NCT06284525

Ankle Assistance and Resistance in Older Adults

• Status: Completed
• Phase: EARLY_Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 9 (actual)
• Sponsor: Northern Arizona University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years – 85 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this research protocol is to improve mobility in older individuals through advances in wearable assistive devices by focusing on two specific aims. The first aim is to study if targeted ankle resistance gait training improves walking performance in older individuals. The second aim is to evaluate the potential of wearable assistance at the ankle, knee, and/or hip joints to increase walking performance in older individuals.

Detailed description

The overarching goal of this study is to improve mobility in older adults through advances in wearable assistance (i.e. powered orthoses). This goal will be accomplished by focusing on two specific research aims. The first aim is to study if targeted ankle resistance gait training improves walking performance in older individuals. The second aim is to evaluate the potential of wearable assistance at the ankle, knee, and/or hip joints to increase walking performance in older individuals. Several powered orthosis conditions will be tested during several modes of walking or running and balance throughout the course of the study. Trials will take place over-ground and/or on a treadmill. Balance trials will take place on a treadmill. Participants will walk for up to 40 minutes. Frequent breaks will be provided between trials and conditions to avoid fatigue; a maximum of 15 minutes of continuous walking will take place between breaks.

Conditions

• Sarcopenia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Ankle resistance and biofeedback	An ankle exoskeleton will provide stance phase resistance and a plantar pressure biofeedback system will encourage late stance push-off.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-02-01
• Primary completion: 2024-02-20
• Completion: 2024-02-20
• First posted: 2024-02-29
• Last updated: 2025-10-01
• Results posted: 2025-10-01

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study