walking. The multivariable ‘t’ test (dependent and independent) showed that the group that received the hardness discrimination tasks showed a remarkable decrease in postural sway, meaning intervals. The results of the analyses revealed a significant difference between pre-treatment and post-treatment anteroposterior and mediolateral sway (P<0.05) in the experimental group. However, no significant difference was recorded between pre-treatment and post treatment anteroposterior and mediolateral sway (P>0.05) in the control group.

Key words: Perceptual learning exercises, balance exercises, geriatric