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Updated: Mar 6, 2026
An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses
Published on: April 6, 2019
Validity of the Instrumented Push and Release Test to Quantify Postural Responses in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis
Mahmoud El-Gohary1, Daniel Peterson2, Geetanjali Gera3
1APDM, Inc., Portland, OR.
Objective:
To test the validity of wearable inertial sensors to provide objective measures of postural stepping responses to the push and release clinical test in people with multiple sclerosis.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
University medical center balance disorder laboratory.
Participants:
Total sample N=73; persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) n=52; healthy controls n=21.
Main Outcome Measures:
Stepping latency, time and number of steps required to reach stability, and initial step length were calculated using 3 inertial measurement units placed on participants' lumbar spine and feet.
Results:
Correlations between inertial sensor measures and measures obtained from the laboratory-based systems were moderate to strong and statistically significant for all variables: time to release (r=.992), latency (r=.655), time to stability (r=.847), time of first heel strike (r=.665), number of steps (r=.825), and first step length (r=.592). Compared with healthy controls, PwMS demonstrated a longer time to stability and required a larger number of steps to reach stability.
Conclusions:
The instrumented push and release test is a valid measure of postural responses in PwMS and could be used as a clinical outcome measures for patient care decisions or for clinical trials aimed at improving postural control in PwMS.
