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NCT Number: NCT05888441

Obstacle Negotiation in Older People With and Without Vision Impairment

Falls are common among people with vision impairment and can lead to devastating health consequences. Understanding the functions of vision and how the visual characteristics of obstacles in the walking path impact the gait of people with vision impairment is necessary to create strategies to prevent falls in this population. The purpose of this study is to determine how adults with vision impairment change their gait behavior when stepping over obstacles that vary in height and contrast to the ground. We will then determine the mechanisms of gaze behavior that correlate to the gait behavior.

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Key information

Conditions

Low Vision Eye Diseases Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Sensation Disorders Signs and Symptoms Vision Disorders Vision, Low

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Indiana University

Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Kierstyn A Napier-Dovorany, OD

CONTACT

[email protected]

812-855-4426

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 18 or over
  • Able to walk independently
  • Either have normal vision, or impaired vision.
  • Impaired vision is defined as binocular visual acuity of 20/25 or worse with or without a central scotoma; and/or binocular visual field that is restricted to an average of 100 degrees in diameter or less
  • Control subjects will have visual acuity of 20/40 or better.

Exclusion criteria

  • Not cleared by a medical provider for moderate physical activity
  • Self-report or have a history of: vestibular disorder or deafness
  • Medical history of any condition that affects the ability to walk for up to 2 hours with breaks, such as feeling dizzy or faint, chest pain, palpitations, pain or numbness in the legs, shortness of breath,
  • Cognitive limitations either by self-report or a score on the Mini Mental State Exam below 24 (out of 30)
  • Walking or gait abnormalities, such as those caused from an injury, surgery, severe arthritis, or neurological condition such as Parkinson's disease
  • Unable to walk without any walking aids such as a walker, cane, guide dog, or oxygen tank.
  • Does not speak English

Treatment and study plan

Obstacle characteristics

Other

In the walking trials, when an obstacle is present, the obstacle height and obstacle contrast level will be varied across the trial repetitions.

Each participant will be exposed to obstacles of two heights: the first will be 1 centimeter in height, and the second will be approximately 20% of the subject's leg length (ranging in physical height between 15 - 22 centimeters to cover a range of leg lengths in the population).

Obstacles (of both heights) will also be painted such that their measured luminance (or contrast) level against the floor luminance is varied. High contrast obstacles will have ≥80% Michelson contrast and low contrast obstacles will have ≤30% Michelson contrast.

Primary outcomes

  1. Vertical foot clearance, lead limb

    Time frame: During a single intervention visit (Study Visit 2), up to 2-3 hours in duration.

    Distance from lowest point of foot (heel or toe) to top of obstacle

  2. Foot placement variability

    Time frame: During a single intervention visit (Study Visit 2), up to 2-3 hours in duration.

    Standard deviation of position of toe to obstacle over 2-4 steps before the obstacle

  3. Obstacle crossing speed

    Time frame: During a single intervention visit (Study Visit 2), up to 2-3 hours in duration.

    Speed from lead toe off immediately before the obstacle to trail heel down immediately after the obstacle.

  4. Gaze sequencing

    Time frame: During a single intervention visit (Study Visit 2), up to 2-3 hours in duration.

    Sequence of fixations from start of trial to end of trial, normalized to the total duration and divided into 100 equal segments

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Kierstyn A Napier-Dovorany, OD

CONTACT

[email protected]

8128554426

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Indiana University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Impact of Stepping Over Obstacles of Different Contrast and Height on Gait and Eye Movements in Older Adults With and Without Vision Impairment

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2028
First posted
Jun 5, 2023
Registry last updated
Nov 13, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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