Test-Retest Reliability of the Postural Vertical in Healthy Participants.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the angle of subjective verticality in healthy young persons.
METHODS: The participants were ten young healthy adults, five men and five women. The subjective postural vertical (SPV) was measured in the frontal plane (with eyes open and eyes closed) and in the sagittal plane (with eyes closed). Participants were retested 1 week after the first test. The test-retest reliability for each parameter was estimated using the intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC(1,1)], and the minimal detectable change (MDC) scores were established with a confidence level of 95%.
RESULTS: The test-retest reliability for the SPV was substantial (ICC ≥0.61). The MDC95 values of the SPVs ranged from 1.1° to 2.1°.
CONCLUSIONS: The test-retest reliability of the postural vertical in the frontal and sagittal planes was sufficiently high in healthy young participants. ©2017 The Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine.