Claudia Celletti1, Luigi Fattorini2, Filippo Camerota3, Diego Ricciardi4, Giuseppe La Torre5, Francesco Landi4, Guido Maria Filippi6. 1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Division, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy. clacelletti@gmail.com. 2. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. 3. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Division, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy. 4. Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. 5. Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. 6. Institute of Human Physiology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS: Different and new approaches have been proposed to prevent the risk of falling of elderly people, particularly women. AIMS: This study investigates the possibility that a new protocol based on the focal mechanical muscle vibration may reduce the risk of falling of elderly women. METHODS: A pragmatic randomized controlled triple-blind trial with a 6-month follow-up after intervention randomized 350 women (mean age 73.4 years + 3.11), members of local senior citizen centers in Rome, into two groups: vibrated group (VG) and control group (CG). For VG participants a mechanical vibration (lasting 10 min) was focally applied on voluntary contracted quadriceps muscles, three times a day during three consecutive days. CG subjects received a placebo vibratory stimulation. Subjects were tested immediately before (T0) and 30 (T1) and 180 (T2) days after the intervention with the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) test. All subjects were asked not to change their lifestyle during the study. CG underwent sham vibratory treatment. RESULTS: While CG did not show any statistically significant change of POMA at T1 and T2, VG revealed significant differences. At T2, ≈47% of the subjects who completed the study obtained the full score on the POMA test and ≈59% reached the full POMA score. CONCLUSIONS: The new protocol seems to be promising in reducing the risk of falling of elderly subjects.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUNDS: Different and new approaches have been proposed to prevent the risk of falling of elderly people, particularly women. AIMS: This study investigates the possibility that a new protocol based on the focal mechanical muscle vibration may reduce the risk of falling of elderly women. METHODS: A pragmatic randomized controlled triple-blind trial with a 6-month follow-up after intervention randomized 350 women (mean age 73.4 years + 3.11), members of local senior citizen centers in Rome, into two groups: vibrated group (VG) and control group (CG). For VG participants a mechanical vibration (lasting 10 min) was focally applied on voluntary contracted quadriceps muscles, three times a day during three consecutive days. CG subjects received a placebo vibratory stimulation. Subjects were tested immediately before (T0) and 30 (T1) and 180 (T2) days after the intervention with the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) test. All subjects were asked not to change their lifestyle during the study. CG underwent sham vibratory treatment. RESULTS: While CG did not show any statistically significant change of POMA at T1 and T2, VG revealed significant differences. At T2, ≈47% of the subjects who completed the study obtained the full score on the POMA test and ≈59% reached the full POMA score. CONCLUSIONS: The new protocol seems to be promising in reducing the risk of falling of elderly subjects.
Authors: Claudia Celletti; Maria Antonietta Fara; Guido Maria Filippi; Giuseppe La Torre; Roberto Tozzi; Nicola Vanacore; Filippo Camerota Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2017-03-26 Impact factor: 3.411
Authors: Filippo Camerota; Claudia Celletti; Antonio Suppa; Manuela Galli; Veronica Cimolin; Guido Maria Filippi; Giuseppe La Torre; Giorgio Albertini; Fabrizio Stocchi; Maria Francesca De Pandis Journal: Mov Disord Clin Pract Date: 2016-02-11