Enhancing Veterans’ Post-COVID Mobility with a Cognitive-Sensorimotor Gait Framework
Official title: Enhancing Veterans' Long-COVID Care: A Cognitive-Sensorimotor Framework to Understand Gait and Balance Dysfunction
Funded at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center · NIH-11110960 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to understand why some veterans have persistent gait and balance problems after COVID-19 and how cognitive and sensory factors contribute to mobility issues.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jesse Brown VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2026 |
| Project end | December 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01RX005372-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11110960 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans who survived COVID-19 and are experiencing gait or balance difficulties, especially older adults.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without post-COVID gait or balance issues or those not engaged with VA care may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Many COVID-19 survivors experience ongoing symptoms, including gait and balance problems, which impact quality of life. This project focuses on how thinking, sensation, and movement work together to affect walking, especially in older veterans. By using tasks that combine thinking with walking and difficult environments, researchers will uncover factors that contribute to balance problems and identify potential targets for care within the VA system. The work aims to lay the groundwork for standardized assessments and targeted therapies for PASC-related mobility issues.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could lead to better screening and personalized interventions to improve walking and balance for veterans with PASC.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows cognitive and sensorimotor factors can influence gait; this project builds on that with a focus on veterans and PASC.
Where this research is happening
-
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Major, Matthew J. — Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Major, Matthew J.
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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.