Effects of sensory motor training of lower limb in sedentary elderly as part of functional autonomy

Abstract

ObjectiveAssess the effects of sensorimotor training on the functional autonomy levels of sedentary elderly people. MethodsThe sample was composed of 30 women (sedentary, functionally independent, χ=65.03±4.93 year), divided randomly into two groups: control (CG, n=15) and experimental (EG, n=15). Tests developed by the Latin American Development for the Elderly Group (GDLAM) were used to evaluate autonomy. The EG was submitted to a sensorimotor program three times a week, involving 24 thirty-minute sessions. Data were processed using the SPSS program, with a 5% significance level. ResultsThe EG showed a significant reduction in execution time in all the tasks, while the CG only obtained a significantly better score on the 10-M walk test. Although the EG improved in the GDLAM index (Δ%=−30, 3%, p=0.0001), it remained at a “weak” level (GDLAM index >27.42). ConclusionThe results demonstrate that sensorimotor training reduces the execution time of tasks, as well as improving functional performance in activities of daily living.