Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Screening People on Standing Balance with Romberg Testing and Walking Balance with Tandem Walking
06:28

Screening People on Standing Balance with Romberg Testing and Walking Balance with Tandem Walking

Published on: September 1, 2023

Comparison and age-level differences among various step tests for evaluating balance ability in the elderly.

Sohee Shin1, Shinichi Demura

  • 1Kanazawa University Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kakuma, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan. sohee@ed.kanazawa-u.ac.jp

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
|June 26, 2009
PubMed
Summary

The forward single step test is a more challenging measure of dynamic balance in older adults compared to other step tests. This test reveals greater age-related differences in balance control.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

De novo transcriptome assembly and gene expression analysis of Cnidium officinale under high-temperature conditions.

BMC genomics·2025
Same author

Postural stability in patients with vestibular migraine and probable vestibular migraine in the absence of acute vestibular symptoms.

American journal of otolaryngology·2024
Same author

Analysis of postural stability using foam posturography in patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness.

Journal of vestibular research : equilibrium & orientation·2023
Same author

What type of exercises should older adults engage in to improve fall efficacy and physical fitness related to falling?

Journal of exercise rehabilitation·2023
Same author

Visualizing the Knowledge Domain in Health Education: A Scientometric Analysis Based on CiteSpace.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2022
Same author

Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Yoga Practice on Physical Fitness in the Elderly.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2021

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Biomechanics
  • Kinesiology

Background:

  • Dynamic balance is crucial for elderly mobility and fall prevention.
  • Assessing dynamic balance in older adults requires reliable and sensitive testing methods.
  • Step tests are commonly used to evaluate dynamic balance, but their comparative difficulty and age-related sensitivity are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the difficulty of various step tests in evaluating dynamic balance in the elderly.
  • To identify age-level differences in dynamic balance using different step tests.
  • To determine the most sensitive step test for detecting age-related changes in dynamic balance.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty-two healthy elderly individuals (mean age 71.4 ± 6.4 years) and twenty young adults participated.

More Related Videos

Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test
08:07

Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test

Published on: November 23, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Screening People on Standing Balance with Romberg Testing and Walking Balance with Tandem Walking
06:28

Screening People on Standing Balance with Romberg Testing and Walking Balance with Tandem Walking

Published on: September 1, 2023

Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test
08:07

Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test

Published on: November 23, 2019

  • Participants performed five different step tests (place step, forward single step, forward double step, forward right single step, stairs step) for 10 seconds.
  • Metronome pacing (120 bpm) was used, and evaluation parameters included foot-ground contact time difference and stride time.

    • Main Results:

    • The forward single step test demonstrated significantly larger values for both foot-ground contact time difference and stride time compared to other tests.
    • Significant age-level differences were observed in the forward single step test for time difference and in both forward single step and stairs step tests for stride time, with elderly individuals exhibiting longer durations.
    • The forward single step test showed greater sensitivity to age-related differences in dynamic balance.

    Conclusions:

    • The forward single step test is a more difficult dynamic balance assessment compared to other tested methods.
    • This test effectively highlights age-related differences in dynamic balance control among older adults.
    • The forward single step test is recommended for evaluating dynamic balance and age-related declines in the elderly population.