Reactive Balance Training for Fall Prevention: a Comparative Study of Three Different Perturbation Devices

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Other
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

The objective of this pilot study is to evaluate and compare the effect of three different perturbation based training devices on the reactive balance control among healthy young adults, healthy older adults, and neurologically impaired stroke individuals. Furthermore, the project aims to determine the feasibility and tolerability of 30-minutes of perturbation training using the SureFooted Trainer. Overall, the project directs to find out the long term effect of training on fall risk reduction and fall prevention. This study investigates the effects of perturbation training (slip and trip) based on the principles of motor learning. Perturbations in the form of slips and trips induced by the three different types of perturbation devices will displace the center of mass outside the base of support and challenge the stability, thereby inducing a fall and demand compensatory strategies in order to prevent it. Such perturbation training would train the motor system to improve stability control and vertical limb support. The project design aims to examine the ability of the central nervous system to mitigate the interference in stability control (if any) that is induced by opposing types of perturbations. The hypothesis of this study if supported by the results, will provide the difference in motor learning with training on three different perturbation devices. Furthermore, it would 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.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 90
Healthy Volunteers: t
View:

⁃ Healthy Young participants

• Age group: 18-55 years.

• Absence of any acute or chronic neurological, cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal or systemic diagnosis.

• No recent major surgery (\< 6 months) or hospitalization (\< 3 months)

• Not on any sedative drugs.

• Can understand and communicate in English

⁃ Healthy older adults

• Age group: 56-90 years.

• Absence of any acute or chronic neurological, cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal or systemic diagnosis.

• No recent major surgery (\< 6 months) or hospitalization (\< 3 months)

• Not on any sedative drugs.

• Ability to walk with or without an assistive device for 10 meters

• Can understand and communicate in English

• Berg balance scale score \<45/56.

⁃ Persons with stroke

• Age group: 18-90 years.

• Absence of any acute or chronic neurological diagnosis except stroke (self reported)

• Onset of stroke (\> 6 months)

• Absence of any cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal or systemic diagnosis.

• No recent major surgery (\< 6 months) or hospitalization (\< 3 months)

• Not on any sedative drugs.

• Ability to walk with or without an assistive device for 10 meters

• Can understand and communicate in English

Locations
United States
Illinois
University of Illinois at Chicago
RECRUITING
Chicago
Contact Information
Primary
Shamali Dusane, MPT
sdusan2@uic.edu
3123552735
Backup
Lakshmi Kannan, MS PT
lkanna2@uic.edu
3124133175
Time Frame
Start Date: 2018-02-01
Estimated Completion Date: 2026-12-31
Participants
Target number of participants: 90
Treatments
Experimental: Treadmill training
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.
Experimental: Overground training
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.
Experimental: Surefooted training
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.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: University of Illinois at Chicago

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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