Aging and Task-specific Training to Reduce Falls

Recruiting now · Phase 1/Phase 2

Conditions studied: Fall Prevention

In brief

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effects of a novel task-specific balance training for reducing environmental falls in community ambulatory older adults who are at-risk of falling. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does task-specific balance training improve the ability to prevent falling when unexpected perturbations such as slips and trips occur, and/or improve balance control during self-initiated movements? * Does task-specific balance training reduce real-life falls for 18 months after training? Researchers will compare task-specific balance training with conventional balance training and treadmill perturbation-based training to examine how this novel intervention compares to established interventions for improving balance. Participants who participate in the study will be asked to do the following: * Complete a pre-training assessment of their balance control, and then be randomized to one of three training groups: 1) task-specific balance training, 2) treadmill perturbation-based training, and 3) conventional balance training * Complete their assigned training protocol for 8 weeks (2x per week for a total of 16 sessions) * Complete 2 post-training assessments of their balance control, the first being completed immediately after the training is completed, and the second being completed 18 months after the training is completed * Wear a physical activity monitor for 18 months after completing the intervention to monitor their real life falls.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07094659

Run by

University of Illinois at Chicago

People needed

315

Starts

2026-08-15

Expected to finish

2029-08-31

Last updated by the study team

2026-07-06

Who can join

Age: 60 and older, up to 90. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• 60 to 90 years of age to include community dwelling older adults
• Understand English to ensure ability to safely complete study protocols
• Able to walk independently for 1 block and 10 meters without an assistive device to ensure ability to complete exercises and reactive balance assessments
• 'At-risk' adults: Participants who report experience of at least 1 fall in the past 12 months or participants who are categorized as at high fall- risk using our fall risk prediction model which can predict the risk of both slip and trip related falls.

You may not qualify if…

• Major surgery less than 6 months ago to avoid complications due to training
• Hospitalization less than 3 months ago to avoid complications due to training
• Taking any sedative drugs to avoid interference with training
• Acute or uncontrolled neurological or cardiopulmonary or musculoskeletal or cancer diagnosis to avoid complications due to training
• Have intact visual and auditory ability with or without corrective aids to avoid confounding effects on balance
• Severe osteoporosis measured by a score of less than negative two point five on heel bone density scan to avoid complications due to training
• Loss of sensation on monofilament test to avoid confounding effects on outcome assessments
• Cognitive impairment indicated by a score of less than 25 out of 30 on the mini mental state exam to ensure ability to follow instructions for safety
• Shortness of breath or uncontrolled pain higher than a three out of ten or inability to achieve age specified minimal distance on the 6 minute walk test for endurance to avoid complications due to training

Where it is running

• University of Illinois at Chicago — Chicago, Illinois, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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