Investigating Balance Perception and Balance Performance in Neurological Disorders for Targeted Rehabilitation Strategies.
Rebecca Cardini, Alessandro Torchio, Irene Aprile and 3 others
PMID 40433842WHAT IT FOUND
For people with Parkinson disease and stroke, confidence in daily activities linked strongly to dynamic balance tasks like stairs and turning.
For multiple sclerosis, links were weak. Prioritize dynamic gait and sensory challenges for PD and stroke; results for MS are less clear.
Key findings
01In Parkinson disease and stroke, most daily activity confidence items correlated with dynamic balance tasks, suggesting a link between perceived ADL difficulties and specific performance deficits.
02In multiple sclerosis, only two daily activity confidence items correlated with balance tasks, indicating a weak link between perception and performance in this group.
03Dynamic tasks such as stairs and stepping over obstacles were the most associated with daily activities, while static items like standing on one leg were less associated.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample consisted of patients seeking rehabilitation, which may not represent the broader population of people with these conditions. Cognitive function was not assessed, which could affect the accuracy of self-reported confidence scores on the ABC scale. Several participants achieved maximum scores on the balance performance tests (ceiling effects), which may have biased the correlations, particularly in the MS group. The study did not assess reactive balance deficits, which are critical for fall prevention. This is a cross-sectional analysis, so it cannot determine if improving balance performance leads to improved confidence in daily activities.
Declared interests
The funding sources played no role in study design, execution, administration, or dissemination.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a patient's low confidence on the ABC scale always reflects a specific, measurable deficit in the corresponding balance task, especially in multiple sclerosis where the correlation was weak. Also, do not use these correlations to claim that targeting specific balance resources will improve ADL confidence; this study only shows a link, not a treatment effect.