Stroke survivors try high-tech treadmill training to stop falls
NCT ID NCT04855032
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 29, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tested whether two types of balance training during walking can help people with chronic stroke fall less often. 86 participants who had a stroke at least 6 months ago and had either fallen or feared falling took part. They walked on a treadmill while receiving controlled pushes to their trunk, forcing them to react to stay balanced. The goal was to see if this training reduces real-world falls and improves walking stability.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Perturbation training (controlled balance challenges during walking)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could lead to a simple training method to help stroke survivors fall less and feel more confident walking.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with 86 participants. The training may not reduce falls in real life, and results may not apply to everyone with stroke.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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86 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2021
- Finished
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Nov 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Experience of a stroke at least 6 months prior to participation * Self-reported experience of a fall in the previous year, and/or a fear of falling * Gait speed of at least 0.2 m/s * Ability to walk on a treadmill without a cane or walker * Provision of informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Evidence of cerebellar damage * Resting blood pressure higher than 220/110 mm Hg * History of unstable cardiac arrhythmias, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe aortic stenosis, angina or dyspnea at rest or during activities of daily living * Preexisting neurological disorders or dementia * Legal blindness or severe visual impairment * History of DVT or pulmonary embolism within 6 months * Uncontrolled diabetes with recent weight loss, diabetic coma, or frequent insulin reactions * Orthopedic injuries or conditions (e.g. joint replacements) in the lower extremities with the potential to alter the gait pattern
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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