BACKGROUND: The ability to retain or improve seated balance function after spinal cord injury (SCI) may mean the difference between independence and requiring assistance for basic activities of daily living. Compared with assessments of standing and walking balance, seated balance assessments remain relatively underemphasized and under-utilized. OBJECTIVE: To optimize tools for assessing seated balance deficits and recovery in SCI. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study of different methods for assessing seated balance function. SETTING: Veterans Affairs Center of Excellence for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury. PARTICIPANTS: Seven able-bodied volunteers, seven participants with chronic motor-complete thoracic SCI. INTERVENTIONS: A computerized pressure-plate apparatus designed for testing standing balance was adapted into a seated balance assessment system. OUTCOME MEASURES: Seated section of Berg Balance Scale; modified functional reach test; and two posturography tests: limits of stability and clinical test of sensory integration on balance. RESULTS: Seated posturography demonstrated improved correlation with neurological level of lesion compared to that of routinely applied subjective clinical tests. CONCLUSION: Seated posturography represents an appealing outcome measure that may be applied toward the measurement of functional changes in response to various rehabilitation interventions in individuals with paralysis.
BACKGROUND: The ability to retain or improve seated balance function after spinal cord injury (SCI) may mean the difference between independence and requiring assistance for basic activities of daily living. Compared with assessments of standing and walking balance, seated balance assessments remain relatively underemphasized and under-utilized. OBJECTIVE: To optimize tools for assessing seated balance deficits and recovery in SCI. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study of different methods for assessing seated balance function. SETTING: Veterans Affairs Center of Excellence for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury. PARTICIPANTS: Seven able-bodied volunteers, seven participants with chronic motor-complete thoracic SCI. INTERVENTIONS: A computerized pressure-plate apparatus designed for testing standing balance was adapted into a seated balance assessment system. OUTCOME MEASURES: Seated section of Berg Balance Scale; modified functional reach test; and two posturography tests: limits of stability and clinical test of sensory integration on balance. RESULTS: Seated posturography demonstrated improved correlation with neurological level of lesion compared to that of routinely applied subjective clinical tests. CONCLUSION: Seated posturography represents an appealing outcome measure that may be applied toward the measurement of functional changes in response to various rehabilitation interventions in individuals with paralysis.
Authors: John F Ditunno; Hugues Barbeau; Bruce H Dobkin; Robert Elashoff; Susan Harkema; Ralph J Marino; Walter W Hauck; David Apple; D Michele Basso; Andrea Behrman; Daniel Deforge; Lisa Fugate; Michael Saulino; Michael Scott; Joanie Chung Journal: Neurorehabil Neural Repair Date: 2007-05-16 Impact factor: 3.919
Authors: Chung-Ying Tsai; Pierre K Asselin; Eunkyoung Hong; Steven Knezevic; Stephen D Kornfeld; Noam Y Harel; Ann M Spungen Journal: Spinal Cord Ser Cases Date: 2021-03-12
Authors: Behdad Dehbandi; Alexandre Barachant; Anna H Smeragliuolo; John Davis Long; Silverio Joseph Bumanlag; Victor He; Anna Lampe; David Putrino Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-02-14 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Stephanie A Martinez; Nhuquynh D Nguyen; Eric Bailey; Denis Doyle-Green; Henry A Hauser; John P Handrakis; Steven Knezevic; Casey Marett; Jennifer Weinman; Angelica F Romero; Tiffany M Santiago; Ajax H Yang; Lok Yung; Pierre K Asselin; Joseph P Weir; Stephen D Kornfeld; William A Bauman; Ann M Spungen; Noam Y Harel Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-08-09 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Atif S Khan; Donna C Livingstone; Caitlin L Hurd; Jennifer Duchcherer; John E Misiaszek; Monica A Gorassini; Patricia J Manns; Jaynie F Yang Journal: J Neuroeng Rehabil Date: 2019-11-21 Impact factor: 4.262