Treatment of balance with Computerised Dynamic Posturography therapy in chronic hemiplegic patients.
Işıl Doğaner, Zeliha C Algun
PMID 37795518WHAT IT FOUND
Adding computerized balance training to standard therapy did not improve overall balance scores in stroke patients with a history of falls.
Only one specific sensory test score improved. Standard therapy alone produced similar changes, so the computer's added value is unproven.
Key findings
01In patients with a history of falls, adding Computerised Dynamic Posturography to traditional rehabilitation resulted in no statistically significant improvement in the Berg Balance Scale or five of six Sensory Organisation Test conditions.
02The only significant change in the falling group was an improvement in SOT 5 scores, which assesses balance with eyes closed on a moving platform.
03Patients without a history of falls, who received only traditional rehabilitation, showed significant improvements in both the Berg Balance Scale and SOT 6 scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
There was no control group of fallers receiving only traditional therapy, making it impossible to determine if the computerized training added any benefit or if the lack of improvement was due to the severity of the fallers' condition. The study was single-centre with a small sample size (40 patients). The groups were not randomized; they were divided based on fall history, which introduces selection bias. The authors noted that baseline balance scores were similar between fallers and non-fallers, which contradicts typical clinical presentations and previous literature.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding sources were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the significant improvement in SOT 5 for the fallers as evidence that the computerized device works. This was a single secondary outcome among many that showed no change, and the functional balance score (Berg) did not improve. The non-fallers improved on functional measures without the device.