Method: Fifty older adults (77.9 ± 6.7 years old) participated in a four-week home exercise, open-label clinical pilot study investigating ability to improve balance using the Balance-T device. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Timed Up and Go (TUG), Clinical Test of the Sensory Interaction on Balance (CTSIB), Balance T Change Score (BTCS), and a user-opinion survey. Statistical analyses comprised Student’s t-tests for pre-post exercise comparisons, Welch’s t-tests to compare healthy versus participants at-risk for falls, and one-way ANOVA to evaluate balance differences across frailty status groups using established frailty-defining criteria.
Results: Participants demonstrated significant improvement in balance confidence (pre: 81.7 ± 17.2, post: 85.4 ±12.7; p < 0.02). Participants at-risk for falls exhibited greater improvement in balance confidence compared to robust participants, with a mean change of 5.28 ± 12.9 (p = 0.05). In addition, each performance variable of balance showed clinically significant and
meaningful changes after completing the Balance T exercise program. Participants reported the Balance T device as easy and safe to use with benefits gained at improving their balance.
Conclusion: The Balance T device is effective for enhancing both balance confidence and
performance among older adults, with potentially greater impact for those experiencing frailty.
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