Balance study in asymptomatic subjects: Determination of significant variables and reference patterns to improve clinical application

• Published in: Journal of biomechanics Vol. 65; pp. 161 - 168
• Main Authors: de la Torre, Juan, Marin, Javier, Marin, Jose J., Auria, Jose M., Sanchez-Valverde, Maria B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 08.12.2017; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Autonomy; Balance; Female; Force platform; Forensic engineering; Forensic science; Functional assessment; Gait; Health care; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Male; Neurological disorders; Objective diagnosis; Postural Balance; Posture; Posturography; Quality Improvement; Reference Values; Rhythms; Stability analysis; Vertigo; Young Adult; Functional assessment; Posturography; Objective diagnosis; Force platform
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2017.10.013
• ISSN: 0021-9290; 1873-2380

Postural control is essential when carrying out everyday activities and its possible disorders have a very significant impact on personal autonomy. To provide the means to accurately measure postural control in the clinical environment, this study checks and discusses the suitability of procedures for a new balance assessment system with a stabilometric platform (MoveHuman-Dyna © UZ-IDERGO), which meets the criteria of clinical stabilometric standardisation established by the International Society for Posture and Gait Research (ISPGR) at the Bologna meeting (2009). The study was applied to a sample of 30 healthy volunteers (12 women, 18 men) aged between 18 and 30 years. A total of six balance tests were performed: four variations of the Romberg test, one test for a study of the limits of stability (LoS) and one test for rhythmic weight shift (RWS). Analysis of the results confirms that the variables assessed yielded similar values to other studies, the consistency of values between tests was checked, and preliminary reference values were obtained for asymptomatic subjects. We propose the following variables as the most significant for balance diagnosis: CoP mean speed, RMS, Range of CoP displacement and area. As a result of the study, the system is considered of interest in the medical/legal and forensic settings to assess the balance control and degree of collaboration during the tests.