An interventional study of Oculomotor Exercise Protocol and Usual Training in Static Postural Balance and Reaction Time, sponsored by Sport University of Tirana. Completed at 1 site in Albania. Open to participants aged 15 Years to 30 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-03.
Sponsored by Sport University of Tirana · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this interventional study is to evaluate the effects of a six-week eye-movement exercise program on balance in athletes aged 15 to 30 years participating in basketball, football, and boxing. The main question it aims to answer whether performing daily exercises based on a standardized protocol improves balance and functional interaction among the oculomotor, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems.
Participants will perform six different exercises daily for 10 minutes over six weeks. During the first four weeks, exercises are performed on both legs, while in the last two weeks, exercises are performed on the dominant leg on a 10 mm rubber mat to increase vestibular challenge and stimulate functional integration among the sensory systems.
Balance will be assessed using the Leonardo system and the Stork test (s), focusing on single-leg stance on the dominant leg with eyes open during the last two weeks of training. Reaction time will also be evaluated as a secondary outcome to provide additional insight into sensorimotor performance.
All participants provided informed consent, and for those under 18 years of age, parental consent was obtained. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Sports of Tirana.
Babetween the visual and vestibular systems, together with proprioceptive feedback, enable the central nervous system to regulate muscle tone and maintain the center of mass within the baselance is a critical component for motor control and body stability in both daily activities and sports performance. Maintaining balance requires coordination of the vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual systems, as well as the integration of motor responses. The visual system plays a central role in perceiving body position, spatial orientation, and environmental cues, providing essential information for postural control and adaptation to movement. Interactions of support. Visual training can enhance these interactions, improving optic flow and the accuracy of information sent to vestibular and somatosensory systems, ultimately supporting postural stability.
This study focused on training the visual-vestibular system through a standardized oculomotor exercise protocol designed to stimulate functional integration across sensory systems. The protocol includes six exercises targeting eye stretching, smooth pursuit, gaze stabilization, spatial localization, saccades, and vergence/convergence. Exercises are performed in progressive postural conditions, initially with both legs and later on the dominant leg using a 10 mm rubber mat to increase vestibular challenge and promote sensorimotor adaptation. All sessions are supervised individually in a distraction-free environment to ensure consistency, progression, and adherence.
Balance performance is assessed using complementary instrumented and clinical measures to provide sensitive and reliable evaluation. Postural stability is recorded under eyes open and eyes closed conditions using the Leonardo Mechanograph, capturing detailed metrics such as ellipse area (cm²) and sway velocity (mm/s) of the center of pressure trajectory, and the Stork test (s). Standardized procedures, including familiarization trials and controlled environmental conditions, are applied to minimize variability and potential bias.
In addition to balance outcomes, reaction time is evaluated as a secondary indicator of sensorimotor processing, reflecting the efficiency of visuomotor integration following oculomotor training.
The intervention is implemented with rigorous monitoring to ensure compliance and accurate delivery of the exercises, while participants continue their usual sports training. This approach allows for the assessment of functional improvements in postural control and sensorimotor performance resulting from targeted oculomotor training, extending previous findings in clinical populations to healthy athletes in basketball, football, and boxing.
Sport University of Tirana is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.
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Participants perform the standardized oculomotor exercise protocol in addition to their usual sports training. Exercises are conducted daily for 10 minutes, 5 days per week, for 6 weeks. During the first four weeks, exercises are performed in a bipedal stance, and during the final two weeks, exercises are progressed to a single-leg stance on the dominant leg using a 10-mm rubber mat to increase vestibular challenge and sensory stimulation. All sessions are individually supervised by a licensed physiotherapist. Interventions: Oculomotor exercise protocol (eye stretching, smooth pursuit, gaze stabilization, spatial localization, saccades, vergence/convergence exercises)
Other: Oculomotor Exercise Protocol
Participants continue their usual sports training routine without additional oculomotor exercises. Interventions: None / usual sports training
Other: Usual Training
Participants perform a 6-exercise oculomotor training program specifically designed to improve postural balance through the visual-vestibular-proprioceptive systems. Each session lasts 10 minutes, conducted 5 days per week for 6 weeks. Weeks 1-4: Exercises are performed in a bipedal stance to develop basic oculomotor control. Weeks 5-6: Exercises are progressed to a single-leg stance on a 10-mm rubber mat to further challenge the vestibular and proprioceptive systems. Exercises include eye stretching, smooth pursuit, saccades, gaze stabilization, spatial localization, and vergence/convergence exercises. All sessions are supervised individually by a licensed physiotherapist. Participants continue their usual sports training during the study period. This intervention is distinct because it combines multiple oculomotor exercises over several weeks with progressive difficulty to target balance improvements in healthy athletes, unlike
Also known as: Eye Movement Exercises
Participants continue their regular sports practice routine without performing any additional oculomotor exercises. This arm serves as a comparison to evaluate the effects of the oculomotor exercise protocol, isolating the impact of the experimental intervention from routine training.
Static balance -Stork test duration
Static balance assessed on the dominant leg with eyes open using Stork test. Duration of maintained position was recorded. Outcome expressed as duration in seconds (s).
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and 6 weeks (post-intervention)
Static balance-Center of pressure ellipse area
Static balance assessed on the dominant leg with eyes open using the Leonardo Mechanograph system. Center of pressure ellipse area was recorded. Outcome expressed in (cm²).
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention ) and 6 weeks (post-intervention)
Static balance-Postural sway velocity
Static balance assessed using Leonardo Mechanograph system. Sway velocity (mm/s) was recorded during single-leg stance on the dominant leg with eyes open. Outcome values expressed in millimeters per second (mm/s).
Time frame: Baseline( pre-intervention) and 6 weeks (post-intervention)
Reaction time
Reaction time performance was assessed using a Light Trainer system, and reaction time was recorded in milliseconds (ms).
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and 6 weeks (post-intervention)
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared to protect participant privacy. Only aggregate results and findings from the study will be made publicly available through publication.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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