Recruiting
Phase 1
Phase 2

Task-Specific Balance Training

Sponsor:

University of Illinois at Chicago

Code:

NCT07094659

Conditions

Fall Prevention

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 60 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Task-Specific Balance Training

Treadmill Perturbation Training

Conventional Balance Training

Study Details

Brief summary:

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.

Conditions

Fall Prevention

Study ID

NCT07094659

Start date

Aug 15, 2026

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Aug 31, 2029

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May 31, 2029

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 60 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 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.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 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

Study Design

Enrollment

315 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Task-Specific Balance Training

Participants in the task-specific balance training group will receive 8 weeks of task-specific balance training that includes both functional tasks and predictable perturbations specific to slips and trips. Sessions will be completed 2x per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total).

active comparator: Treadmill Perturbation Training

Participants in the treadmill perturbation training group will receive 8 weeks of training that includes exposure to slip-like and trip-like perturbations delivered via motorized treadmill. Sessions will be completed 2x per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total).

active comparator: Conventional Balance Training

Participants in the conventional balance training group will receive 8 weeks of training that includes conventional exercises designed to improve balance control. Sessions will be completed 2x per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total).

Interventions

Task-Specific Balance Training

Participants in the intervention groups will receive 8 weeks of task-specific balance training that includes both functional tasks and predictable perturbations specific to slips and trips. Sessions will be completed 2x per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total).

Treadmill Perturbation Training

Participants in the treadmill perturbation training group will receive 8 weeks of training that includes exposure to slip-like and trip-like perturbations delivered via motorized treadmill. Sessions will be completed 2x per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total).

Conventional Balance Training

Participants in the conventional balance training group will receive 8 weeks of training that includes conventional exercises designed to improve balance control. Sessions will be completed 2x per week for 8 weeks (16 sessions total).

Primary outcome measure

  • Reactive Stability [ Time Frame: Immediately post and at 18 months ]
  • Vertical Limb support [ Time Frame: Immediately post and at 18 months ]
  • Laboratory falls [ Time Frame: Immediately post and at 18 months ]
  • Functional Gait Assessment [ Time Frame: Baseline, Immediately post and at 18 months ]
  • Real-life falls [ Time Frame: Recorded retrospectively (12 months before training) and weekly for 18 months post-training ]
  • Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) [ Time Frame: Baseline, Immediately post and at 18 months ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Tanvi Bhatt, PT, PhD

312-355-4443tbhatt6@uic.edu

Locations

University of Illinois at Chicago

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60622

Contacts

Tanvi Bhatt, PT, PhD

312-355-4443tbhatt6@uic.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Illinois at Chicago

Last update posted

Jul 6, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Keywords

  • balance
  • fall risk
  • fall prevention
  • slips
  • trips
  • older adults
  • reactive balance

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Illinois at Chicago on 2026-07-06.