Balance control is a complex process that is vulnerable to the effects of aging and cognitive decline, as well as various neurological factors such as Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia (LBD), and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These conditions affect different parts of the brain, leading to diverse symptoms and increasing the risk of falls, which coexist with multiple comorbidities including stroke, mild cognitive impairment, vestibular disorders, and long COVID-19. Recent studies have shown that both static and dynamic balance is impaired in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and these impairments worsen under cognitive challenges, such as multitasking. Impaired balance and dizziness are consistently identified as risk factors for falls, negatively impacting quality of life with significant physical, psychosocial, and healthcare-related consequences. Multimodal, multifaceted falls prevention programs targeting the specific needs of high-risk individuals are essential. However, there is a lack of access to falls specialist services around the globe, insufficient integrated clinician education, and a shortage of well-trained clinicians to provide individualized falls assessment and care. This is particularly crucial given the neurological complexities of conditions like Parkinson’s, LBD, and FTD. Additionally, patient adherence to existing exercise programs is poor, with 70% dropping out early. Balance physiotherapy is a key intervention for falls prevention, and it is imperative to develop comprehensive, individualized multifactorial balance rehabilitation programs. Technology-based solutions can help address these issues by increasing accessibility and adherence, providing wider and easier home-based access to high-quality falls services and interventions.

This research topic aims to collect research focused on reducing falls in older adults through comprehensive balance assessments and multifactorial balance rehabilitation. We encourage investigations into the neurocognitive risk factors and explore ways to mitigate these risks, including components such as cognitive training and dual-task training. Additionally, we are interested in how technology-based solutions, such as telerehabilitation and augmented reality, can be utilized to enhance balance rehabilitation and falls prevention.

To gather further insights in the multifactorial balance assessment and rehabilitation field, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Neurocognitive risk factors for falls in older adults
- Development and evaluation of comprehensive balance assessment tools
- Multifactorial balance rehabilitation programs tailored to individual needs
- Cognitive and dual-task training interventions for balance improvement
- Technology-based solutions for enhancing balance rehabilitation
- Telerehabilitation and augmented reality applications in falls prevention
- Strategies to improve patient adherence to balance physiotherapy programs
- Integration of falls prevention services within healthcare systems.

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Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

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