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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04050774

Standing Balance Control Across the Lifespan

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Children, Adult

Age range

6 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Hasselt University

Hasselt, 3500, Belgium

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

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

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

Treatment and study plan

Balance boards

Device

The unstable surface will be created with a balance board consisting of a wooden board mounted on a section of a cylinder, creating an unstable support in the sagittal plane or in the frontal plane. The participants will stand on three balance boards, varying the height of the surface of the board above the point of contact (15, 17 and 19 cm respectively). The radius of the cylinder will kept constant at 24 cm. The standing surface will be 48cm x 48 cm

Primary outcomes

  1. Balance Control; centre of mass acceleration based on 3D movement registration and ground reaction forces

    Time frame: 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.)

  2. Contribution of the ankle strategy to centre of mass acceleration based on 3D movement registration and ground reaction forces

    Time frame: 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.)

  3. Contribution of the counter-rotation mechanism to centre of mass acceleration based on 3D movement registration and ground reaction forces

    Time frame: 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.))

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hasselt University

Other

Collaborators

  • VU University of Amsterdam

Registry information

Official study title

Balance Control Mechanisms During Perturbed Standing Across the Lifespan

Acronym: BaCoMech

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Aug 8, 2019
Registry last updated
Aug 3, 2022

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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