Instrumented Test of Sensory Integration for Balance: A Validation Study.

This was a pilot study of 26 adults with Parkinson's disease, so it is not enough to prove the instrumented test works for all patients. Only 5 participants were fallers, and falls were self-reported over the previous 6 months, so the fall-group difference cannot be treated as prospective fall prediction. All participants had to walk without assistance and were tested in their On medication state, so results may not apply to people who need assistance or are tested off medication. The sample was a convenience sample from a larger exercise study, with mild to moderate postural instability, so it may not represent people with more advanced disease or other causes of balance loss. One outlier affected some correlations, and removing it changed the relationship, which is a common issue in small pilot samples. There was no established cut score for the accelerometer measure, so clinicians do not yet have a simple abnormal threshold from this study. The instrumented test did not agree with the laboratory test in the eyes closed, firm surface condition, so that condition is not validated here. Only anterior-posterior sway range was analyzed, not other sway directions or metrics that may be more sensitive.

The publication record lists Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural. The supplied text does not include a conflict-of-interest declaration.

Do not conclude that the instrumented test predicts future falls or can replace the laboratory system for all patients. This was a pilot validation study in 26 adults with Parkinson's disease, with only 5 fallers and self-reported falls over the previous 6 months, so fall-group differences cannot be treated as prospective fall prediction.