An interventional study of Combining neck muscle strengthening with oculomotor saccade tasks. and Neck Strengthening Only in Elderly, Proprioception, Postural Balance and Oculomotor System, sponsored by Kaohsiung Medical University. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 65 Years to 85 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-11.
Sponsored by Kaohsiung Medical University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Age is one of the primary risk factors for falls, with risk increasing as people get older. Research on fall risk and prevention has identified hundreds of contributing factors, showing that falls have complex and multifactorial causes. Risk factors can be categorized as environmental, extrinsic, or intrinsic. Intrinsic factors include physiological aspects-such as reduced lower-limb strength, impaired gait and balance, weaker grip strength, diminished sensory function, and poorer sensorimotor control-as well as psychological aspects, including fear of falling, depression, and cognitive decline. Strongly associated intrinsic risk factors include a history of falls, physical weakness, gait and balance disorders, certain medications, and dizziness. While fixed factors like age and fall history cannot be changed, identifying and targeting modifiable risk factors is crucial for prevention. Among these, gait and balance impairments are considered the most important modifiable intrinsic factors.
Kaohsiung Medical University is the lead sponsor of 55 studies on the registry; 16 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
No major medical conditions that significantly affect functional capacity.
Exclusion Criteria:
Cognitive impairment. Current use of antidepressant medications.
The control group will receive an intervention consisting of neck muscle strengthening only.
Behavioral: Neck Strengthening Only
The experimental group will receive an intervention combining neck muscle strengthening with oculomotor saccade tasks.
Behavioral: Combining neck muscle strengthening with oculomotor saccade tasks.
he exercise program begins at 30% of 1RM, progressing by first increasing repetitions (8-10 up to 8-12) and then intensity (+5% of 1RM). Training sessions include a 5-minute warm-up, 20 minutes of exercise, and a 5-minute cool-down, performed twice per week for 30 minutes per session. Neck strengthening is performed using the Iron Neck, which provides constant resistance. Exercises include maintaining a neutral neck position, protraction-retraction, left-right rotation, dynamic figure-8 movements, and synchronized 360° head-body rotations. Each exercise consists of two sets of 8-12 repetitions, with 30 seconds rest between repetitions and 1 minute between sets. After neck training, participants in the intervention group perform oculomotor saccade tasks while maintaining a neutral head position. Five visual targets appear randomly in front of the participant for 1 second each. The task lasts 40 seconds, followed by 1-2 minutes of rest, and is repeated three times.
he exercise program begins at 30% of 1RM, progressing by first increasing repetitions (8-10 up to 8-12) and then intensity (+5% of 1RM). Training sessions include a 5-minute warm-up, 20 minutes of exercise, and a 5-minute cool-down, performed twice per week for 30 minutes per session. Neck strengthening is performed using the Iron Neck, which provides constant resistance. Exercises include maintaining a neutral neck position, protraction-retraction, left-right rotation, dynamic figure-8 movements, and synchronized 360° head-body rotations. Each exercise consists of two sets of 8-12 repetitions, with 30 seconds rest between repetitions and 1 minute between sets.
Neck range of motion
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
Neck proprioception
Laser Joint Position Error Test
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
Neck position
Measurement Method: Craniovertebral Angle
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
Neck muscle
craniocervical flexion test, CCFT
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
Center of Pressure
force plate
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
Oculomotor
tobii eye tracker 5 :Latency and Accuracy
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
Dynamic balance
y-balance
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
L/E Muscle strength
MicroFET2 MMT
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
Ankle proprioception
Joint Position Reproduction Test Kinesthesia
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
The Falls Efficacy Scale International
The scale scores range from 16 to 64, with higher scores indicating greater severity
Time frame: Assessments will be conducted at baseline, and at three, six, and twelve months post-intervention.
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Sep 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Kaohsiung Medical University