Balanced Reach Training to Improve Balance for Older and Neurologically Disabled Veterans
Official title: A Balanced Reach Training Platform to Address Balance Disorders in Older and Neurologically Disabled Veterans
Funded at Baltimore VA Medical Center · NIH-11511693 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a progressive reach‑at‑your‑limits training program to help older and neurologically disabled Veterans strengthen balance and lower fall risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baltimore VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2020 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003096-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11511693 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older Veterans (typically 65+ years) or Veterans with neurologic conditions who experience balance problems and can safely stand and reach are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not Veterans, are much younger, or who cannot safely stand or perform reaching tasks (for example due to severe mobility or cognitive impairment) may not benefit from this protocol.
What this research studies
If you take part, you'll do repeated reaching tasks that push your balance limits while sensors record your movements. The training gets harder as you improve, aiming to retrain posture and movement coordination over multiple sessions. Engineers and clinicians use the motion data to refine diagnosis and create personalized treatment approaches. The work is focused on older and neurologically disabled Veterans who are at higher risk of falling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce falls and improve everyday mobility and independence for affected Veterans.
How similar studies have gone: Traditional balance and exercise programs have shown modest or mixed results in fall prevention, and this continuous, engineering‑driven reach protocol is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Baltimore VA Medical Center
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barton, Joseph Edward — Baltimore VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Barton, Joseph Edward
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.