Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

Perturbation Training Reduces Falls in People With Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

ConditionAlzheimer Disease
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age65-90
SponsorGeorgia State University

About this trial

This study will examine the overall capacity of people with Alzheimer's disease learning fall-resistant skills from perturbation training.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Participants must be at least 65 years old;

Participants have a clinical diagnosis of probable AD;

Participants can read and understand English;

Participants must be able to walk independently at least 25 feet;

Disqualifiers

Individuals have ever experienced perturbation training;

Individuals have hypotension or uncontrolled hypertension;

Individuals exhibit osteoporosis;

Participants suffer from coexisting psychiatric disorders, or other neurological conditions, or injuries, etc.

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Perturbation training

    Behavioral

    Participants will experience repeated perturbations mixed with non-perturbed trials on the treadmill with the protection by a harness.

Treatment groups

30 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Training groupExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Control groupSham comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Lab-induced faller rate

The outcome of each perturbation trial will be determined as a fall if the peak load cell force exceeds 30% of the body weight. The load cell records the force applied to the human body by the safety harness system after a perturbation. The lab-induced faller rate will be calculated as the ratio of the number of fallers to the number of participants within each group.

Time frame
6 months

Secondary outcomes

1

Dynamic stability

Dynamic stability will be calculated for each perturbation trial based on the kinematics of the body's center of mass relative to the base of support.

Time frame
6 months
2

Number of prospective fall incident

The number of all cause falls in daily-living activities after the training session will be recorded for each participant.

Time frame
6 months

Other outcomes

1

Berg Balance Scale

Berg balance scale will be used to objectively determine a participant' ability (or inability) to safely balance during a series of preset tasks. The score of the Berg Balance Scale is between 0 and 56 with a higher value indicating a better balance ability.

Time frame
6 months
2

Mobility

Functional mobility will be assessed using the Timed-Up-and-Go test. The time used to complete the test will be recorded. The shorter the time, the better mobility.

Time frame
6 months
3

Muscle strength

Strength capacity will be tested on the knee joint as the maximum strength the knee joint can produce. The measurement will be taken on an isokinetic dynamometer.

Time frame
6 months
4

Pressure sensation level

The tactile sensation level at the dominant sole will be determined as the number of sites where the participant can feel the pressure produced by the monofilament.

Time frame
6 months

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Georgia State University

Lead sponsor

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Collaborator

Alzheimer's Association

Collaborator

Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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