Aging and Task-Specific Training to Reduce Falls

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating a new type of task-specific balance training designed to reduce falls caused by environmental disturbances like slips and trips in older adults who are at risk of falling. The study compares this novel training to treadmill perturbation training and conventional balance exercises to see which is more effective in improving balance control and preventing falls. Falls are a major concern among older adults, leading to injuries and other health complications, so finding better ways to prevent them is important. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: task-specific balance training, treadmill perturbation training, or conventional balance training. Each group will complete 16 training sessions over 8 weeks, attending twice a week. The task-specific training includes functional tasks and predictable perturbations related to slips and trips, while treadmill training exposes participants to slip-like and trip-like perturbations using a motorized treadmill. Conventional training involves exercises aimed at improving balance control. Before training, participants will undergo a balance assessment and then have two follow-up assessments: one immediately after training and another 18 months later. Throughout the 18 months after training, participants will wear a physical activity monitor to record real-life falls. Researchers will measure reactive and volitional balance, gait, falls in the lab and real life, and confidence in balance using various tests and questionnaires. This long-term monitoring aims to evaluate how well each training method helps reduce falls over time.

Aging and Task-specific Training to Reduce Falls