Optimal Intensity of Reactive Balance Training for Healthy Older Adults

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Reactive balance training: 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.

Walking: Overground walking

Study summary

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.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Number of reactive steps — Two weeks
  Learning rate for number of steps to recover from 'backward fall' balance perturbations

Trial sites (1)

More Toronto Rehabilitation Institute trials in Canada