NCT04445350

Motor Learning in Knee Osteoarthritis

Motor Learning in Knee Osteoarthritis Therapy - A New Rehabilitation Approach

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 45 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Non-surgical treatment options, like exercise therapy, show excellent short-term effects regarding pain reduction and improvement of knee function. However, mid- and long-term effects are missing so far. This might indicate that long-lasting changes in motor-skill performance (Motor Learning) have not occurred. Motor learning is associated with permanent changes in the capability for skilled movement behavior avoiding unfavorable joint loads and inappropriate muscle activation patterns, leading to compensatory movement strategies. One-sided and high repetitive loads in the knee joint could be one reason for the progression of knee osteoarthritis. Physiotherapeutic strategies should therefore be able to stimulate motor learning processes. In physiotherapy, motor learning can be optimized by using instructions and feedback, targeting an external focus of attention, when learning specific movement patterns. This study investigates the effects of a 12 week exercise therapy program, using an external focus of attention, on functional and biomechanical parameters in patients with knee osteoarthritis. To measure possible changes, functional measurements are taking place at baseline, after 6, 12 and 24 weeks. The biomechanical measurements (3D gait analysis) are taking place at baseline, after 12 and 24 weeks.

Conditions

• Knee Osteoarthritis
• Lower Extremity Biomechanics
• Physiotherapy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	External Focus Of Attention	Instructions and feedback are used to direct the learner's focus to an external source (e.g. the effect the intended movement has) promoting long-term learning by stimulating automatic cognitive control processes.
OTHER	Internal Focus Of Attention	In contrast, adopting an internal focus of attention (e.g. focus on specific body areal) can disrupt automatic control processes and interfere automatic movement.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-11-01
• Primary completion: 2022-02-28
• Completion: 2022-04-30
• First posted: 2020-06-24
• Last updated: 2020-06-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Austria