An interventional study of Step Training and Treadmill Training in Accidental Fall, sponsored by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Not yet recruiting at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 65 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-23.
Sponsored by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a novel balance training stepping exercise can reduce the risk of falling among adults over the age of 65. The main question it aims to answer is:
Researchers will compare the novel stepping exercise to 1) a more established stepping exercise that requires more expensive equipment, and 2) a more established general exercise program focusing on strength and standing balance without stepping.
Participants will:
2,649 studies on the registry are indexed under Motor Activity; 1,205 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 180 is above the median of 60 across 2,309 interventional studies indexed under Motor Activity.
Browse Motor Activity studies →Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is the lead sponsor of 126 studies on the registry; 28 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Inclusion Criteria:
Perturbation-based balance training without a treadmill
Behavioral: Step Training
Perturbation-based balance training with a treadmill
Behavioral: Treadmill Training
Strength and standing balance training.
Behavioral: Otago Exercise Program
Perturbation-based balance training without a treadmill. Initial dosage will be twice a week for three weeks. Then booster sessions will be completed once a month during months 1-5 after completing the initial three weeks of intervention.
Perturbation-based balance training with a treadmill. Initial dosage will be twice a week for three weeks. Then booster sessions will be completed once a month during months 1-5 after completing the initial three weeks of intervention.
Strength and standing balance training without stepping. Initial dosage will be twice a week for three weeks. Then booster sessions will be completed once a month during months 1-5 after completing the initial three weeks of intervention.
Trunk angle during balance recovery after lab-induced trip
Angle from vertical to a line connecting midpoint of greater trochanter markers and midpoint of acromion markers, measured at the instant of touchdown of the first step over the trip obstacle. This outcome measure will only be obtained from the n=60 subjects at Virginia Tech.
Time frame: Before intervention, 1-week after intervention, and 6-months after intervention.
Recovery step length after lab-induced trip
The distance between a lateral malleolus marker of the stance limb and a lateral malleolus marker of the stepping limb after the first step over the tripping obstacle. This outcome measure will only be obtained from the n=60 subjects at Virginia Tech.
Time frame: Before intervention, 1-week after intervention, and 6-months after intervention.
Recovery step speed after lab-induced trip
Step length divided by step time. Step length is the distance between a lateral malleolus marker of the stance limb and a lateral malleolus marker of the stepping limb after the first step over the tripping obstacle. Step time is the time from the foot first contacting the trip obstacle and the first step over the trip obstacle contacting the floor. This outcome measure will only be obtained from the n=60 subjects at Virginia Tech.
Time frame: Before intervention, 1-week after intervention, and 6-months after intervention.
Fall rate after lab-induced trip
Number of falls into a safety harness divided by the total number of trips. This outcome measure will only be obtained from the n=60 subjects at Virginia Tech.
Time frame: Before intervention, 1-week after intervention, 6-months after intervention.
Number of real-world losses of balance during 12-month follow up
This outcome measure will be obtained from the n=180 subjects across both sites at Virginia Tech and University of Michigan.
Time frame: From the end of intervention until 12 months later.
Number of real-world balance recoveries during 12-month follow up
This outcome measure will be obtained from the n=180 subjects across both sites at Virginia Tech and University of Michigan.
Time frame: From the end of intervention until 12 months later
Number of real-world falls during 12-month follow up
This outcome measure will be obtained from the n=180 subjects across both sites at Virginia Tech and University of Michigan.
Time frame: From the end of intervention until 12 months later
Short Portable Performance Battery
A standardized clinical mobility test involving gait speed, standing balance, and chair rises. This outcome measure will be obtained from the n=180 subjects across both sites at Virginia Tech and University of Michigan.
Time frame: Before intervention, 1-week after intervention, and 6-months after intervention.
Berg Balance Scale
A standardized clinical mobility test involving multiple balance components and an overall composite score that can predict falls. This outcome measure will be obtained from the n=180 subjects across both sites at Virginia Tech and University of Michigan.
Time frame: Before intervention, 1-week after intervention, and 6-months after intervention.
Activities Balance Confidence Scale
A standardized questionnaire that involves subjects rating their confidence to avoid falls while doing common activities. This outcome measure will be obtained from the n=180 subjects across both sites at Virginia Tech and University of Michigan.
Time frame: Before intervention, 1-week after intervention, and 6-months after intervention.
Plan to share: Yes — The data from balance testing pre-intervention, 1-week after intervention, and 6-months after intervention will include fall rate and body motion measurements in response to a laboratory-induced trip, and clinical mobility assessments. These will be saved as comma-delimited text files. During the 12-month follow up, voice recorder data will be obtained to count losses of balance, balance recoveries, falls, and contextual information of these events. These will be transcribed and saved as MS Word documents.
Supporting information: Study protocol
Time frame: IPD and supporting information will be available at the completion of the study (8/31/2031) or later if a grant extension is used.
Access criteria: Researchers interested in these data will be able to access these data and information. They will be posted on the Virginia Tech Data Repository.
Data sharing details ↗ · data.lib.vt.edu
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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