Current Projects
LEARNING FROM FALLING: PERTURBATION-BASED BALANCE TRAINING TO PREVENT FALLS IN OLDER ADULTS
Overview
The purpose of our current project is to investigate the difference between Conventional Balance Training (BT) and Perturbation-based Balance training (PBT). It's a parallel-group randomized controlled trial with 6 months follow-up from baseline to determine the effect of PBT program on stepping behavior and fall incidence in community-dwelling older people. Additionally, in order to better understand the social and emotional factors that influence falls and physical activity a questionnaire, that measures factors (FoF, perceptions of physical activity and mental wellness) that have been associated with fall risk, is administered before and after training as well as during the 6-month follow-up.
This project forms the basis of an improved understanding of the effect of balance recovery training methods on balance recovery performance and other factors associated with fall risk such as FOF, perceptions of physical activity and mental wellness and is vital to effectively reducing falls for all Montanans, particularly those living in rural communities.