Our research

Lead: Melanie Farlie

Co-investigators: Terry Haines

This project aims to track the impact of the Balance Intensity Scale on clinical practice, research, and healthcare utilisation.

Lead: Melanie Farlie

Co-investigators: Sarah Milne, Terry Haines, Trinh Vo, Kelly de Santis

This project aimed to explore how therapists and participants could effectively rate the intensity of balance exercises during group and home exercise sessions.

We partnered with Monash Community therapists, who were trained to use the BIS during their existing 12-week balance exercise program. Throughout the program, we provided coaching to discuss therapists' experiences and provided ongoing guidance when using this new intensity measure in clinical practice.

During the program, we also explored exercisers' engagement with the Balance Intensity Scale.

Co-leadership: Melanie Farlie and Marissa Lyon

Co-investigators: Deborah Epsy, Sophie Paynter

The goal of this project is to explore the decision-making process used by therapists when prescribing balance exercises to adults. The other goals are to determine if decision making is different in any way when therapists are exposed to a new tool for measuring balance intensity. This project is in partnership with the University of New England, USA.

To meet these goals, this survey will ask participating health professionals to share personal experiences working with patients with balance deficits. This survey can be completed four times: the initial survey and then six weeks, three months, and six months after the initial survey. To see if clinical reasoning changes over time. All survey participants can opt into an interview.

Lead: Melanie Farlie

Co-investigators: Dawson Kidgell, Terry Haines, Sze-Ee Soh, Ash Frazer, Michael Leung

Balance control is dependent upon both central and peripheral nervous system factors. When the functioning of these contributing factors begins to decline, such as during healthy aging, the nervous system must change the way balance is controlled. Ageing is associated with a progressive shift to a greater reliance on supraspinal neural pathways (descending drive). This descending drive is associated with a decreased contribution of sensory input to control leg muscle activity during standing. These changes may reflect an age-associated shift from automatic (lower level) balance control to attentional (higher level) balance control.

This project explores neurophysiological markers of balance exercise intensity. An improved understanding of these neurophysiological markers is critical to the conceptualisation of the most appropriate balance training programs for older adults. This information is an important contribution that expands our understanding of the basic balance control and adaptation mechanisms in older adults.

Co-leadership: Melanie Farlie, Marissa Lyon, Gregory Brusola

Co-investigators: Amanda Benner, Ryan Pontiff

This study seeks to improve the understanding of balance exercise prescriptions in clinical practice by observing and describing physiotherapy practices in Australia and the USA.

Exercise guidelines based on the FITT principles have been developed. But these guidelines offer limited guidance on intensity when prescribing exercise for balance training.

Lead: Caitlin McArthur.

Co-investigators: Niousha Alizadehsaravi, Rebecca Affoo, Karen Cooke, Natalie Douglas, Marie Earl, Melanie Farlie, Trudy Flynn, Susan W Hunter, Laura E Middleton, Elaine Moody, Cheryl Smith, Linda Verlinden, Lori E Weeks.

The Dementia Moves study is working with aged care providers and partners to investigate the feasibility of delivering high-intensity strength and balance training to people with moderate to severe cognitive impairment. In this study, the therapist and exerciser versions will be used by PTs, PTAs, and volunteer carers and exercisers to explore the utility of the Balance Intensity Scale in this application.

Lead: Kathryn Sibley.

Co-investigator: Danielle Bouchard, Melanie Farlie.

This project aimed to investigate the potential of Canadian volunteer exercise leaders in accurately and reliably rating balance challenge among older adult exercisers using the Balance Intensity Scale.

PhD candidate: Shivam Sharma
Primary supervisor: Yoshiro Okubo

Associate supervisors: Stephen Lord, Melanie Farlie, Daniel Treacy

Shivam's PhD involves developing a Low-cost, Ecological, and Accessible Perturbation (LEAP) training regimen designed to improve reactive balance and reduce falls in older adults. Shivam also aims to integrate the Balance Intensity Scale (BIS) into reactive balance training to deliver tailored, individualized care and enhance training efficiency

Learning Independent Floor Transfers (LIFT): A pilot feasibility study of a floor transfer training program embedded within a home-based community rehabilitation program for adults at risk of falls.

Lead: Katrina Kenah

Co-investigators: Elissa Burton, Abby Foster, Sarah Milne and Melanie Farlie

Short description of project focus: This project is focusing on regaining the skill of getting up of the floor as part of a tailored rehabilitation program. The project aims to collaboratively design a floor transfer intervention that is acceptable and implementable within a short-term, home-based community rehabilitation program.

Link to this: https://monashhealth.org/news/empowering-community-patients-to-recover-from-falls-2/