Date of Award

2002

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Beverly Johnson

Keywords

Postural Balance; Reproducibility of Results

Abstract

Balance is critical for optimal function in completion of everyday tasks. Physical therapists frequently work with people that have balance disturbances in order to help return them to optimal function. One tool used in the assessment and treatment of balance disorders is the NeuroCom® Balance Master 7.06 (NBM), a computerized forceplate system that provides objective measurements of balance performance. In order to obtain accurate measurements on the NBM, it is necessary that the tester have adequate training. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of training necessary for a therapist to obtain reliable results using the NBM. The study consisted of 11 healthy adult subjects who participated in six testing sessions each. Data was collected and compared between test sessions to determine if results were reliable over time. Results showed that clinical reliability (ICC> 0.90) was not reached or maintained for all components of the Limits of Stability Test following familiarization and a moderate level of tester training. However, data obtained for each component either met or exceeded the level of intra-rater reliability found by the manufacturer. Because clinical reliability was not reached by the conclusion of the study, researchers were not able to determine the amount of training necessary to become clinically reliable with the NBM.

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