Just In
- 1 hr ago Heeramandi Screening: Alia Bhatt, Ananya Panday, Rashmika Mandanna And Others Serve Finest Ethnic Style!
- 2 hrs ago From Alia Bhatt To Kriti Sanon, Korean Beauty Products That Bollywood Divas Swear By
- 5 hrs ago Exclusive: On World Malaria Day 2024, Dr Shares Danger Signs Parents Must Watch Out For In Child With Malaria
- 5 hrs ago Exclusive: Expert Debunks 5 Common Misconceptions About Expectant Mothers That You Need To Steer Clear From
Don't Miss
- News MP's Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary To Get 5-8 Cheetahs From South Africa
- Technology Flipkart Teases "Jaw-Dropping" Discount on iPhone 15: All-Time Low Price Anticipated
- Education Kerala SSLC Results 2024: Number of Ways you can check the Results
- Sports Former Zimbabwe Cricketer, who slept with crocodile under his bed in 2013, survives leopard attack this time
- Movies Heeramandi: Richa Chadha Over The Moon As Rekha Cried And Hugged Her
- Automobiles BMW i5 M60 xDrive Launched In India At Rs 1.195 Crore - 592bhp, 516km Range
- Finance Gold Prices Ayodhya: In Ram-Janma-Bhumi, 24carat Falls By Rs 380 In 10-Grams, Drops By Rs 3,800 In 100-gram
- Travel Escape to Kalimpong, Gangtok, and Darjeeling with IRCTC's Tour Package; Check Itinerary
How To Prevent Falls In Elderly?
Combining virtual reality and treadmill training is likely to help prevent falls in older adults better than treadmill training alone, suggests a research.
The intervention, which combines the physical and cognitive aspects of walking, consists of a camera that captures the movement of participants' feet and projects it onto a screen in front of the treadmill, so that participants may 'see' their feet walking on the screen in real time.
"Our approach combines treadmill exercise and virtual reality to help improve both physical mobility and cognitive aspects that are important for safe walking," said Anat Mirelman from Tel Aviv University, in Israel.
As many as 60-80 per cent of older adults with mild cognitive impairment, dementia or Parkinson's disease, fall at least once a year, which causes them injuries, loss of independence, disability, and even death, the researchers said.
"Falls in older people often occur because of tripping and poor obstacle negotiation while walking. Older people's ability to negotiate obstacles can be impaired because of age-related decline in cognitive abilities like motor planning, divided attention, executive control, and judgment," said Mirelman.
The game-like simulation has been designed to reduce the risk of falls in older adults by including real life challenges such as avoiding and stepping over obstacles like puddles or hurdles, and navigating pathways.
The findings showed that in the six months after training, participants in the virtual reality group had a 42 per cent reduction in the rate of falls compared to the treadmill only group.
"We found that virtual reality plus treadmill training helped to reduce fall frequency and fall risk for at least six months after training," Mirelman noted.
The biggest improvement was seen in participants with Parkinson's disease, the authors said.
For the study, the team analysed data from 282 participants from Belgium, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands and Britain between 2013 and 2015.
All participants were aged between 60-90. Nearly half of them (130) had Parkinson's disease, and some (43) had mild cognitive impairment.
Falls in adults aged 65 and over account for one-two per cent of all healthcare expenditure in high-income countries. Even without injuries, falls often lead to fear of falling, avoiding leaving the house and depression, which in turn often leads to inactivity, muscle weakness, impaired balance and gait, more falls and more social isolation.
The intervention could potentially be used in gyms, rehabilitation centres or nursing homes to improve safe walking and prevent falls in older adults or people with Parkinson's disease, said the paper published in The Lancet.
Inputs From IANS
- pulseCraziest Things That Have Fallen From The Sky!
- wellnessDance Therapies Are Helpful For Older People
- wellnessFrom Prediction To Prevention: Using AI, You Can Predict If You'll Have A Heart Attack In 10 Years
- pregnancy parentingIncreasing Reports Of STIs In Children: Tips for Parents on Educating Kids about STI Prevention
- healthDiarrhoea 101: Causes, Symptoms, Risks, Complications, Treatment, Prevention, Diet And More
- healthSeasonal Illnesses On A Rise: Are You Following The Right Prevention Methods?
- healthWorld Suicide Prevention Day 2023: How To Identify Signs Of Suicidal Behaviour?
- healthDengue Defense: Prevention And Management Of Dengue Fever
- healthPrevent Dengue At Home: Expert Tips To Keep Your Home Mosquito-Free
- healthTherapeutic Foods To Prevent Dengue: A Guide To Vegetarian And Non-Vegetarian Foods
- healthRising Dengue Cases In India: Govt. Issues Guidelines To Prevent Spread Of Dengue Fever
- healthEye Flu Cases In India: How To Prevent Conjunctivitis In Children? Expert Says