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Aging and Task-specific Training to Reduce Falls

Aging and Task-Specific Training to Reduce Falls

Who can join

Ages 60 to 90 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome

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

About the study

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.

What is being tested

• Task-Specific Balance Training (behavioral)
• Treadmill Perturbation Training (behavioral)
• Conventional Balance Training (behavioral)

Sponsor: University of Illinois at Chicago · Participants: 315 · Started: Aug 15, 2026

Contact the study team

• Tanvi Bhatt, PT, PhD · Phone: 312-355-4443

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07094659

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 29, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.