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The Use of Virtual Manipulations to Assess Fall Risk and the Mechanisms of Postural Instability that Occur with Age

Award Number: R03AG067054
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/15/2021
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2024

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The Use of Virtual Manipulations to Assess Fall Risk and the Mechanisms of Postural Instability that Occur with Age - Project Summary The risk of falling increases with age, occurring each year in approximately 28-35% of people over 65 years of age and increasing to 32-42% for people 70 years and over. Finding effective methods capable of detecting a manifestation of impaired balance when there are no apparent signs of instability can thus improve the quality of life of billions of people, reducing their fall risk, helping them prevent injuries, and maintain independence. One of the fundamental limitations is that postural instability is rarely identified before a fall occurs, and only then does a patient receive appropriate attention for improving balance. Such an advancement would help to limit falls by indicating a need for preventative interventions such as rehabilitation or the use of assistive technologies. The long-term goal of this work is twofold. The first is to determine if unique instability predicted by mathematical models of human balance when neuromuscular control changes exist experimentally. The second is to determine if subtle manipulation in virtual reality can be used to detect balance impairment and the mechanisms behind such deficiencies. These goals are tested in two Specific Aims. In Specific Aim 1, we will determine the perception of magnified and delayed postural deviations through virtual reality will lead to a unique oscillatory instability for healthy participants with no previous signs of postural instability. This will provide an understanding of the relationship increased neuromuscular feedback gain and delay have on postural instability, allowing insight into the unique instability encounter through these mechanisms. In Specific Aim 2, we will determine if the perception of attenuated postural deviations through virtual reality will lead to a leaning instability for healthy participants with no previous signs of postural instability. This will provide an understanding of the relationship decrease neuromuscular feedback gain have on postural instability, allowing insight into the unique instability encountered through this mechanism. Investigation of these Specific Aims will allow us to determine if the amount of manipulation to the perception of postural deviation in virtual reality to induce instability correlates with clinical assessment methods. The underlying hypothesis of this Specific Aim is that individuals with a low fall-risk will require the largest amount of manipulation in VR with the opposite being true for individuals with a high fall-risk and will directly correlate with fall-risk as assessed by the Berg Balance Scale and the Timed Up and Go test. This proposed work will lead to an increased fundamental understanding of the mechanisms responsible for postural instability and their relationship to factors such as age, sex, height, weight, fall-risk, fall history, and fear of falling. An additional benefit is the development of an object method for assessing balance and provides critical insights into deficient mechanisms of postural control, a significant advancement towards improved methods of fall prevention. Identifying an individual's proximity to postural instability could lead to personalized training, more efficiently addressing their specific needs. The development of virtual reality strategies to assess and rehabilitate postural instability could help to reduce the substantial economic cost associated with falls.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2022	MIAMI UNIVERSITY	501 E HIGH ST	OXFORD	OH	45056	BUTLER	USA	Aging Research	000	2	2/3/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2022	MIAMI UNIVERSITY	501 E HIGH ST	OXFORD	OH	45056	BUTLER	USA	Aging Research	000	2	3/28/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $72,250 )
2022	2022	MIAMI UNIVERSITY	501 E HIGH ST	OXFORD	OH	45056	BUTLER	USA	Aging Research	000	2	8/16/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$72,250
														Subtotal = $72,250

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $72,250 )
2021	2021	MIAMI UNIVERSITY	501 E HIGH ST	OXFORD	OH	45056	BUTLER	USA	Aging Research	000	1	3/8/2021	NEW	$72,250
														Subtotal = $72,250

Grand Total All Awards = $144,500

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The Use of Virtual Manipulations to Assess Fall Risk and the Mechanisms of Postural Instability that Occur with Age

Award Number: R03AG067054

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/15/2021

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2024

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