Indian Journal of Physical Therapy · Aug 2026
EFFECT OF VISUAL COGNITIVE TECHNOLOGY AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONVENTIONAL BALANCE PROTOCOL VERSUS CONVENTIONAL BALANCE PROTOCOL ON BALANCE, REACTION TIME AND GAIT SPEED IN YOUNG OLD GERIATRIC POPULATION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
By Shah DA, Thaver S
Background: Falls are one of the leading causes of injury and reduced quality of life among elderly. Traditional rehabilitation programs improve balance; however, they may not fully replicate real world demands. Visual cognitive technology has emerged as an innovative rehabilitation approach that enhances visuomotor integration, improves reaction time, and challenges dynamic balance during functional tasks. By simultaneously engaging cognitive and motor pathways, VCT may better prepare older adults for real world situations where balance responses must occur quickly and accurately. Method: A total of 46 subjects participated in the study and were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Mini-BESTest, Choice Stepping Reaction Time Test Manual and 10 MWT were assesed to evaluate balance, reaction time, and gait speed. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups and were reassessed post intervention. Results: Both groups showed significant improvements post intervention (p<0.05). The VCT group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in Mini-BES Test score (17.00±2.05 vs.13.96±2.05; p<0.001), reactive postural adjustments (p=0.007), sensory orientation (p=0.043), dynamic gait (p=0.001), Choice Stepping Reaction Time (81.24±3.23 vs.86.23±4.57; p<0.001), self-selected gait speed (p<0.001), and fast gait speed (p<0.001). No significant between-group difference was observed for anticipatory postural adjustments (p=0.320). Conclusion: This study concluded that both groups demonstrated improvements. However, VCT produced comparatively greater improvements. These findings suggest that combining visual cognitive and motor training provides a more functional approach to fall prevention and mobility enhancement in the aging population. Keywords: Balance, Geriatric, Visual cognitive technology, Blazepod™