Prevention of Slip-Related Backward Balance Loss: The Effect of Session Intensity and Frequency on Long-Term Retention
Abstract
Bhatt T, Pai Y-C. Prevention of slip-related backward balance loss: the effect of session intensity and frequency on long-term retention.
Objective
To examine the effects of session intensity (number of slip exposures) and frequency on the retention of acquired adaptation for prevention of backward balance loss after repeated-slip training.
Design
A 4-group, randomized, and controlled study.
Setting
Biomechanics research laboratory.
Participants
Healthy young subjects (N=46; 21 men).
Interventions
Twenty-four subjects experienced a high-intensity session of 24 repeated right-side slips; 12 received additional single-slip sessions at a frequency of 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month, whereas the rest got no ancillary training. Another 24 subjects received a low-intensity initial session of a single slip; 12 received the same high-frequency ancillary training, whereas the rest got none. All groups were retested with a single slip 4 months after the first session.
Main Outcome Measures
The incidence of backward balance loss, gait stability, and limb support.
Results
The high-intensity groups, irrespective of ancillary training, displayed similar improvements in all 3 outcome measures. Remarkably, the low-intensity group receiving ancillary training also significantly improved in all measures, with retention comparable to that observed in the other 2 groups. A single-slip exposure without ancillary sessions was insufficient to yield a longer-term effect.
Conclusions
Frequent ancillary sessions may be unnecessary for slip-related fall prevention up to 4 months if the initial session intensity is sufficient. Furthermore, the minimum of a single slip may be as effective if the subject is exposed to frequent ancillary sessions.
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Reprint requests to (Clive) Yi-Chung Pai, PT, PhD, Dept of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1919 West Taylor St, Room 426 (M/C 898), Chicago, IL 60612
Supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant no. 2R01 AG16727).
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.