Multisensory support to improve standing balance after stroke
Multisensory augmentation to improve the standing balance of people with chronic stroke
This project uses extra sensory feedback to help people with long-term stroke improve their standing balance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310730 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would wear small sensors and devices that give gentle cues (like vibration) about how your body is swaying while you practice standing tasks. Therapists will use more than one kind of feedback and tailor it to your specific sensory losses, since people with stroke respond differently. Sessions will involve guided balance training with real-time feedback, and researchers will measure changes in sway, mobility, and fall risk over time. The team will compare responses across people to refine which combinations of cues work best.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with chronic (long-term) stroke who have difficulty controlling their standing balance and are able to participate in rehabilitation sessions.
Not a fit: People without balance problems after stroke, those in the acute hospital phase, or those unable to stand safely for training are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce falls and improve standing mobility and confidence for people living with chronic stroke.
How similar studies have performed: Vibration-based feedback has helped people with vestibular loss, but using tailored multisensory augmentation for chronic stroke is relatively new and not yet widely proven.
Where this research is happening
Charleston, United States
- Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center — Charleston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dean, Jesse C. — Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Dean, Jesse C.
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 below.