Vestibular Balance-Cognition Dual-Task Digital System: Development of a Smart Rehabilitation Platform for the Elderly and Prediction of Balance Function Risks

July 26, 2026 updated by: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
This study is being done to better understand how vestibular problems and thinking abilities (such as attention and mental flexibility) are related in older adults, and how doing a balance task and a thinking task at the same time affects their performance. Older adults will first complete questionnaires and simple paper-and-pencil tests of attention, memory, and mental rotation while seated. They will then perform standing balance tasks on a portable force platform under different conditions (eyes open, eyes closed, standing on a foam surface) and will repeat some of the thinking tasks at the same time. Next, participants will walk on a treadmill while wearing small motion sensors, both with and without added thinking tasks such as serial subtraction and digit reordering. The total testing time is about 90 minutes. Two groups will be included: healthy older adults and older adults who have had dizziness or falls in the past two years. By comparing these groups, the study aims to provide a basis for designing future dual-task assessment and training programs to reduce balance problems and falls in older adults.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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.

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.
Observational

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.
55

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

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
    • Taipei
      • Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan, 112
        • Recruiting
        • National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology
        • Contact:
          • Po-Yin Chen, Assistant Professor, PhD
          • Phone Number: 67166 +886-2-2826-7000
          • Email: poyin1128@nycu.edu.tw
        • Contact:

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

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Community-dwelling older adults aged 55 years and older without severe neurological, sensory, or musculoskeletal conditions, who can walk at least 30 meters independently or with a walking aid, communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese, and safely participate in weekly moderate-intensity exercise sessions.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Community-dwelling adults aged 55 years or older.
  2. Able to walk at least 30 meters independently or with the use of a walking aid.
  3. Able to understand the study procedures and communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese.
  4. Adequate corrected vision to go out independently.
  5. Able to participate in 45-minute sessions of moderate-intensity exercise once per week.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Severe central or peripheral neurological diseases.
  2. Blindness or deafness.
  3. Inability to communicate verbally or to understand simple instructions.
  4. Current fractures or major joint injuries.

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
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.
Healthy Older Adults
Community-dwelling older adults aged 55 years and older who are able to walk at least 30 meters independently or with a walking aid, can communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese, have adequate corrected vision to go out independently, and can participate in 45-minute sessions of moderate-intensity exercise once per week. Individuals with severe central or peripheral neurological diseases, blindness or deafness, inability to communicate verbally or understand instructions, or current fractures or major joint injuries will be excluded.
Device: Instrumented balance and gait assessment using wearable inertial sensors
Participants undergo a series of static and dynamic balance and gait assessments in a motion analysis laboratory while wearing body-segment inertial measurement units (IMUs). The sensors provide real-time signals for interaction with the evaluation system during single-task and dual-task standing and walking tests.
Other: Questionnaires and paper-based cognitive tests
Participants complete a battery of self-report questionnaires and paper-based cognitive tests after explanation by a physical therapist. Instruments include dizziness and balance scales, the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, and cognitive tests such as the WAIS-III Taiwan Digit Odd-Even Sequencing Test, Taiwan Stroop Word-Color Test, path judgment tasks, and mental rotation tasks. Questionnaires are administered verbally and responses recorded in writing.

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
Gait speed
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Average forward velocity of whole-body progression during walking, calculated as total distance divided by time.
Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Stride length (m)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Linear distance between two consecutive initial contacts of the same foot.
Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Step width (m)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Mediolateral distance between consecutive foot placements, representing base of support during gait.
Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Cadence (steps/min)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Number of steps taken per minute during walking.
Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Step-to-step variability (%)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Variability of consecutive steps, typically quantified as the coefficient of variation of stride time or step length.
Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Trunk angular velocity (degrees/s)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Rate of change in trunk segment orientation over time, derived from rotational kinematics.
Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Trunk angular displacement (degrees)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Magnitude of trunk segment rotation relative to a reference orientation.
Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Center-of-mass displacement (m)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Spatial excursion of the body's center of mass, typically analyzed in anterior-posterior and mediolateral directions during standing.
Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Response time (s or ms)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)
Time elapsed between stimulus onset and initiation of a motor response.
Baseline laboratory assessment (single visit in year 1)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Taiwan version score (0-30points)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Total score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Taiwan version, representing global cognitive function.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Path tracing completion time (s)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Time required to complete the Color Trails Test-1 task.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Stroop test score (count as PR1-99%)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Score of Stroop-type task, indicating inhibitory control and selective attention.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Working memory completion time (s)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Time required to complete the Color Trails Test-2 task.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Mental rotation accuracy (number of correct responses)(0-16)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Number of correct responses in the mental rotation task, reflecting visuospatial processing ability.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Mental rotation completion time (s)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Time required to complete the mental rotation task.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Activities-specific Balance Confidence score (0-100 points)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Total score on the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, reflecting perceived balance confidence during daily activities; higher scores indicate greater confidence.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Dizziness Handicap Inventory score (0-100points)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Total score on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), representing self-perceived handicap due to dizziness; higher scores indicate greater disability.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Anxiety score (0-21 points)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Subscale score of the HADS assessing anxiety symptoms; higher scores indicate greater anxiety.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Depression score (0-21 points)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Subscale score of the HADS assessing depressive symptoms; higher scores indicate greater depression.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Visual Vertigo Analogue Scale score ( 0-90points)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Self-reported severity of visually induced dizziness measured using a visual analogue scale; higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Dynamic Gait Index score (0-24 points)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Total score on the Dynamic Gait Index, based on performance across eight functional gait tasks; lower scores indicate poorer gait performance and increased fall risk.
Baseline laboratory assessment
Tinetti total score (0-28 points)
Time Frame: Baseline laboratory assessment
Combined score of balance and gait subscales in the Tinetti assessment; lower scores indicate higher overall fall risk.
Baseline laboratory assessment

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.
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

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: Po-Yin Chen, PhD, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology

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 (Actual)

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.
February 10, 2025

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.
July 31, 2026

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.
March 11, 2027

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).
July 8, 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.
July 26, 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.
July 29, 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.
July 29, 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.
July 26, 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.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • NYCU114022AF

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data (IPD) will be shared for research purposes. The data set will include key demographic variables, vestibular-related cognitive test scores, instrumented balance and gait parameters from wearable inertial sensors, static balance metrics, and questionnaire/scale scores (e.g., ABC, DHI, VVAS, HADS, DGI, Tinetti, MoCA-TW), with all direct identifiers removed. A detailed data dictionary and description of derived variables will be provided to support secondary analyses.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

IPD will be made available within 12 months after publication of the primary results manuscript and will remain accessible for at least 5 years thereafter.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

De-identified IPD will be shared with qualified researchers from academic or healthcare institutions for non-commercial research on vestibular, balance, gait, cognitive, or related geriatric health topics. Investigators must submit a brief proposal specifying objectives, planned analyses, and ethical approvals. Proposals will be reviewed by the study team, and, if approved, data will be provided via secure transfer following execution of a data use agreement that requires protection of confidentiality, prohibits re-identification, and mandates appropriate citation of the original trial in all publications.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

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.

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