Recruiting

Contrast Frequency

Sponsor:

The University of Alabama in Huntsville

Code:

NCT07337317

Conditions

Vision, Low

Mobility Limitation

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 65+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Frequency of contrast marking on stair steps

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this study is to learn if contrast frequency on step tread-edges influences foot clearance measures, a marker of fall risk, in older adults with and without visual impairments.

The main questions that aim to be answered are how foot clearance measures change across different frequencies of stair contrast, and how experiences and perceptions of different stair contrast frequencies are evaluated.

Researchers will compare individuals with and without visual impairments to see if contrast frequency on step tread-edges changes.

Participants will attend one visit during which their vision will be measured, and they will be asked to ascend and descend laboratory stairs at different contrast frequencies.

An optional second visit will entail a focus group meeting to better understand how contrast affects mobility in their home and everyday life.

Conditions

Vision, Low

Mobility Limitation

Study ID

NCT07337317

Start date

Jan 22, 2026

Status verified date

Jan, 2026

Completion date

Jul, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jan, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 65+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. ≥ Contrast sensitivity log 1.6 or greater
2. travels independently in the community, including stairways > two times/week
3. comfortable ascending and descending a stairway with rest time provided

Exclusion Criteria:
4. severe rheumatologic and or orthopedic diseases (e.g., awaiting joint replacement, active inflammatory disease)
5. lower-limb injuries and/or recent joint replacements (e.g., hip fracture, hip, or knee replacement within six months of study enrollment)

Study Design

Enrollment

65 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Intervention

All participants will participate in the experimental arm, that involves a factorial model approach inwhich all participants will experience all eight conditions.

Interventions

Frequency of contrast marking on stair steps

Frequency of contrast marking on stair steps will be evaluated to determine how foot clearance, perceptions in older adults with and without impaired contrast sensivity

Primary outcome measure

  • Toe clearance [ Time Frame: visit 1, through study completion, an average of 1 year ]
  • Heel clearance [ Time Frame: visit 1, through study completion, an average of 1 year ]
  • Frequency of <5mm toe clearances [ Time Frame: visit 1, through study completion, an average of 1 year ]
  • Frequency of <5mm heel clearances [ Time Frame: visit 1, through study completion, an average of 1 year ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Sara A Harper, PhD

2568242184sah0075@uah.edu

Locations

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Recruiting

Huntsville, Alabama, United States, 35899

Contacts

Sara A Harper, PhD

2568242184sah0075@uah.edu

More Information

Sponsor

The University of Alabama in Huntsville

Last update posted

May 1, 2026

Last verified

Jan, 2026

Keywords

  • older adults
  • impaired contrast sensivity

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by The University of Alabama in Huntsville on 2026-05-01.