Search Results (143)

Background: Teachers routinely encounter children whose behaviour reflects emotional distress and dysregulation, yet they have limited opportunities to practise the relational skills required to respond effectively. These challenges are particularly pronounced in Alternative Provision (AP), which serves children who frequently present with histories of trauma, neurodevelopmental differences, and complex emotional and behavioural needs. Mentalization, the capacity to understand behaviour in terms of underlying mental states, is central to effective relational practice in such contexts. Conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) may offer a scalable means of supporting this form of skills development, but its feasibility as a teacher-training modality remains largely unexplored. Methods: This mixed-methods proof-of-concept feasibility study evaluated MentaClassAI, a novel AI-based training tool in which educators engaged in simulated voice conversations with AI child characters portraying classroom dysregulation and subsequently received individualised, mentalization-informed feedback. Eleven staff members from a single AP school (four teachers and seven teaching assistants) completed a single training session and were allocated to either a psychoeducation video condition (n = 6) or a no-video condition (n = 5). The video condition received a brief introduction to mentalization and epistemic trust prior to engaging with the simulation. Pre- and post-engagement measures included the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8) and a Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale. Post-engagement measures included an 18-item acceptability questionnaire, a Technology Acceptance Model scale, and open-ended questions analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Acceptability was high, with 84.8% of questionnaire responses falling within the positive range (overall M = 5.60/7). Feedback accuracy (M = 6.55) and clarity (M = 6.36) received the highest ratings. Participants reported higher teacher self-efficacy after the session than before (d = 1.20, p = 0.003), with 10 of 11 participants demonstrating improvement. Self-reported hypomentalizing was lower after the session (d = −0.86, p = 0.017). Between-condition differences (video versus no-video) were not statistically significant. The video condition scored numerically higher on the directional indicators. Qualitative analysis identified five themes: the value of consequence-free rehearsal; the specificity and usefulness of feedback; appreciation of the focus on the child’s emotional experience; limitations in the ecological diversity of AI child characters; and a desire for more naturalistic interaction. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility and acceptability of AI-based mentalization practice for AP staff. The principal value of the tool appears to lie not only in the simulation itself but in the quality of the reflective feedback generated. Although based on a small sample, the observed pre–post changes provide an encouraging signal that may justify a controlled trial. The contribution of pre-session psychoeducation to training outcomes remains an important question for future research. Full article

Micro-expression recognition (MER) has a lot of applications in lie detection, education, healthcare, etc., as involuntary micro-expressions (MEs) may provide subtle facial cues associated with affective responses. With the development of deep learning, many studies have recently employed Vision Transformers (ViTs) to investigate MER, since ViTs show promising performance in various visual domains due to their excellent local–global modeling ability. However, such methods confront two fundamental challenges: First, fine-grained visual features are needed to capture the subtle facial movements of MEs, which ViTs relatively fall short on due to coarse patch resolution constrained by their quadratic complexity. Second, the data-intensive nature of ViTs impedes effective learning given the limited scale of ME data. To overcome the aforementioned limitations of using ViTs for MER, we propose the Prior-aware Sparse Transformer (PAST), a novel Transformer-based architecture integrating spatial and semantic prior knowledge synergistically into a sparse attention mechanism, enabling linear-complexity processing of large amounts of fine-grained features. Specifically, we first designed an extraction algorithm to generate a representative set of motion-intensive Principal Anchors, which are used to guide the model’s focus on biologically critical regions during sampling. Second, we introduced the Semantic Dictionary, which was trained with a carefully designed self-contrastive loss to embed task-invariant discriminative semantics of the anchors. Such global semantics further modulate patch sampling and attention weighting in the sparse attention procedure, achieving better training performance with limited ME data. Extensive evaluations on MEGC and CD6ME protocols demonstrate state-of-the-art performance, validating PAST’s efficacy for MER. Full article

This study explores current applications of exergaming in healthcare, with a focus on how the Otago Exercise Program—a structured, evidence-based program designed to improve strength and balance in older adults—integrated into the FallSensing exergames, contributes to improving older adults’ functioning. It also aims to generate evidence to support the optimization of sensor-based technologies for more personalized and adaptable exercise interventions. Community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years) were recruited from facilities in Coimbra, Portugal, and allocated into an exergames group (IG; n = 27) and a control group (CG; n = 34). The CG maintained usual daily activities, while the IG completed an 8-week (16-session) exergame-based program. After completing the program, the CG showed a decline in functional ability, whereas the IG demonstrated significant improvements in the Step Test (p = 0.001), Four-Stage Balance Modified Test (p = 0.001), Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale (p = 0.009), and Activities and Participation Profile Related to Mobility questionnaire (p < 0.001). Exergaming was safe and effective in enhancing functional ability, participation, and self-efficacy in older adults. However, careful consideration of exercise frequency, intensity, and participants’ age is recommended when prescribing exergame-based interventions. These results also highlight another interesting topic among physiotherapists who prescribe and monitor exergames, that technology developers should consider exercise-time monitoring systems that integrate physical (e.g., eye, facial, and mouth features) and physiological signals to enhance fatigue detection accuracy. Full article

Background/Objectives: This meta-analysis primarily aimed to evaluate the effects of the Otago Exercise Program (OEP) on physical function performance related to the risk of falls in the elderly. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for studies on OEP interventions related to falls in older adults. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials that reported at least one physical function outcome related to fall risk, including the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), 30-Second Sit-to-Stand Test (30s-SST), Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), or 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). Subsequently, a risk of bias assessment, as well as data extraction and synthesis, was performed. Results: Data were synthesized from a total of 13 studies, involving 1278 participants from OEP (n = 660) and control (n = 618) trials. The results suggested that OEP was associated with improvements in TUG (WMD = −1.47; 95%CI: −2.44, −0.51), BBS score (WMD = 4.43; 95%CI: 2.50, 6.36), SPPB scores (WMD = 0.76; 95%CI: 0.43, 1.09), 30s-SST (WMD = 2.68; 95%CI: 0.86, 4.49), FES-I score (WMD = −1.74; 95%CI: −3.15, −0.33). However, no significant effect was observed for the 6MWT. Subgroup analysis suggested that group-based OEP appeared to provide greater improvements in TUG, BBS scores, and 30s-SST, whereas home-based OEP did not show significant effects. In addition, interventions lasting ≥4 months were associated with greater improvements for TUG, BBS scores, and the 30s-SST. Older adults aged ≥75 showed significant improvements in TUG and 30s-SST. However, substantial heterogeneity was observed across several outcomes, and evidence for SPPB, FES-I, and 6MWT was based on a limited number of studies. Conclusions: OEP may improve physical function performance related to fall risk in older adults, such as the TUG, BBS, SPPB, 30s-SST, and FES-I, while no significant effect was observed for the 6MWT. Importantly, the findings support improvements in physical function performance rather than a direct reduction in actual fall incidence. These findings should be interpreted cautiously due to substantial heterogeneity and the limited number of trials for some outcomes. A group-based OEP lasting at least 4 months may provide greater benefits for improving physical function related to fall risk, particularly among adults aged ≥75 years. Full article

The performance of 94 elderly subjects (73 women) (71.72 ± 5.64) in an eye–hand and eye–foot coordination test (TST) was correlated with fear of falling, based on the results obtained on the International Fall Efficacy Scale (FES-I), translated into Portuguese. The results revealed that, for the whole sample, there was a weak inverse association between the two (ρ = −0.54, p < 0.05). However, when analyzing the results by gender, this inverse association only remained significant for females (ρ = −0.305, p < 0.01), with no statistical significance for males. Thus, higher levels of fear of falling in the elderly female population were associated with lower levels of eye–segmental coordination. Additionally, men achieved significantly better results in TST than women (9.38 ± 4.70 vs. 4.67 ± 3.13, p < 0.001). Regarding fear of falling, women had significantly higher scores (23.51 ± 7.17 vs. 21.38 ± 7.59, p < 0.05). At the same time, elderly men had higher values of eye–segmental coordination, which may have reduced their fear of falling. Results highlight the importance of the maintenance of a healthy and active lifestyle through the lifespan and place TST as a potential proxy for detecting fear of falling in elderly populations, especially in women. Future studies would benefit from employing balanced, representative samples to validate and extend these results, particularly regarding possible sex-related patterns, as the study relied on a convenience sample that was markedly unbalanced in terms of sex. Full article

Background: Early identification of balance impairments is critical for detecting the fall risk in older adults. Force plates are the standard for measuring postural sway, but are restricted in practice because they are cumbersome and expensive. The Balance Mat is a portable device that requires comprehensive validation against force plates and clinical benchmarks in older adult populations. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical validity and clinical discriminative ability of the Balance Mat against a laboratory-grade force plate, clinical tests, and the fall history in an older adult cohort. Methods: Fifty-six community-dwelling older adults performed static balance assessments across six stance conditions. Postural sway data were recorded simultaneously using the Balance Mat and a force plate. The technical validity was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation and intraclass correlation coefficients. Linear regression models were applied to calibrate the Balance Mat outputs against the force plate. The diagnostic accuracy for classifying the fall risk against the timed up and go test, the Falls Efficacy Scale-International, and the retrospective fall history was evaluated using an area-under-the-curve analysis. Results: The Balance Mat demonstrated strong associations with force plate measurements, particularly for the sway path/velocity, variance and Area95 ($r>0.80$). Following calibration, the absolute agreement for the sway path/velocity reached excellent levels ($ICC=0.93$) and good levels for Area95 and RMS ($ICC>0.75$), whereas the mean sway demonstrated a poor agreement and was excluded. For fall-risk classification, the calibrated Balance Mat achieved a fair accuracy for the retrospective fall history and a high Falls Efficacy Scale-International concern (area under the curve, 0.76–0.78), and a fair accuracy for the timed up and go thresholds (area under the curve, 0.70). Conclusions: The calibrated Balance Mat provided valid measurements of postural sway that aligned with the force plate parameters, particularly for the sway path/velocity and Area95. The within-stance agreement for the sway path/velocity ranged from ICC = 0.44 to 0.88, and the pooled value should not be interpreted as the uniform performance across all stance conditions. Given its fair diagnostic accuracy, the device is best utilised as a portable screening tool in combination with standard clinical assessments and the fall history rather than as a standalone diagnostic test. Full article

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) accelerates biological aging and amplifies the risk of adverse geriatric outcomes. Albuminuria reflects systemic endothelial dysfunction beyond renal damage, yet its specific relationship with falls, fear of falling, and frailty in predialysis CKD patients remains underexplored. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the association between albuminuria levels (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, ACR) with falls, fear of falling (Falls Efficacy Scale, FES), and frailty (FRAIL scale and Clinical Frailty Scale, CFS) in older adults with CKD. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 295 patients aged ≥60 years attending nephrology and geriatrics clinics at Kayseri City Hospital, Turkey (April–June 2025). ACR was categorized per KDIGO (A1: <30, A2: 30–300, A3: ≥300 mg/g). Inflammatory indices (NLR, SII, CAR) were calculated. Hierarchical multivariable logistic regression and ROC analyses were performed. Results: Fall prevalence showed a clear dose-response across ACR categories: 31.2% (A1), 72.0% (A2), and 93.2% (A3) (p < 0.001). In the fully adjusted model, each unit increase in log-ACR was associated with a 3.84-fold increase in fall odds (OR 3.84, 95% CI 2.74–6.65). Although bivariate ACR-frailty associations were non-significant, fully adjusted models uncovered independent associations across both instruments and thresholds: FRAIL ≥ 3 (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.05–2.03), FRAIL ≥ 2 (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.08–2.21), CFS ≥ 5 (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.38–2.83), and CFS ≥ 4 (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.02–1.93). ACR showed good discriminative ability for falls (AUC 0.773, optimal cut-off 21.70 mg/g) but poor discrimination for frailty (AUC 0.50–0.54). The ACR–fall association was stronger in patients with GFR < 60 (OR 4.48) than GFR ≥ 60 (OR 2.18). Conclusions: Albuminuria is a strong, independent, and graded predictor of falls in older CKD patients, with a nearly 4-fold increase in risk per log-unit ACR increase after full adjustment. ACR measurement, already routine in CKD monitoring, could help identify older patients at increased fall risk and guide targeted geriatric assessment. However, ACR showed poor standalone discriminative ability for frailty across all definitions (AUC 0.50–0.54), establishing that it cannot serve as a frailty screening tool in isolation. Full article

Introduction: Population aging is a growing and challenging phenomenon, primarily due to its association with functional decline and sarcopenia, which increase the risk of falls. These events have significant impacts on public health and the quality of life of older adults. Regular physical activity has shown benefits in reducing falls and their consequences, with systemic vibratory therapy (SVT) emerging as a promising strategy to mitigate these adverse outcomes. However, evidence on the actual effectiveness of this therapeutic approach remains limited, as does clarity regarding optimal body position, protocol parameters, and equipment when combined with physical activity programs. Objectives: To compare the effect of systemic vibratory therapy (SVT) associated with a physical activity program on the perception of fear of falling in older adults (M01.060.116.100). As secondary outcomes, the study will assess functional physical conditioning, electromyographic activity, muscular synergy, and center of pressure oscillation in this population. Methods: A randomized controlled clinical trial with blinded outcome assessors and blinded statistical analysis will be conducted with 192 older adults participating in the UNATI/UNISUAM program. Participants will be allocated into three groups: (A) usual physical activity; (B) usual physical activity + SVT in a semi-squat position; and (C) usual physical activity + SVT in a seated position. Assessments will include sociodemographic data, concern about falling assessed using the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), physical performance (2 min stationary march test), surface electromyography of the tibialis anterior and medial gastrocnemius muscles, along with posturography using a force platform. Results: This study will provide information on outcomes related to fall risk, balance, physical fitness, and neuromuscular variables in older adults undergoing two distinct SVT protocols. Clinical Trials Registration: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials RBR-68pry5j. Registered on 8 December 2025. Full article

Aging is a progressive and heterogeneous biological process influenced by multiple factors that may compromise physical and cognitive capacities and increase the risk of frailty, functional decline, and falls in older adults. Falls represent a major public health concern due to their impact on independence and long-term care demand. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) delivered through active video games (exergames) has emerged as a preventive strategy that integrates sensory, motor, and cognitive stimulation within controlled and engaging environments, particularly where traditional programs face challenges related to adherence and individual adaptation. This study aims to determine the feasibility and implementation of an IVR-based program for falls prevention in older adults at risk of frailty in primary health care (PHC). A quasi-experimental pre–post design will be conducted with an intervention group (IVR/exergames) and a conventional control group, including a total sample of 40 participants (20 per group). The protocol comprises three phases: baseline assessment and IVR familiarization; a 12-week intervention delivered twice weekly; and post-intervention assessment. The primary outcome will be fall risk assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Secondary outcomes include physical performance (Short Physical Performance Battery, SPPB, and handgrip dynamometry) and psychological aspects related to falls (Falls Efficacy Scale International, FES-I, and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, ABC). Feasibility indicators will include recruitment, adherence, retention, and cybersickness. A reduction in TUG time is expected, providing preliminary evidence on the feasibility of integrating IVR-based programs for falls prevention within PHC systems. Full article

Background: Fear of falling is common in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), particularly in those with balance and mobility impairment. The Falls Efficacy Scale—International (FES-I) is widely used to quantify concern about falling but requires local validation. We aimed to validate the Romanian version of the FES-I in older adults with T2DM. Methods: In this validation study, 124 consecutive outpatients with T2DM aged > 60 years completed the Romanian FES-I at baseline (v1) and at one-month follow-up (v2). Internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha and item–total correlations. Test–retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Bland–Altman agreement. Construct validity was examined by correlations with the Fear-of-Falling Questionnaire—Revised (FFQ-R), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and single-leg stance (SLS). Discriminative performance was assessed via ROC analyses. Results: Mean FES-I scores were 30.8 ± 11.4 (v1) and 31.1 ± 11.6 (v2). Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.945–0.947) and test–retest reliability (ICC 0.972; 95% CI 0.956–0.983) were excellent, with minimal bias. FES-I correlated strongly with FFQ-R (rho = 0.787) and moderately with function (BBS rho = −0.631; TUG rho = 0.547; SLS rho = −0.498; all p < 0.001). Discrimination was good for BBS (AUROC = 0.779) and TUG (AUROC = 0.800). Conclusions: The Romanian FES-I demonstrates excellent reliability and good validity in older adults with T2DM, with low measurement error and clinically interpretable change thresholds. It can be used for fear-of-falling quantification in routine care and research, including longitudinal monitoring and evaluation of interventions in Romanian patients with diabetes. Full article

Fear of falling (FoF) is common in older adults and can reduce physical activity, mobility, and independence. As assistive technologies become more common, understanding how attitudes towards technology influence FoF is important. This study examined indoor FoF and its association with technology acceptance among 500 community-dwelling Austrian adults aged 65–85 via a cross-sectional web survey. Indoor FoF was assessed using the Falls Efficacy Scale–International (FES-I) indoor items. Technology acceptance was measured using the TechPH questionnaire, which captured TechEnthusiasm and TechAnxiety. Logistic regression models were used to analyse associations with FoF, dichotomised at the median. The mean age was 74 years, and 55% of participants were female. Overall, indoor FoF was low. Adjusted models indicated that older age (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.04–1.12) and female sex (OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.01–2.38) were linked to higher FoF. Greater TechEnthusiasm was associated with lower FoF (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.50–0.85), while higher TechAnxiety (i.e., less confidence with technology) was linked to higher FoF (OR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.40–2.27). The TechEnthusiasm-FoF association was stronger among women. Promoting enthusiasm for technology may reduce FoF, but potential acceptance barriers must be addressed, especially among higher-risk individuals. Full article

Accurate measurement of robotic pose is indispensable for large-scale precision manufacturing and robotic calibration, particularly because traditional robotic kinematic models often fall short owing to environmental disturbances and structural uncertainties. Laser tracker systems offer high-precision, large-volume measurement capabilities and are therefore appealing as external references for robot pose estimation; however, their practical efficacy is heavily reliant on optical tracking stability, sensor noise levels, and system robustness. This paper introduces a laser tracker-based framework for measuring robot pose, which integrates PSD-based optical spot sensing, multi-sensor fusion, and simulation-based system analysis. A prototype PSD sensing subsystem has been developed utilizing analog signal conditioning, high-speed A/D sampling, and FPGA-based centroid computation. Bench experiments validate the linearity, geometric sensitivity, and robustness of the PSD sensing chain under controlled spot translations and various ambient illumination conditions. Results demonstrate that the PSD response is nearly linear within a ±0.9 mm spot displacement and that the implementation of an interference optical filter significantly enhances measurement repeatability under background light. At the system level, a comprehensive simulation framework is established wherein PSD measurements are fused with inertial and encoder data via an extended Kalman filter. The simulations explore the effects of process noise tuning, time synchronization, systematic error sources, and control strategies on pose estimation accuracy. Ranging-related effects and error-compensation mechanisms are analyzed within the context of modeling and simulation, providing insights into the interferometric ranging principle underlying the complete laser tracker system. The validation of the prototype alongside simulation results demonstrates that PSD-based optical tracking, combined with multi-sensor fusion and layered error compensation, can effectively improve robustness and positional accuracy. The proposed framework offers valuable guidance for the development and phased validation of laser tracker-oriented robot pose measurement systems in complex industrial environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Fear of falling is highly prevalent after stroke and may interact with mobility limitations, neurological deficits, and reduced quality of life. However, few studies have examined these dimensions together during inpatient rehabilitation. This study aimed to assess fear of falling, balance and gait performance, and HRQoL in adults undergoing post-stroke inpatient rehabilitation, and to examine the interrelationships among psychological, functional, and clinical measures to support multidimensional assessment strategies. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 39 patients (51.28% women, 71.79% after ischemic stroke) undergoing post-stroke inpatient rehabilitation. The main assessments included the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), the Tinetti Test (TT), and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Results: High fear of falling was reported by 61.5% of participants, while a substantial proportion (35.9%) demonstrated moderate-to-high fall risk on the TT, despite the majority being classified as low risk. SF-36 domain scores indicated moderate HRQoL with substantial interindividual variability across dimensions. Strong correlations were found between SF-36 and FES-I (rs = 0.76, p < 0.001), TT (rs = −0.78, p < 0.001), Barthel Index (rs = −0.71, p < 0.001), and NIHSS (rs = 0.65, p < 0.001). Patients with greater neurological impairment and lower independence demonstrated worse HRQoL and higher fear of falling. Also, a statistically significant (p < 0.001) strong negative correlation (rs = −0.89) was found between the TT and the FES-I scores, indicating that higher fear of falling was associated with poorer mobility. Conclusions: Fear of falling, impaired balance, and reduced HRQoL are highly prevalent and strongly interconnected among post-stroke inpatients. These findings highlight the need for early multidimensional assessment and integrated interventions targeting both physical performance and psychological factors. Larger longitudinal studies are required to clarify causal pathways and optimize rehabilitation strategies. Full article

Background: Older adults, including those with Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD), face barriers in maintaining regular physical activity, which increases their fall risk and reduces their quality of life. The Activity Tracking, Care Partner Co-Participation, Text Reminders, Instructional Education, Video-Guided Physical Rehabilitation, and Exercise trial aims to improve physical activity among older adults. This pilot study aims to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the ACTIVE intervention. Methods: ACTIVE is a multi-method, two-arm randomized, analyst-blinded crossover pilot trial with an embedded qualitative component. We will recruit 50 community-dwelling dyads (older adult–care partner, n = 100), with and without mild AD/ADRD, in a 1:1 ratio. Each dyad will be randomized to the intervention or control arm, stratified by AD/ADRD diagnosis. The intervention arm will receive activity tracking, motivational texts, walking exercises, educational videos, and video-guided physical rehabilitation sessions, while the control arm will receive only activity tracking. The intervention will run in two halves: a three-week intervention/control, a one-week crossover phase, and a three-week control/intervention phase. The quantitative outcome measures will include feasibility measures (recruitment, adoption, adherence, acceptability, fidelity, and retention), and measures of preliminary efficacy (activity metrics, fall risk and fear of falling, functional limitations, and quality of life). Qualitatively, we will assess participants’ experiences, and facilitators and barriers to engagement in physical activity through semi-structured dyadic interviews and thematic analysis. Conclusions: This pilot study will generate data on the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the ACTIVE trial. Findings will inform a full-scale implementation trial. Full article

Purpose: This study aimed to quantify the severity of fear of falling (FOF) in people with low vision (LV) compared with age–gender-matched healthy individuals during gait initiation (GI). Methods: A total of 14 adults with LV and 14 age–gender-matched healthy adults were recruited from local communities. The Falls Efficacy Scale International was used to evaluate FOF. We compared temporal events between healthy and LV groups. For the healthy group, GI under normal vision was further compared to conditions using a low-vision sight simulator (SS) and an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment designed to simulate a fear-evoking experience. Independent t-test and one-way repeated measure ANOVA were conducted for statistical analysis (p < 0.05). Results: People with LV showed a significantly greater FOF than healthy individuals (p < 0.05). During GI, participants with LV exhibited significantly prolonged anticipatory postural adjustment (APA) durations compared to healthy normal and SS conditions (p < 0.05). While VR-evoked fear in healthy participants primarily prolonged the push-off (PO) phase, the delay in the LV group was characterized by a significantly extended initial anticipation (AP) phase. Notably, the APA duration in the LV group showed no significant difference compared to the healthy VR condition, indicating that the inherent fear in LV produces postural delays as severe as those induced by extreme VR-evoked fear of heights (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that individuals with LV adopt a chronically conservative motor program during the transition from standing to walking. These postural hesitations are statistically comparable to those observed under fear-evoking, VR-induced environments. These findings suggest that LV is associated with a distinct biomechanical strategy that prioritizes static stability over dynamic movement. Accordingly, multidisciplinary rehabilitation approaches that emphasize sensory reweighting, including vestibular training, alongside interventions targeting FOF, may be essential for mitigating altered postural control and reducing fall risk in the LV population. Full article