Falls in daily life are a serious risk for older adults. A new type of balance training, called reactive balance training (RBT) involves people losing balance many times so that they can practice fast balance reactions, like stepping reactions. Differences in training program features might explain differences in the results of previous RBT studies. Training intensity is the difficulty or challenge of the training program. It would be valuable to know if high-intensity RBT improves balance reactions quickly. The main goal of this study is to see if more intense RBT improves balance reactions faster than less intense RBT. The investigators will compare how quickly people improve balance reactions between high- and moderate-intensity RBT, and between RBT and a control program that does not include RBT. The investigators will also test if the improvements in balance reactions last after the training program is over. The secondary goals are to understand exactly how balance reactions improve with training, and to determine if people who complete RBT improve their general balance skills, and falls efficacy more than people who do not complete RBT.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
96
Reactive balance training involves clients experiencing repeated balance perturbations so that they can practice and improve control of reactions to avoid falling after a loss of balance.
Overground walking
University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
RECRUITINGNumber of reactive steps
Learning rate for number of steps to recover from 'backward fall' balance perturbations
Time frame: Two weeks
Step initiation time
Time from perturbation onset time to foot off time
Time frame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
Step execution time
Time from foot off to foot contact of the first step
Time frame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
Step length
Difference in foot position from foot off to foot contact
Time frame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
Braking impulse
Antero-posterior shear force generated over time on step contact
Time frame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
Mechanical margin of stability
Distance between the extrapolated centre of mass (incorporating centre of mass position and velocity) and the edge of the base of support
Time frame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
Balance evaluation systems test
Scale ranges from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better outcome
Time frame: One week and 12 weeks post-training
Falls efficacy scale - International
Scale range: 10-100; higher values indicate worse outcome
Time frame: One week, 12 weeks, and 12 months post-training
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