Head exercises may cut falls in Alzheimer's patients
NCT ID NCT03799991
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether vestibular therapy—a set of head-movement exercises done with a physical therapist—can reduce falls in people with Alzheimer's disease who also have inner-ear balance problems. About 100 participants aged 60 and older will receive either the therapy or standard strength exercises for 8 weeks. Researchers will track falls over a year to see if the therapy makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- vestibular physical therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, non-drug way to improve balance and reduce falls in people with Alzheimer's disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is a first-of-its-kind study in Alzheimer's, so it's unclear if the therapy will work for this group. The results may not apply to all patients with Alzheimer's.
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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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2022
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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60 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: * Diagnosis of AD based on the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer Association 2011 criteria that is mild-moderate (CDR=0.5-2). * Age ≥ 60 years. * Vestibular loss defined as bilaterally impaired vestibular responses (semicircular canal or otolith responses). * Able to participate in study procedures including vestibular physiologic testing, balance and gait assessment, neurocognitive testing, and VT or active control. * Able to give informed consent, as further detailed in the Human Subjects section. The investigators anticipate that individuals who are too impaired to provide informed consent would also not be able to effectively participate in VT or active control. * Presence of a caregiver, defined as an individual who spends at least 10 hours per week with the patient. The caregiver must be able to participate in study procedures, specifically the text-messaging system. Both the VT and active control involve 8 weeks of once weekly visits and daily home exercises, and the investigators believe a caregiver would increase the likelihood of successful completion of either therapy. Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of severe AD (CDR≥3). * Diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or diagnosis of non-AD dementia, for example Parkinson's disease dementia, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, vascular dementia, fronto-temporal dementia, and primary progressive aphasia. * Deemed unable to participate in study procedures and VT or active control, (e.g. patients with significant medical comorbidities, excessive agitation, or use of mobility aids such as a cane or walker.) * Use of daily vestibular suppressant medications, specifically anti-histamines and benzodiazepines, as this can alter the response to VT. * Lack of availability to participate in 8 weeks of VT or active control.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
RECRUITINGBaltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States
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