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Reactive Balance Training for Fall Prevention in Older Adults

N/A
Recruiting
Led By Tanvi Bhatt, PhD
Research Sponsored by University of Illinois at Chicago
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
No recent major surgery (< 6 months) or hospitalization (< 3 months)
Not on any sedative drugs.
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up one month before pretest till prospectively 12 months post training
Awards & highlights

Summary

This trial looks at the effect of perturbation training on the balance of healthy young adults, healthy older adults, and neurologically impaired stroke individuals. The study will help to determine which of the three training devices is the most effective in developing defense mechanisms necessary to reduce fall-risk among community-living older adults and the neurological population.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for healthy young adults aged 18-55, and older adults aged 56-90 who can walk at least 10 meters with or without help. Participants should not have acute neurological, heart, muscle conditions or other systemic diseases, recent major surgery or hospitalization, and must not be taking sedatives.
What is being tested?
The study compares three types of balance training to prevent falls: overground training (walking on solid ground), treadmill training (walking on a moving surface), and Surefooted training (using a special device). It tests how these trainings improve balance in response to sudden slips or trips.
What are the potential side effects?
Since this is physical training designed to improve balance by simulating slips and trips, potential side effects may include muscle soreness, fatigue from exercise, minor bruises or injuries due to simulated falls during the sessions.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
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I haven't had major surgery or been hospitalized in the last 6 and 3 months, respectively.
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I am not taking any sedative medications.
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My balance is not perfect according to a recent test.
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I am between 18 and 55 years old.
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I do not have any ongoing heart, lung, muscle, nerve, or systemic diseases.
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I can walk 10 meters with or without help like a cane.
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I am between 56 and 90 years old.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~one month before pretest till prospectively 12 months post training
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and one month before pretest till prospectively 12 months post training for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Change in Limb support gain or loss
Change in Stability gain or loss
Change in laboratory-induced falls
+1 more
Secondary study objectives
Center of mass excursion angle
Change in Number of steps
Medio-Lateral excursion of center of mass

Trial Design

3Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Treadmill trainingExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Subjects randomly assigned to the treadmill training, would undergo either a stance or walking perturbation training protocol. The stroke subjects and older adults would be assigned to either the stance or walking perturbation training protocol. All the participants would be asked to perform voluntary stepping, backward and forward with both limbs pre and post perturbation training. Also, all the participants would perform walking trials with head mounted virtual reality system under three conditions: ice, beach and crowd.
Group II: Surefooted trainingExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Subjects randomly assigned to Surefooted (Surefooted LLC) would be donned a safety harness and instructed that "when you experience slip-like or trip-like movements, try to keep walking on the platform". Subjects would undergo 4-minute training block on each of the 6 different conditions. The first 3 training blocks would be unidirectional perturbation (either slip or trip) followed by 3 training blocks of mixed directional perturbations while the subjects are walking on the platform. 3 surface conditions- slippery (vinyl surface plate), normal friction with obstacles (surface plate with 6" tall structures embedded), and a foam surface with obstacles embedded would be used.
Group III: Overground trainingExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Subjects randomly assigned to overground slip will be made to walk at their comfortable natural walking speeds either for 5-8 trials on the instrumented walkway (7 m 1.5 m) at their self-selected preferred speed. All the participants would perform walking trials with head mounted virtual reality system under three conditions: ice, beach and crowd. After establishing baseline walking ability, a slip will be introduced without warning which will comprise the baseline slip test followed by a trip in the form of the trip plate. This is followed by a block of 8 trials for slip training, block of 8 trials for trip training and then the mixed block consisting of slip and trip trials interspersed with walking trials. Slips and trips could be induced under either of the limbs.

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Who is running the clinical trial?

University of Illinois at ChicagoLead Sponsor
632 Previous Clinical Trials
1,567,625 Total Patients Enrolled
18 Trials studying Stroke
2,177 Patients Enrolled for Stroke
Tanvi Bhatt, PhDPrincipal Investigator - University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
5 Previous Clinical Trials
499 Total Patients Enrolled
2 Trials studying Stroke
50 Patients Enrolled for Stroke
~8 spots leftby May 2025
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