Posturographic performance and repeatability of the computerized sit-to-stand test: preliminary results

Each year, one in every three adults over the age of 65 falls often with injury. While this public health problem can be substantially reduced with simple interventions such as vestibular rehabilitation, balance assessments are not routinely done in the clinic, and less than half of affected adults talk to their physicians about such concerns. The goal of this study is to investigate distinct posturographic parameters of the computerized Sit-to-Stand (StS) Test to determine between- and within- subject variability of these. The CAPS® Professional system and the BalanceTRAK® software were used to collect ten repetitions of the StS from 25 subjects. The inclusion criteria included a questionnaire investigating the subject’s health status, the presence of known vestibular health concerns or illnesses, and the ability to maintain balance while standing. Significant variation between and within subjects were found for all posturographic parameters considered in this study. However, no fatigue or learning effects were found among the ten repetitions.