Abstract
BackgroundPrevious research on balance mostly focused on the assessment, training, and improvements of balance through interventions. We investigated tools commonly used to study static balance. Differences in postural stability were analyzed using multiscale entropy (MSE) and feature analysis.MethodsA force plate and inertial sensor were used to collect acceleration and center-of-pressure (COP) nonlinear signals. MSE was also used to detect fractal correlations and assess the complexity of univariate data complexity. Fifteen healthy subjects participated in the experiments. Each stood on a force plate and wore a sensor while attempting to maintain postural stability for 30 s in four randomized experiments to evaluate their static balance via a copositive experiment with eyes open/closed and with standing on one foot or both feet. A Wilcoxon-signed rank test was used to confirm that the conditions were significant. Considering the effect of the assessment tools, the influence of the visual and lower limb systems on postural stability was assessed and the results from the inertial sensor and force plate experiments were compared.ResultsForce plate usage provided more accurate readings when completing static balance tasks based on the visual system, whereas an inertial sensor was preferred for lower-limb tasks. Further, the eyes-open-standing-on-one-foot case involved the highest complexity at the X, Y, and Z axes for acceleration and at the ML axis for COP compared with other conditions, from which the axial directions can be identified.ConclusionsThe findings suggested investigation of different evaluation tool choices that can be easily adapted to suit different needs. The results for the complexity index and traditional balance indicators were comparable in their implications on different conditions. We used MSE to determine the equipment that measures the postural stability performance. We attempted to generalize the applications of complexity index to tasks and training characteristics and explore different tools to obtain different results.Trial registrationThis study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of National Taiwan University and classified as expedited on August 24, 2017. The committee is organized under and operates in accordance with Social and Behavioral Research Ethical Principles and Regulations of National Taiwan University and government laws and regulations.
Highlights
Previous research on balance mostly focused on the assessment, training, and improvements of balance through interventions
Results from the force plate COP feature The data collected from the four static balance measurements performed using the force plate are presented in Table 1 and Fig. 6
It was anticipated that our findings would suggest performing investigations on different evaluation tool choices that can be adapted to suit different needs
Summary
Previous research on balance mostly focused on the assessment, training, and improvements of balance through interventions. Balance training has been performed using different rehabilitation therapy systems such as cycling [8] and partial body weight support on a treadmill [9]. These studies mostly use motion capture systems and force plates for real-time acquisition of subject limb movements to evaluate balance. Wearable accelerometers are a viable technology for assessing fall risk and have joined clinical and laboratory methods as acceptable tools [11]. Wearable accelerometers measure changes in the acceleration of the triaxial axis while maintaining a certain position. One factor known to contribute to falls is balance ability [11, 16], few studies have considered balance evaluation tools rather than or in addition to performance
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