Clinical trial NCT06657989: Optimal Intensity of Reactive Balance Training for Healthy Older Adults
Official title: Optimal Intensity of Reactive Balance Training for Healthy Older Adults
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Accidental Falls
Keywords: Postural balance
Aging
Biomechanics
Rehabilitation
Lead sponsor: Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
First posted: 2024-10-26
Enrollment: 96
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 65
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Falls in daily life are a serious risk for older adults. A new type of balance training, called reactive balance training (RBT) involves people losing balance many times so that they can practice fast balance reactions, like stepping reactions. Differences in training program features might explain differences in the results of previous RBT studies. Training intensity is the difficulty or challenge of the training program. It would be valuable to know if high-intensity RBT improves balance reactions quickly. The main goal of this study is to see if more intense RBT improves balance reactions faster than less intense RBT. The investigators will compare how quickly people improve balance reactions between high- and moderate-intensity RBT, and between RBT and a control program that does not include RBT. The investigators will also test if the improvements in balance reactions last after the training program is over. The secondary goals are to understand exactly how balance reactions improve with training, and to determine if people who complete RBT improve their general balance skills, and falls efficacy more than people who do not complete RBT.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Community-dwelling older adults (65-80 years old)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unable to stand independently without upper-limb support for \>30 seconds and/or walk independently (without a gait aid) for ≥10 metres;
* Diagnosed neurological condition that could affect balance control (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease);
* Score below normative values on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment;
* Score below age-matched normative values for sensory and motor function, as assessed using the FallScreen battery;
* Have insufficient English language comprehension such that they cannot understand instructions;
* Have contraindications to reactive balance training such as severe osteoporosis; and/or
* Are currently attending physiotherapy or supervised exercise.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Number of reactive steps
timeFrame: Two weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Step initiation time
timeFrame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
measure: Step execution time
timeFrame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
measure: Step length
timeFrame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
measure: Braking impulse
timeFrame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
measure: Mechanical margin of stability
timeFrame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
measure: Balance evaluation systems test
timeFrame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
measure: Falls efficacy scale - International
timeFrame: One week, 12 weeks, and 12 months post-training
Other outcomes:
measure: Fall incidence
timeFrame: 12 months post-training
measure: Injurious fall incidence
timeFrame: 12-months post-training
measure: 5-level EuroQoL health status measure (EQ-5D-5L)
timeFrame: One week, 12 weeks, and 12 months post-training
measure: Number of participants with fear of falling
timeFrame: One week, 12 weeks, and 12 months post-training
measure: Number of participants with activity curtailment due to fear of falling
timeFrame: One week, 12 weeks, and 12 months post-training
Locations:
city: Toronto
country: Canada
facility: University Health Network
state: Ontario
Study officials:
affiliation: University Health Network, Toronto
name: Avril Mansfield, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: