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AgedBALANCARNCT06345625

Gait and Postural Balance Analysis During Head-motion Perturbed Standing and Walking in Older Adults

An observational study of Aged and Accidental Fall, run by Universiteit Antwerpen at 1 site in Belgium.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The main aim of this study is to unravel the biomechanics of postural balance reactions during head-motion perturbed standing and walking in older adults who fall, while integrating the influence of frailty, sensory functioning and cognitive processing. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 65 to 100 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Aged, Accidental Fall, Postural Balance
What is being tested?
Cognition, Sensory function and Frailty
How many people
100 participants
Where
1 siteBelgium
Study dates
7 May 2024to Jan 2028
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 65 to 100 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Older adult

Study population: Community dwelling older adults with an age of 65 years or above

Who may be able to join

  • Community dwelling
  • an age of 65 years or above

Who cannot join

  • age < 65 years
  • medical history encompassing diagnosed vestibulopathy, orthostatic hypotension, peripheral neuropathy, limb amputation, neurological or neuromuscular disorders affecting balance, diagnosed neck disorders affecting sensorimotor control, blindness, deafness
  • a full-time walking aid is indispensable.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Ann Hallemans, PhD contact

032652912

ann.hallemans@uantwerpen.be

Eugénie Lambrecht, MSc, PT contact

eugenie.lambrecht@uantwerpen.be

Belgium1 site, 1 recruiting
  • University of Antwerp

    Antwerp, 2160

    Ann Hallemans, PhD, +32 3 265 29 12, ann.hallemans@uantwerpen.be

    PhD

    Recruiting

Other trials in Belgium

About this study

Official title: Gait and Postural Balance Analysis During Head-motion Perturbed Standing and Walking in Older Adults - a Multisensory Approach by Use of Mixed-reality

The main aim of this study is to unravel the biomechanics of postural balance reactions during head-motion perturbed standing and walking in older adults who fall, while integrating the influence of frailty, sensory functioning and cognitive processing.

Read the detailed description

Older adults above 65 years old experience falls at a rate of 20-40% annually, with women being more affected than men. Unintentional falls are the second leading cause of accidental injury death and a major contributor to disability levels worldwide. Falls pose an even bigger burden on society in the future due to the increasing number of older adults and the higher prevalence of falls as people age. Gait and balance instability are major risk and causative factors for falls in older adults. As people age, their stability decreases. This is evident in the careful way that older adults walk. To prevent and predict falls, it is essential to understand how humans maintain their stability during locomotor activities.

Balance disruptions are typically not caused by walking itself, but rather by internal or external disturbances or the performance of multiple tasks simultaneously. In daily life, people often face complex situations that require high levels of sensory input and cognitive processing. This can be especially challenging when also trying to maintain a safe walking pattern, such as when checking the environment before crossing the street. This task requires coordinated movement of both the head and eyes to track moving objects. Gaze control requires accurate cognitive processing, including multisensory integration, attention, executive functioning, and motor responses to coordinate eye and head movements.

Older adults use different strategies than younger adults to control head movement for stabilizing their head during walking. Therefore, changes in head position may affect gait stability differently in older adults. Ageing can cause frailty, decline in sensorimotor and cognitive abilities, and a reduced capacity to adjust gait to changing environments. These changes may increase the risk of falls in older adults. However, research on these issues is currently insufficient.

Being tested
Cognition, Sensory function, Frailty, Biomechanical movement analysis, Screening
Keywords
older adults, Sensorimotor integration, visual tracking while walking

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • CognitionDiagnostic test

    1. The CatchU® app quantitatively and objectively measures the ability to integrate visual-somatosensory information using reaction time test data.
    2. Digit Symbol Substitution test assesses processing speed and attention by requiring individuals to match symbols with corresponding numbers within a specified time frame.
    3. Trail Making Test part 1 and 2: assesses cognitive flexibility, visual attention, and task-switching by having individuals connect numbered circles in sequence (part 1) and then alternate between numbers and letters (Part 2).
    4. Go/No Go test measures an individual's ability to inhibit a prepotent response (No-Go) and execute a response when required (Go). This test provides insights into executive functioning, particularly inhibitory control.
  • Sensory functionDiagnostic test

    1. Cervical Sensorimotor control will be measured through a wireless wearable sensor 3D-cervical trainer by Sensamove on the placed on the head of the participant. The 3DCT registers cervical position sense by the Head Repositioning Accuracy test where the subject must relocate the head to the previously memorized (neutral) head position with the eyes closed and the joint position error degrees are registered. Cervical movement sense is examined using 'The Fly'-test where the subject ought to follow a movement pattern displayed on the screen in front of them. The movement of the neck-head unit is there upon tracked by the 3DCT and projected on the screen.
    2. Vestibular function will be assessed through 3D-video Head Impulse Testing (vHIT), examining the state of the three semicircular canals by delivering the vestibulo-ocular reflex (vor) gain and vor gain asymmetry.
    3. For the assessment of static and dynamic visual acuity, functional Head Impulse Testing (fHIT) will be used.
  • FrailtyDiagnostic test

    Frailty will be assessed using the Fried criteria, comprising 5 categories (each accounting for 1 point if scored positive): Unintentional weight loss (interview), weakness (grip strength with hand-held dynamometer), poor endurance and energy (two statements of the CES-D Depression Scale), slowness (walking speed over 15ft through gait analysis) and low physical activity level (Minnesota Leisure Time Activity questionnaire)(Fried et al., 2001).

  • Biomechanical movement analysisOther

    Markers will be placed on the predefined anatomical locations and surface electrodes for electromyography will be applied at the predefined muscle locations following the SENIAM-guidelines. The Microsoft HoloLens 2 is fixated on the participant's head which will, on one hand, provide the cue to the participant for the head movement and on the other hand track eye and head movements. A safety harness is attached to the body and the ceiling of the lab. At the start of the trial, the subject will see a projection by the HoloLens 2 on the real environment moving to the left; right; upward; downward (cue in randomized order) which the participant is ought to follow with eyes and head. First while standing still and second while walking the 10-meter overground walkway at a self-preferred walking speed.

  • ScreeningOther

    The researcher will visit the possible participants (at their home, community centre, etc.) and after written consent on screening procedure is provided, the tests for eligibility will be performed.

    1. Interview: asking about age (years), gender (male/female), medical history and the number of falls in the last 12 months .
    2. Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) to check walking ability. TUG is a sensitive and specific measure for identifying risk for falls (Shumway-Cook et al., 2000).
  • Follow upOther

    Participants are followed up for 12 months. They fill in a fall diary and telephone reminders will be performed monthly to encourage participants to complete and return their diaries.

Study groups in NCT06345625
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
FallersCommunity dwelling older adults with an age above 65 years. A participant is categorized as faller in case of a history of ≥2 falls in the previous 12 months and with identified high fall risk on the TUG (i.e., completion time ≥13.5 seconds). A fall is defined as an event that results in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground/floor/other lower level (WHO, 2021). Asyncopal fall, identified through the report of a loss of consciousness during the fall, has a different etiology and therefore will not be counted as a fall (Ang et al., 2020).
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Cognition; Diagnostic Test: Sensory function; Diagnostic Test: Frailty; Other: Biomechanical movement analysis; Other: Screening; Other: Follow up
Non-FallersCommunity dwelling older adults with an age above 65 years. A participant is included as non-faller in case of a history of 0 falls in the previous 12 months and without an identified fall risk on the TUG test (i.e., completion time ≤13.5 seconds).
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Cognition; Diagnostic Test: Sensory function; Diagnostic Test: Frailty; Other: Biomechanical movement analysis; Other: Screening; Other: Follow up

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Spatio-temporal parameters of gait

    step length and width (cm)

    Measured: baseline

  2. Foot placement estimator

    measure which estimates where the foot should be placed for stable gait

    Measured: baseline

  3. Onset latency

    latency in msec between onset of movements and activation recorded by surface EMG of bilateral m. Erector Spinae (trunk stabilization), m. Gluteus medius (hip strategy), m. Tibialis anterior and m. Soleus (ankle strategy)

    Measured: baseline

  4. Peak amplitude

    peak amplitude in microvolts of the surface EMG of bilateral m. Erector Spinae (trunk stabilization), m. Gluteus medius (hip strategy), m. Tibialis anterior and m. Soleus (ankle strategy)

    Measured: baseline

  5. Fixation duration

    Duration of fixation of the eyes on target, measured by the Hololens 2

    Measured: baseline

  6. Gain

    Accuracy of the fixation of the eyes on target as measured by the Hololens 2

    Measured: baseline

  7. Latency

    Latency in msec between the movement of the target and the movement of the eyes and the head when following the target as measured by the Hololens 2.

    Measured: baseline

  8. Fall characteristics

    Fall diaries provide information on occurrence and number of falls, activity preceding a fall, cause of fall, obtained injuries and potential care that was received.

    Measured: monthly during 12 months of follow-up

Secondary outcomes (10)
  1. Multisensory integration

    reaction times in visual/sensory vs. visuo-sensory conditions (ratio, in %) measured with CatchU app

    Measured: baseline

  2. Digit symbol substitution test

    number of correct symbol-digit pairs completed

    Measured: baseline

  3. Trail making test

    Time to complete part A vs. B (ratio in seconds)

    Measured: baseline

  4. Go/No Go test

    Accuracy (number of correct responses)

    Measured: baseline

  5. Head Repositioning Accuracy

    joint position error in degrees

    Measured: baseline

  6. Fly test

    directional accuracy (in %) of movement

    Measured: baseline

  7. Fly test

    Amplitude (in mm) of movement

    Measured: baseline

  8. vHIT

    VOR-gain and VOR-gain asymmetry in %

    Measured: baseline

  9. fHIT

    statfHIT (Static visual acuity): logMAR-score and dynfHIT (Dynamic visual acuity): % correct responses

    Measured: baseline

  10. Frailty

    Fried criteria: Frailty level (categorical): non-frail (0/5), pre-frail( 1-2/5) or frail (≥3/5)

    Measured: baseline

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted3 Apr 2024
  2. Study start7 May 2024
  3. Primary completionJan 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completionJan 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
100 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06345625
Sponsor's protocol ID
6012
Acronym
BALANCAR
Status last verified
May 2024
First submitted
5 Mar 2024
Last updated
9 May 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Lambrecht E, Embrechts E, Beckwee D, Vereeck L, Hallemans A, De Hertogh W. The influence of sensory function on walking stability in aging and falls through a head-movement perturbation model. Geroscience. 2026 Oct 19. doi: 10.1007/s11357-026-02602-3. Online ahead of print.

    PubMed 42895590

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Aged and Accidental Fall, run by Universiteit Antwerpen at 1 site in Belgium.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 May 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Belgium. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Ann Hallemans, PhD (032652912, ann.hallemans@uantwerpen.be), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Spatio-temporal parameters of gait (time frame: baseline). The study lists 8 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06345625, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 May 2024.

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