N/A
N=30
Effects of Task-Specific Step Training on Reactive Balance
Accidental Fall
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05734443 ↗Enrolled (actual)
30
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Sep 2025
Primary outcome: Primary: Trunk Angle at Touchdown of the First Recovery Step — 27.0; 24.6; 28.4 degrees
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- N/A
- Interventions
- step training (Behavioral); treadmill training (Behavioral)
- Age
- Older Adult · 65+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Primary completion
- Aug 2023
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Trunk Angle at Touchdown of the First Recovery Step |
27.0; 24.6; 28.4 | — |
| PRIMARY Trip Outcome |
4; 10; 8 | — |
| SECONDARY Recovery Step Length |
49.5; 45.4; 40.1 | — |
| SECONDARY Sacrum Height at Touchdown of the First Recovery Step |
97.4; 96.7; 97.7 | — |
| SECONDARY Gait Speed |
1.6; 1.5; 1.5 | — |
| SECONDARY Average Step Speed |
1.7; 1.6; 1.4 | — |
| SECONDARY Trip Recovery Strategy |
12; 12; 13 | — |
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate a novel and pragmatic (i.e., not requiring specialized equipment) task-specific step training regimen that aims to improve reactive balance after tripping. The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Does this step training regimen improve reactive balance after tripping compared to no training?
* How well does this step training regimen improve reactive balance compared to treadmill training, which is a more commonly studied reactive balance training regimen that uses a specialized treadmill.
Participants will:
* complete step training or treadmill training (or no training if assigned to the control group) twice a week for three weeks
* experience a laboratory-induced trip three weeks later to evaluate their reactive balance
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- 65-80 years old
- willing to use wearable sensors for 2-3 weeks (for a separate study)
- no lower limb amputation
- not weigh over 250 pounds
- pass a telephone interview related to cognitive status
Exclusion Criteria
- participants must pass a health screening involving a questionnaire that will be reviewed by a health care specialist.
- participants must not have clinical osteoporosis as indicated by a bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebra and proximal femur of t<-2.0 as obtained from dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), or a DEXA scan completed within the last year.
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05734443). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.