Correlation between accelerometry and clinical balance testing in stroke

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and acceleration of postural sway in the Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB) by using a triaxial accelerometer for quantitative assessment. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-seven stroke patients participated in this study. Balance ability was evaluated with the BBS, and postural sway was evaluated with a triaxial accelerometer. The data were then analyzed for frequency and correlation by using statistical software (SPSS 18.0). [Result] Acceleration in left-right and forward-backward directions in all conditions of the CTSIB assessment showed a significant correlation with BBS assessment. Acceleration in Signal Vector Magnitude values in condition 3 of the CTSIB assessment showed a significant correlation with BBS assessment. [Conclusion] This study revealed that postural sway represented balance ability as acceleration in the quantitative measurement of kinematic analysis. This finding suggests that the triaxial accelerometer could be used as a measurement tool in clinical conditions.