Variable Intense Training for Ataxia and Locomotion (VITAL)

May 27, 2026 updated by: George Hornby, Indiana University

Feasibility and Potential Efficacy of High-intensity Gait Training in Individuals With Cerebellar Damage

The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and potential preliminary efficiency of high-intensity training focused on stepping in variable contexts as compared to conventional training in individuals with cerebellar disease

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and potential preliminary efficiency of high-intensity training focused on stepping in variable contexts as compared to conventional training in individuals with cerebellar disease

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Christopher Henderson
  • Phone Number: 3173292353
  • Email: henderce@iu.edu

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Ages 18-85
  • >6 months following brain injury or diagnosis of cerebellar dysfunction
  • A total score of > 4 on items 5-8 on the SARA for the ipsilateral limb
  • Ability to ambulate 10 m at self-selected gait speeds (SSV) <1.2 m/s with no greater than minimal physical assistance permitted for postural stability only, but with below knee bracing and/or assistive device as needed
  • Weight < 350 pounds
  • Able to follow 1-step command
  • Medical clearance to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Uncontrolled cardiopulmonary or metabolic disease that limits exercise participation, active heterotopic ossification, recurrent history of lower extremity fractures, previous orthopedic or other peripheral or central neurologic injury that may impair locomotor activities
  • Currently participating in other physical therapy
  • >50 units of Botox within the past three months in the lower extremity OR in the lower extremity, but above the knee if the participant wears an ankle-foot-orthosis
  • Individuals deemed not stable between Pre-Baseline Testing and Baseline Testing

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: High-intensity training in variable contexts
High-intensity training focused on stepping tasks in variable contexts (tasks and environments) while targeting higher cardiovascular intensity (>75% maximum predicted heart rates) during up to 40 mins of 1-hr sessions. A total of 20 sessions will be targeted.
Other: High-intensity training in variable contexts
High intensity stepping training: Training sessions will focus on maximizing stepping activities in variable contexts while targeting ≥70% HR reserve (or approximately 80% age-predicted maximum HR) calculated using the Karvonen formula. Target HR will be decreased by 10 beats if the individual is on beta-blockers. Intensity will also be monitored using the Borg RPE scale every 3-5 minutes with goals of ≥15 on a 6-20 scale. The intensity of the walking training will be primarily modulated through the treadmill speed and incline as well as addition of weights to the torso or limbs for the purpose of error augmentation and not to dampen ataxia. Sessions will focus on achieving up to 40 minutes of stepping training within each 60-minute session. Potential tasks include walking in multiple directions, over inclines and obstacles, and/or with weighted vests and leg weights with limited handrail use as tolerated and decided by the therapist and participant.
Other Names:
  • Locomotor training at higher intensities
Active Comparator: Conventional balance training
Conventional balance activities will consist of sitting and standing balance exercises, with selected dynamic stability exercises performed during walking tasks. Heart rates will be monitored with no targeted range. All sessions will be 1-hr long with balance activities for up to 40 minutes per session. A total of 20 sessions will be targeted.
Other: Conventional balance training
Conventional training: Training sessions will focus on improving static and dynamic balance, while calculated using the Karvonen formula. Target HR ranges will be decreased by 10 beats if the individual is on beta-blockers. Intensity will also be monitored using heart rates and RPE every 3-5 minutes with goals of <14 on a 6-20 scale. Sessions will focus on balance training for up to 40 minutes within a 60-minute session. Individuals will perform ~10 minutes (~25% of sessions) on balance activities in the sitting position, ~20 minutes (50% of sessions) of standing positions and ~10 minutes (25% of sessions) of walking training.
Other Names:
  • Static and dynamic stability training

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
6-min walk test
Time Frame: Changes from baseline to post-training following up to 20 sessions over approximately 8 weeks
Participants will walk for 6 minutes with instructions to "cover as much ground as they can".
Changes from baseline to post-training following up to 20 sessions over approximately 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Indiana University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Thomas G Hornby, Indiana University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 15, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 15, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 27, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 27, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 27, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IU31611

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Cerebellar Degeneration

Clinical Trials on High-intensity training in variable contexts

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings