How traumatic brain injuries affect aging and balance in older adults
Official title: Aging with a Traumatic Brain Injury: Implications for Balance Deficits and Fall Risk
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-10869965 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how brain injuries from earlier in life might affect your balance and thinking skills as you get older, even if you feel like you've fully recovered, and it's for people who have had a traumatic brain injury and want to understand how it could impact their health in the future.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| NIH project number | 5I21RX004641-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10869965 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults aged 65 and above who sustained a moderate TBI at least 15 years prior to enrollment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not experienced a traumatic brain injury or are younger than 65 years old may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) sustained in early or middle adulthood can impact aging, particularly in terms of balance and cognitive function. It aims to understand whether individuals who believe they have fully recovered from a TBI may still experience long-term effects that could worsen their physical and cognitive abilities as they age. By examining the relationship between past TBIs and current health outcomes, the study seeks to identify potential interventions that could help mitigate these negative effects. Participants will undergo balance and cognitive testing to assess their performance compared to peers without a history of TBI.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved interventions and lifestyle modifications for older adults who have experienced TBIs, enhancing their quality of life and reducing fall risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that TBIs can have long-lasting effects on health, suggesting that this investigation into aging with a TBI is both relevant and necessary.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Clark, David J — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Clark, David J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Aging after traumatic brain injury — balance and fall risk
This work checks whether adults who had a moderate traumatic brain injury at least 15 years ago have more balance problems and higher fall risk as they age.
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Understanding and improving reactive balance after mild traumatic brain injury
This grant tests how people recover their balance after a mild brain injury and how targeted training could help prevent falls.
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Using balance training to wake up cerebellum circuits and help thinking after mild head injury
This project uses balance training in a mouse model of mild traumatic brain injury to change cerebellum circuits with the goal of improving thinking and balance for people with TBI.
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Understanding Brain Swelling and Activity After Traumatic Brain Injury
This project explores how brain swelling affects brain cell activity after a head injury, aiming to find better ways to help patients recover.
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How inner ear changes affect balance and fall risk as we age
This project looks at whether age-related changes in the inner ear make balance worse and raise the chance of falling for older adults.
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Investigating how aging and traumatic brain injury affect attention and executive function.
This study is looking at how brain injuries and getting older affect our thinking skills, and it’s testing a medication that might help improve those skills in people who have had a brain injury or are experiencing memory issues as they age.
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.