Balance test and psychological measures - implications for selection of balance test battery

The neurological diseases can negatively influence cognitive and motor development in children. Their self-perception, and their parents' perception can also potentially influence their motor abilities. The paper assesses if the performance of such children in various balance tests depends on their cognitive or psychological functioning or on their parents' attitudes.

Thirty-eight patients with neurological diseases underwent a battery of the balance tests, instrumented gait analysis and several psychological tests. Additionally five types of parental influences towards children were assessed in their mothers.

The main finding is the relationship between the results achieved in the functional balance tests and the self-assessment of the patients' competence overall score and two sub-scores assessing strength and perseverance: higher sense of personal competence helps the patients perform well in the functional balance tests, which require leaning the entire body forward as far as possible, and repeatedly swaying forward at an inclination angle depending on the value of the forward lean. Maternal acceptance influences the results of the functional tests performed on Biodex.

The psychological factors could influence the balance test results, especially the personal competence of the patients, the level of parental acceptance and the way the patients identify her/his action.