Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Sport Sciences, aged, slips, trips, gait adaptation, balance disorders, rehabilitation, accidental falls, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIAL, LONG-TERM RETENTION, DWELLING OLDER-ADULTS, FALL PREVENTION, PARKINSONS-DISEASE, DYNAMIC STABILITY, ADAPTIVE-CONTROL, GAIT STABILITY, SUPPORT LIMB, RECOVERY RESPONSES, 4207 Sports science and exercise

Abstract:

Since the mid-2000s, perturbation-based balance training has been gaining interest as an efficient and effective way to prevent falls in older adults. It has been suggested that this task-specific training approach may present a paradigm shift in fall prevention. In this review, we discuss key concepts and common issues and questions regarding perturbation-based balance training. In doing so, we aim to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the current evidence on the mechanisms, feasibility and efficacy of perturbation-based balance training for researchers and practitioners. We address this in two sections: "Principles and Mechanisms" and "Implementation in Practice." In the first section, definitions, task-specificity, adaptation and retention mechanisms and the dose-response relationship are discussed. In the second section, issues related to safety, anxiety, evidence in clinical populations (e.g., Parkinson's disease, stroke), technology and training devices are discussed. Perturbation-based balance training is a promising approach to fall prevention. However, several fundamental and applied aspects of the approach need to be further investigated before it can be widely implemented in clinical practice.