# "Intermittent Visual Perturbations to Enhance Balance Training"

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2024 · $572,267

## Abstract

Abstract
Fall-related injuries affect the quality of life, healthcare costs, and longevity of millions of individuals with limb
loss, post-stroke hemiparesis, incomplete spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and aging-related sensorimotor
and physical decline. Current research indicates that there are multiple fall prevention interventions that can
reduce the incidence of falls among these populations. They include muscle strengthening, aerobic exercise,
virtual reality games, Tai Chi, yoga, and perturbation training among others. None of these interventions by
themselves are a single solution as the cause of poor balance and falls is a multifactorial problem. Recent
research indicates that intermittent visual occlusions (i.e. restricting vision for brief periods of time) can greatly
improve balance training efficacy. Inclusion of intermittent visual occlusions in a balance training task can
improve outcomes by four-fold and lead to longer lasting balance improvement. The goals of this project are to:
a) test if the effects of intermittent visual occlusions are similar for older and younger subjects, b) determine the
neural mechanisms responsible for enhanced balance training from intermittent visual occlusions using mobile
brain imaging with high-density EEG, and c) determine if the efficacy of balance training is dependent on timing
parameters of intermittent visual occlusions. We will study young and older healthy subjects performing a
dynamic balance training task (i.e. beam walking) to test whether intermittent visual occlusions result in
sensory reweighting of visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular feedback to the posterior parietal cortex. We will
also examine the efficacy of different visual perturbation parameters (timing of occlusion, timing of unrestricted
vision before occlusion, and using dimming of light instead of total occlusion). The results will provide
information on the neural mechanisms involved in enhanced balance training and point towards which patient
populations will most benefit from intermittent visual occlusions added to their balance training. Findings will
also determine the best way to deliver visual perturbations to maximize the success of a future multi-task
balance training clinical trial.
.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10888792
- **Project number:** 2R01NS104772-06A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel P Ferris
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $572,267
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2029-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10888792

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10888792, "Intermittent Visual Perturbations to Enhance Balance Training" (2R01NS104772-06A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10888792. Licensed CC0.

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