Comparison of usefulness between the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test and the Berg Balance Scale for measuring balance in patients with subacute stroke: a prospective cohort study.
Seigo Inoue, Hideyuki Takagi, Emiko Tan and 4 others
PMID 38239627WHAT IT FOUND
The Mini-BESTest detects balance changes during subacute stroke rehab better than the Berg Balance Scale.
The Berg scores hit a ceiling for 43% of patients at discharge, hiding further improvement. The Mini-BESTest avoided this, making it more useful for tracking progress in higher-functioning patients.
Key findings
01The Berg Balance Scale showed a significant ceiling effect, with 43.1% of patients reaching the maximum score at discharge, whereas only 5.2% did so on the Mini-BESTest.
02The Mini-BESTest demonstrated greater responsiveness to change over time, with a standardized response mean of 0.9 compared to 0.8 for the Berg Balance Scale.
03Both scales had similar acceptable ability to predict gait independence and falls during hospitalization.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
The study had a low uptake rate, including only about 30% of consecutive admissions, which may have excluded patients with more severe strokes. The participants had moderate stroke severity, so the findings may not apply to patients with severe impairment. The study was conducted at a single institution in Japan, limiting generalizability to other healthcare settings.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by grants from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the Mini-BESTest is superior for all stroke patients. The study excluded those with severe impairment, and the Berg Balance Scale remains a valid tool for assessing static balance and fall risk in lower-functioning populations. The choice of test should match the patient's current functional level.