Standing Balance Control Across the Lifespan

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Children, Adult
• Interventions: Device: Balance boards

• Registration Number: NCT04050774
• Lead Sponsor: Hasselt University

Brief Summary

Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries in children and elderly. To understand the causes of falling in these populations, fundamental knowledge of how ageing affects balance control is of utmost importance.

In general, two biomechanical mechanisms allow people to control balance; 1.moving the center of pressure within the base of support using ankle muscle activation; 2.counter-rotating segments around the center of mass. To understand how balance is controlled differently across the lifespan, 4 age groups (each N=20) will be compared to each other; i.e. prepubertal children (6-9y), postpubertal children (15-17y), young adults (18-24y), healthy non-falling older adults (65-80y). .

A force plate platform combined with 3D movement registration will be used to determine the biomechanical balance control strategy across the lifespan during unperturbed and perturbed standing. The innovative but focused scope of this study could provide a breakthrough in our biomechanical understanding of balance control and, in particular, the changes in limitations of balance control in childhood and an ageing (fall-prone) population. The gained fundamental knowledge could lead to unprecedented insights in the causes of falling across the lifespan and in possible targets for intervention.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-11-21
• Study First Submitted: 2019-08-05
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-08-07
• Study First Posted: 2019-08-08
• Primary Completion: 2021-04-01
• Study Completion: 2021-04-01
• Status Verified: 2022-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-08-02
• Last Update Posted: 2022-08-03

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 41

Inclusion Criteria

• prepubertal children (6-9y)
• postpubertal children (15-18y)
• young adults (18-24y)
• healthy non-falling older adults (65-80y) will be included if they 1) did not experience two or more falls during normal daily activities in the preceding year and 2) have no cognitive impairment (tested with Mini-Mental state examination).

Exclusion Criteria

1. inability to speak and understand Dutch;
2. inability to maintain independent unsupported stance for 60 seconds;
3. current diagnosis of neurological or sensory disorders;
4. recurrent dizziness;
5. obesity ;
6. a history of orthopaedic disorders;
7. surgical operation of the lower extremity during last two years;
8. use of drugs affecting the CNS or known to affect balance control.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Age group 2	Balance boards	15-17 years old
Age group 4	Balance boards	65-80 years old
Age group 1	Balance boards	6-9 years old
Age group 3	Balance boards	18 - 24 years old

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Contribution of the counter-rotation mechanism to centre of mass acceleration based on 3D movement registration and ground reaction forces	day 1	The contribution of the counter-rotation mechanism (change in angular momentum (in kg.m2/s2)) to centre of mass acceleration in the sagittal and frontal plane will be calculated based on total body kinematics (SIMI motion - 3D movement registration) and kinetics (AMTI force plate) (calculations based on; van Dieen JH, van Leeuwen M, Faber GS. Learning to balance on one leg: motor strategy and sensory weighting. J Neurophysiol. 2015;114(5):2967-82.))
Contribution of the ankle strategy to centre of mass acceleration based on 3D movement registration and ground reaction forces	day 1	The contribution of the ankle strategy (difference between the centre of pressure and the centre of mass (in kg.m2/s2)) to centre of mass acceleration in the sagittal and frontal plane will be calculated based on total body kinematics (SIMI motion - 3D movement registration) and kinetics (AMTI force plate) (calculations based on; van Dieen JH, van Leeuwen M, Faber GS. Learning to balance on one leg: motor strategy and sensory weighting. J Neurophysiol. 2015;114(5):2967-82.)
Balance Control; centre of mass acceleration based on 3D movement registration and ground reaction forces	day 1	Centre of mass acceleration (in kg.m2/s2) (calculations based on; van Dieen JH, van Leeuwen M, Faber GS. Learning to balance on one leg: motor strategy and sensory weighting. J Neurophysiol. 2015;114(5):2967-82.)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hasselt University; 🇧🇪 Hasselt, Belgium