Effects of Otago Exercise Program Vs Blind Folded Exercise on Falls, Balance and Quality of Life in Geriatric Population.

NCT07797699 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: IIUI/RERC/ADT/2026/05/257
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

As people age, maintaining balance can become more difficult, which increases the risk of dangerous falls. This clinical study aims to compare two different physical therapy programs to see which one is more effective at improving balance, reducing the frequency of falls, and enhancing the overall quality of life for older adults (aged 60 and older). The first program is the Otago Exercise Program (OEP), which is a well-established, widely used routine focused on leg strengthening and active balance exercises. The second program is Blindfolded Exercise (BFE), which uses a safety harness or support bars while participants perform balance movements with their eyes covered. Temporarily removing vision forces the brain and body to rely more heavily on inner-ear balance systems (vestibular) and muscle/joint awareness (proprioception) to stay upright. A total of 40 participants will be randomly assigned to one of these two exercise groups. Both groups will attend 30- to 45-minute physical therapy sessions, 3 times a week, for a total of 6 weeks. Researchers will assess participants' balance, walking speed, and overall quality of life at the beginning, middle, and end of the study to determine if sensory-deprived training (blindfolded) or muscle-strengthening training (Otago) offers better protection against falls.

Conditions

Accidental Fall; Postural Instability; Balance Assessment

Keywords

Otago Exercise Program; Sensory Reweighting; Blindfolded Exercise; Geriatric Rehabilitation; Postural Balance; Fall Prevention; Quality of Life; Proprioception

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Berg Balance Scale (BBS)

  A 14-item objective measure designed to assess static balance and fall risk in adult populations. Each item is scored on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 (lowest function) to 4 (highest function), with a maximum total score of 56 points. Lower scores indicate poorer balance and higher fall risk.

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Week 3), and Post-intervention (Week 6).

• Berg Balance Scale(BBS)

  A 14-item objective measure designed to assess static balance and fall risk in adult populations. Each item is scored on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 (lowest function) to 4 (highest function), with a maximum total score of 56 points. Lower scores indicate poorer balance and higher fall risk.

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Week 3), and Post-intervention (Week 6).

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Week 3), and Post-intervention (Week 6).

• Quality of Life Assessment Tool SF 36 Model

  Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Week 3), and Post-intervention (Week 6).

Study Arms (2)

Otago Exercise Program Group (OEP)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this group will undergo a structured, progressive muscle-strengthening and balance-retraining program.

Procedure: Otago Exercise Program (OEP)

Blindfolded Exercise Group (BFE)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will undergo a progressive balance training program under temporary visual deprivation using a blindfold.

Procedure: Blindfolded Exercise (BFE)

Interventions

Otago Exercise Program (OEP) PROCEDURE

A 6-week progressive exercise program performed 3 times per week (30-45 minutes per session). It includes specific lower-limb muscle-strengthening exercises using progressive ankle weights (500g to 1kg) and progressive static/dynamic balance training (e.g., tandem walking, backward walking, sit-to-stand transitions).

Also known as: standard physical therapy

Otago Exercise Program Group (OEP)

Blindfolded Exercise (BFE) PROCEDURE

A 6-week sensory-reweighting balance program performed 3 times per week (30-45 minutes per session) with participants wearing a blindfold to eliminate visual cues. Exercises progress from wide-base supported stances to narrow-base and single-leg unsupported stances, conducted using strict safety measures (e.g., parallel bars, safety harnesses, and knee stabilizers).

Blindfolded Exercise Group (BFE)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• History of fall within last 3 months.
• Berg balance should be less than or equal to 40.
• Patient age 60 and above.
• Romberg test positive.

You may not qualify if:

• Participants having cognition problems or a language barrier.
• Physical disability (fracture or amputation).
• Patient those have Secondary neurological condition (Parkinson's disease, stroke).
• Previous surgery for last 6 weeks. Unstable Cardiovascular and pulmonary disease.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ibadat International University, Islamabad: lead

Study Sites (1)

Physioworks

Peshawar, KPK, 25000, Pakistan

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Due to the physical nature of the physical therapy interventions, participants and the therapists administering the programs cannot be realistically masked to their group allocations. Therefore, a single-blind model is utilized where masking is strictly applied to the Outcomes Assessor. The independent assessor responsible for conducting the baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention measurements (using the Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go test) will remain completely blinded to the participants' group assignments throughout the 6-week study period.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This study is designed as a single-blinded, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to one of two distinct treatment arms: the Otago Exercise Program (OEP) group or the Blindfolded Exercise (BFE) group. Participants in both arms will undergo their respective 6-week progressive physical therapy interventions concurrently. Assessments for both groups will be performed at identical time intervals: baseline (Week 0), mid-intervention (Week 3), and post-intervention (Week 6) to compare the treatment effects between the two parallel cohorts.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 23, 2026
• First Posted: September 1, 2026
• Study Start: May 7, 2026
• Primary Completion: July 14, 2026
• Study Completion: July 14, 2026
• Last Updated: September 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)