Abstract Details

Title A comparison of balance performance of the Sensory Organization Test to the Head Shake Sensory Organization Test in healthy adults

Topic Clinical Examination Tools

Presentation(s) P1 - Poster Session 1 (7:00 AM-3:15 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 004

Background Approximately 50% of the brain’s pathways are related to vision and many of these pathways are susceptible to injury in concussion. Visual-motor disruptions occur in 65% to 90% of concussed patients. These disruptions impair balance and can be measured. The SOT is a computerized postural test that evaluates balance by altering visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular cues. The HS-SOT modifies 2 of the standard SOT conditions by including dynamic head motions that stimulate the semicircular canals within the vestibular system.

Objective To compare equilibrium scores between computerized dynamic posturography tests of the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) to the Head Shake-Sensory Organization Test (HS-SOT) in healthy adults.

Design/Methods

Participants completed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Activities of Balance Confidence Scale, SOT, and HS-SOT in one session.

Results

Twenty-five individuals (17 females, 8 males; mean age, 21.08±4.10 years, range, 18-33 years) completed outcome measures and 3 trials of testing. There was a significant difference in mean values between the SOT and the HS-SOT for both condition 2 (t(16) = 3.034, p =0.008) and 5 (t(16) = 5.706, p < 0.001). Additionally, there was a significant difference in mean values between the SOT and the foam HS-SOT for condition 2 (t(16) = 4.673, p < 0.001) and condition 5 (t(16) = 7.263, p < 0.001). There was not a significant difference in means between the foam and without foam for HS-SOT for condition 2 (t(16) = 1.77, p = 0.095) and condition 5 (t(16) = 1.825, p = 0.087).

Conclusions The HS-SOT may quantify subtle balance deficits and enhance the clinical standard use of the SOT. Unlike the SOT where the head is static, the HS-SOT requires head movements, as if saying no repeatedly at approximately 100°/second as measured by an accelerometer. The HS-SOT may quantify subtle balance deficits and enhance the clinical standard use of the SOT.

Authors/Disclosures
John Heick PRESENTER	John Heick has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Elsevier Publishing.