An interventional study of Neck Strengthening Exercises in Aging, Fall Injury Prevention and At Fall Risk, sponsored by Ohio University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 65 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-31.
Sponsored by Ohio University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study promotes greater understanding of factors impacting balance and how neck strength alters specific aspects of impaired balance. This study will help physical therapist protocols target a wholistic approach to treat fall risk individuals.
This study will use an interventional neck strengthening exercises along with physical therapist standard of care for balance for community dwelling older adults at fall risk.
The study has three aims: (1) evaluate the effects of a 6-week neck strengthening intervention on sensorimotor function in community-dwelling older adults at risk for falls, (2) examine the impact of neck strengthening on functional mobility and clinical balance performance, and (3) determine the effect of neck strengthening on psychosocial outcomes related to fall risk.
Ohio University is the lead sponsor of 65 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants will receive standard of care plus neck strengthening exercises during two physical therapist visits per week for six weeks.
Other: Neck Strengthening Exercises
Participants will receive standard of care plus lower limb stretching during two physical therapist visits per week for six weeks.
5 minutes of specified neck strengthening exercises two times per week for 6 weeks.
Peak Cervical Neck Flexion Force
Peak force (N) for cervical neck flexion captured via a hand held dynamometer. Patient will be sitting in a chair and resist applied force to the center of forehead
Time frame: Baseline testing and at 5 weeks
Time to peak force (s) for cervical neck flexion
Time to peak force (s) for cervical neck flexion captured via a handheld dynamometer. The patient will be sitting in a chair and resisting the applied force to the center of the forehead
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Peak force (N) for right cervical lateral flexion
Peak force (N) for right cervical lateral flexion captured via a hand held dynamometer. Patient will be sitting in a chair and resist applied force to the right side of their head.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Time to peak force (s) for right cervical lateral flexion
Time to peak force (s) for right cervical lateral flexion captured via a hand held dynamometer. Patient will be sitting in a chair and resist applied force to the right side of their head.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Peak force (N) for left cervical lateral flexion
Peak force (N) for left cervical lateral flexion captured via a hand held dynamometer. Patient will be sitting in a chair and resist applied force to the left side of their head.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Time to peak force (s) for left cervical lateral flexion
Time to peak force (s) for left cervical lateral flexion captured via a hand held dynamometer. Patient will be sitting in a chair and resist applied force to the left side of their head.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Peak force (N) for right cervical lateral flexion
Peak force (N) for right cervical lateral flexion captured via a hand held dynamometer. Patient will be sitting in a chair and resist applied force to the front right side of their head via rotational force.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Time to peak force (s) for right cervical lateral flexion
Time to peak force (s) for right cervical lateral flexion captured via a hand held dynamometer. Patient will be sitting in a chair and resist applied force to the front right side of their head via rotational force.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Peak force (N) for left cervical lateral flexion
Peak force (N) for left cervical lateral flexion captured via a hand held dynamometer. Patient will be sitting in a chair and resist applied force to the front left side of their head via rotational force.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Time to peak force (s) for left cervical lateral flexion
Time to peak force (s) for left cervical lateral flexion captured via a hand held dynamometer. Patient will be sitting in a chair and resist applied force to the front left side of their head via rotational force.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Neck Cervical Repositioning Error
Measured distance (cm) between the target gaze position and the gaze returning after full neck extension. Gaze is marked via a laser pointer secured to the forehead via a headband. Patients will be seated in a chair with no arm rest with the front of the chair 20 cm away from a wall. Patients will then be instructed to find where they believe is a natural head position. Laser pointer position will be marked on the wall. Patients will then close their eyes, perform full neck extension (till the nose is pointed towards the ceiling), and attempt to find the original neck position with their eyes closed. The laser pointer position is then marked. The distance between the two dots is measured. Angular difference in head position can then be calculated using distance and angular mathematics.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Timing error of gaze during smooth pursuits
Timing error of gaze during smooth pursuits captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image. A measure of the standard deviation of the tangential error between the participant's gaze and the target's position
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Percentile of timing error during smooth pursuits
Percentile performance for timing error of gaze during smooth pursuits captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image. Based on normative data of the equipment
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Spatial error of gaze during smooth pursuits
Spatial error of gaze during smooth pursuits captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image. A measure of the standard deviation of the radial error between the subject's gaze position and the target position.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Percentile of Spatial Error during smooth pursuits
Percentile performance for spatial error of gaze during smooth pursuits captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Horizontal fixation accuracy during saccadic eye movement
Horizontal fixation accuracy during saccadic eye movement (rapid eye movement to a presented target) captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image. The average gaze error between the subject's fixations and the target position in the horizontal direction.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Percentile performance for horizontal fixation accuracy during saccadic eye movement
Percentile performance for horizontal fixation accuracy during saccadic eye movement (rapid eye movement to a presented target) captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Vertical fixation accuracy during vertical saccadic eye movement
Vertical fixation accuracy during vertical saccadic eye movement (rapid eye movement to a presented target) captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image.The average gaze error between the subject's fixations and the target position in the vertical direction
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Percentile performance for vertical fixation accuracy during vertical saccadic eye movement
Percentile performance for vertical fixation accuracy during vertical saccadic eye movement (rapid eye movement to a presented target) captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Horizontal fixation precision during saccadic eye movement
Horizontal fixation precision during saccadic eye movement (rapid eye movement to a presented target) captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image. A measure of the standard deviation of the gaze error between the subject's fixations of both eyes in the horizontal direction.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Percentile performance for horizontal fixation precision during saccadic eye movement
Percentile performance for horizontal fixation precision during saccadic eye movement (rapid eye movement to a presented target) captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Vertical fixation precision during vertical saccadic eye movement
Vertical fixation precision during vertical saccadic eye movement (rapid eye movement to a presented target) captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image. A measure of the standard deviation of the gaze error between the subject's fixations of both eyes in the vertical direction.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Percentile performance for vertical fixation precision during vertical saccadic eye movement
Percentile performance for vertical fixation precision during vertical saccadic eye movement (rapid eye movement to a presented target) captured via an instrumented VR headset that tracks eye movements relative to the presented image
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Center of pressure variability
Center of pressure variability during a double limb task on a firm surface captured via a force plate.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
95% Ellipse of center of pressure
95% Ellipse of center of pressure during the double limb 30-second balance task on a firm surface, determined from force plate data.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Average lateral force variability
Average lateral force variability during double limb task on a firm surface captured via a force plate.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Average anterior force variability
Average anterior force variability during double limb task on a firm surface captured via a force plate.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Center of pressure variability on Foam
Center of pressure variability during double limb task on a foam surface captured via a force plate.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
95% Ellipse of center of pressure on Foam
95% Ellipse of center of pressure during double limb 30-second balance task on a foam surface determined from force plate data.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Average lateral force variability on Foam
Average lateral force variability during double limb task on a foam surface captured via a force plate.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Average anterior force variability on Foam
Average anterior force variability during double limb task on a foam surface captured via a force plate.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
fall self-efficacy index
The fall self-efficacy index measures the patients concern about falling during 16 social and physical activities that are part of daily living. Each of the 16 questions are scored values of 1 to 4; with one having no concern at all, 2 somewhat concerned, 3 fairly concerned, and 4 very concerned.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
dizziness handicap inventory
The dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) identifies difficulties that patients may be experiencing because of dizziness for questions about daily life. A follow-up question and the restriction is also assessed. Each of the 25 questions can be answered as Yes (4 points), Sometimes (2 points) or No (0 points). The final score is out of 100.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Time up and Go
Time up and Go is a basic physical therapist method of testing mobility, balance, walking ability, and fall risk. The duration of time it takes to stand walk 5 meters, turn around and sit back down. Scores less than 10 seconds is considered normal and healthy, while scores exceeding 20 seconds may indicate a high risk of falls.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Dynamic Gait index
Dynamic Gait index is a clinical assessment of an individual's dynamic balance and gait performance tested via progressive gait tasks. Each task is scored on a 4-point ordinal scale where 0 represents inability to perform the task, and 3 indicates no impairment. Scores of 19 or less is associated with increased fall risk.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
5 times sit to stand
5 times sit to stand is a basic physical therapist method of testing mobility and strength. Patient will be seated and instructed to stand up fully then sit back down as quickly as possible 5 times in a row. The duration of time it takes to complete the task is measured.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Maximal grip strength (lbs)
Maximal grip strength (lbs) is measured via handgrip dynamometer. Best of 3 trials will be taken.
Time frame: Baseline and at 5 weeks
Plan to share: Yes — I will upload an Excel file with deidentified demographics and primary outcome measures for each time point of the clinical trial.
Time frame: December 30, 2026, to December 30, 2028
Access criteria: The information will be within an Excel document. It will include participant age, sex, height, weight, hand dominance, and primary outcome measures.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Ohio University