Vestibular and sensory causes of imbalance in older adults
Contribution of vestibular dysfunction and its central multisensory integration to imbalance in aging
This project looks at how inner-ear (vestibular), vision, and touch signals and the brain's processing of them affect balance in older adults and people who have fallen.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11174256 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, you would undergo tests of inner-ear (head motion and orientation), vision, and touch function along with standardized balance and standing tasks while researchers record your responses. The team will measure how your brain combines those sensory signals and uses feedback control to keep you upright. Researchers will compare older adults with and without a history of falls to identify which sensory losses and processing changes link to imbalance. Results are intended to help match patients to targeted treatments like vestibular prosthetics, hair cell regeneration, or noninvasive brain stimulation.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults, particularly those with a history of falls or noticeable balance problems, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: You are unlikely to benefit if you are young and have no balance complaints or if your imbalance is solely due to non-sensory causes such as severe motor paralysis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help direct the right balance treatments to the specific sensory or brain-processing problem causing a person's falls.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked vestibular loss and sensory deficits to imbalance and some therapies are emerging, but using detailed central multisensory processing to guide treatment is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karmali, Faisal — Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
- Study coordinator: Karmali, Faisal
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.