Perceptual training to improve balance and motion sensing in older adults

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Three cohorts of ten older adults (N=30) will receive one of three perceptual training regimens delivered on a Moog 6-degree-of-freedom motion platform. Training uses roll tilts, inter-aural translations, or a combined protocol, with sessions that include pre- and post-test balance and perception measures and repeated practice trials over roughly 45 days. Participants receive auditory and visual feedback after each passive motion while a 2-down/1-up staircase rule adjusts stimulus size based on performance. Outcomes focus on changes in vestibular perceptual thresholds and laboratory balance measures compared across the training paradigms and a placebo control.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Must be able to stand
* No leg or foot amputations
* No lower limb braces
* Not currently feeling dizzy/lightheaded
* Not currently pregnant by self-report
* Weight \<= 275 pounds

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe head trauma or traumatic brain injury
* Any vestibular disorder (e.g., Meniere's Disease, Vestibular Migraine, Unresolved benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Vestibular hypofunction, except that due to aging, PPPD) as assessed by a Vestibular OtoNeurologist and Neurotologist using clinical diagnostic tests described in proposal plus any additional clinical evaluations they identify
* History of seizures
* Neurologic illness or condition determined by an Otoneurologist known to impact vestibular or balance function(e.g., stroke, neurodegenerative disorders, demyelinating illness)
* Major psychiatric (e.g., panic disorder, psychosis, etc.) disorder
* Any of the following eye diseases or conditions: amblyopia (or "lazy eye") or history of amblyopia, diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration, retina dystrophy, glaucoma, cataracts, or any other eye condition that limits vision to worse than 20/40
* Recent (\<6 months) orthopedic injuries of the lower extremities (e.g., plantar fasciitis, ankle, knee or hip injury, back strain/herniated disc, …).
* Upper extremity injuries requiring current sling immobilization
* Recent surgery
* Any other severe health problem (heart disease, pulmonary disease, cancer, etc.).
* Vision in both eyes must be better than 20/40 with best correction
* Due to the potential for nausea with some of the motion stimuli, and to protect fetus and mother, pregnant women will also be excluded from this study
* Since every possible exclusionary factor cannot be predicted, additional exclusion criteria may be required

Where it's running

• The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
  Columbus, Ohio, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Daniel M Merfeld, PhD — Ohio State University
• Study coordinator: Daniel M Merfeld, PhD
• Email: merfeld.6@osu.edu
• Phone: 614-485-9179

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.