Scientists working to help astronauts regain balance after extended flights in zero gravity say they’ve found a way to use the research to help elderly people avoid catastrophic falls. An “iShoe” insole contains sensors that read how well a person is balancing. The point is to gather information for doctors and to get people who have balance problems to a specialist — before they fall. Erez Lieberman, a graduate student who developed the technology while working as an intern at NASA, said a damaging fall is preceded by numerous warnings, similar to how high-cholesterol and elevated blood pressure foreshadow a heart attack. “If you know the problem is there, you can start addressing [it],” he noted. The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates 300,000 people annually suffer hip fractures, which are often caused by falls. Nearly a quarter of hip fracture patients age 50 and over die within a year of the fracture, and many others end up being disabled the rest of their lives. “It’s a huge issue,” said Elinor Ginzler of the AARP. “It significantly impairs your ability to stay independent.” The idea for the iShoe came to Lieberman while he was working at NASA last summer on a project to help astronauts regain balance after months in zero gravity. It got him thinking about what seemed obvious earthly applications for the elderly. He and Katharine Forth, a visiting scientist at NASA who also works on the iShoe, had been touched personally by the issue of elderly falls, with each seeing a grandmother’s health rapidly deteriorate after such an accident. “It was something that has kind of been on my mind in general, and once I started looking at balance it became very clear it would have applications in that direction,” Lieberman said. The researchers began by determining how pressure is distributed on the foot by people with balance problems, compared with those having good balance. They then identified certain pressure patterns that show up when people struggle with balance, which the iShoe’s half-dozen sensors detect. Users can then bring its recorded data to a doctor or balance specialist for help. The iShoe insole can be slipped inside any shoe and would cost about $100, Lieberman reports. His company has applied for a patent and is seeking federal funding. Go to: The Washington Times

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