Balance and plantar cutaneous sensitivity functional assessment in community-dwelling elderly

Impaired balance is one of several factors that increase an elderly's susceptibility to falls. Balance assessment can be performed using postural tests and plantar cutaneous sensitivity tests.

To assess balance disorders and loss of plantar cutaneous sensitivity in the elderly and look for association between these alterations.

A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 45 elderly submitted to the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the plantar sensitivity test with nylon monofilament. We used chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, and ROC curves were created in order to study the sensitivity and specificity of BBS.

Two and 4 individuals showed balance and cutaneous sensation disorders, respectively. There was a significant association between the complaint of impaired balance and loss of skin sensitivity (p = 0.047), and there was a reasonable agreement (Kappa: 0.6457) between the BBS and the sensorial test. A significant association was also found among 6 of the 14 BBS tasks and the sensitivity test.

Most of the elderly living independently in the community showed normal balance and plantar cutaneous sensation. When impaired, these functions appeared associated in a way that if the tests are performed together, the accuracy of the evaluation of the balance increases.