Task-specific balance training to prevent falls in older adults
Official title: Aging and task-specific training to reduce falls
Funded at University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11192307 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research offers targeted balance exercises to help older adults at risk for dementia reduce falls caused by slips and trips.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2016 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $620,567 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG050672-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11192307 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Community-dwelling older adults who are walking independently and are at increased risk of falls due to balance problems or a history of falling are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who cannot walk independently, require full mobility assistance, or have medical conditions that prevent participation in balance training are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
You would be randomly assigned to receive task-focused balance training that exposes you to unexpected balance disturbances while walking, delivered either overground or using treadmill systems. The program uses repeated, controlled disturbances so your body learns to recover from slips and trips and to improve everyday walking stability. Researchers will track both short-term changes in balance and real-life falls over time to see if the training lowers fall risk. The goal is to find a training method that is both effective and practical for wider clinical or community use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce real-world falls and related injuries in older adults and help maintain independence.
How similar studies have gone: Prior overground perturbation training has reduced real-life falls, while treadmill-based approaches are more practical but have shown smaller effects, so this study builds on but further tests these findings.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bhatt, Tanvi — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Bhatt, Tanvi
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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.