Exposure Therapy for Fear of Falling in Older Adults

Completed · Phase 2

Conditions studied: Fear of Falling

In brief

This project aims to test the efficacy of an in-home intervention, "Activity, Balance, Learning, and Exposure" (ABLE), which integrates exposure therapy with cognitive restructuring, exercise, and home safety evaluation for older adults with excessive fear of falling. The intervention will be conducted by a licensed physical therapist. A control intervention will be conducted by a health educator. The specific aims of the study are to test the feasibility, acceptability, tolerability, and safety of the ABLE intervention.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01609322

Run by

University of California, San Diego

People needed

40

Starts

2010-08-01

Expected to finish

2013-08-01

Last updated by the study team

2013-12-23

Who can join

Age: 65 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 65 years old or older.
• Severe fear as measured by a brief FES-I score > or = 13.
• Low to moderate actual risk of falls as set out in Lamb et al. (2008).
• Distress or functional impairment due to fear of falling.
• Approval from the patient's primary health care provider.

You may not qualify if…

• Medical condition that would interfere with the safe conduct of the intervention or compromise study participation.
• Bedbound, wheelchair-dependent, paralyzed in the lower extremities, or requiring the assistance of another person to transfer, walk, or perform intervention exercises within the home.
• Dementia or cognitive impairment as measured by a score above 10 on the Blessed Orientation Memory Test.
• Corrected visual acuity < 20/60.
• Current participation in psychotherapy or professional rehabilitation services (PT, OT) or in the process of being referred or evaluated for such services. Patients who develop a need for such services during their participation will complete an assessment prior to commencing the outside therapy but will be allowed to continue in the study.
• Active suicidal ideation
• Lifetime diagnosis of bipolar I or II disorder or any psychotic disorder.
• Alcohol or other substance abuse or dependence within six months.
• Psychosocial factors that would compromise study participation (e.g. homelessness, no telephone).
• History of osteoporotic fracture.
• Experiencing 3 or more falls in the past year.
• Body Mass Index of 17.0 or under.
• Significant orthostasis, defined as a 20 point or greater difference between seated and standing blood pressure, either systolic or diastolic.

Where it is running

• University of California San Diego — San Diego, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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