Instrumented vs. Conventional Perturbation-based Balance Training for Fall Prevention

Leon Brüll

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Fall Risk, Fall Prevention

Treatments: Other: Training on perturbation treadmill; Other: Exercises of dynamic stability under unstable conditions

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04087512

AZ Schwe 2019 /1-2

Details and patient eligibility

About

In the past years, several studies have demonstrated the potential of task-specific perturbation-based balance training (PBT) for preventing falls at age. However, different paradigms of PBT have been investigated so far, while a comparison of these paradigms is lacking. Therefore, in this study, we plan to compare two promising PBT approaches in terms of feasibility and effects on fall risk-associated motor performance: 1. Training of dynamic stability mechanisms in the presence of perturbations induced by unstable surfaces; 2. Technology-supported training on a perturbation treadmill. In addition, both approaches will be compared with a passive control group. One-hundred and eleven participants aged 65 years or older will be randomly assigned to the three arms of the study. As the primary outcome, we will assess fall risk by use of the Brief-BESTest. Secondary outcomes include balance performance, functional performance, force capacity, and more. We hypothesize that both interventions will lead to a significant reduction of fall risk compared to the control group. Additionally, we will explore whether one of the two PBT paradigms is superior regarding feasibility and effectiveness.

Enrollment: 71 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 65 years or older
• Speaks German language
• Home-dwelling or assisted living
• One fall in the past 12 months OR a verified fall risk (based on subjective decreased balance AND extended Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) balance testing
• Able to walk at least 20 minutes without aid
• Available for intervention period

Exclusion criteria

• Participation in balance training in the previous 3 months
• DemTec ≤ 8 Points
• Body mass index > 30
• Uncorrected vision disorder
• Acute serious neurological disability affecting gait pattern
• Serious sensory disorders
• Severe cardiovascular or metabolic disorders
• Orthopaedic restrictions or diseases
• Strong dizziness
• Current chemotherapy
• Severe respiratory disease

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

71 participants in 3 patient groups

Instrumented perturbation-based balance training

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: Training on perturbation treadmill

Conventional perturbation-based balance training

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: Exercises of dynamic stability under unstable conditions

Control

No Intervention group