Posturography using the Wii Balance Board™: A feasibility study with healthy adults and adults post-stroke

Abstract

BackgroundPosturography systems that incorporate force platforms are considered to assess balance and postural control with greater sensitivity and objectivity than conventional clinical tests. The Wii Balance Board (WBB) system has been shown to have similar performance characteristics as other force platforms, but with lower cost and size. ObjectivesTo determine the validity and reliability of a freely available WBB-based posturography system that combined the WBB with several traditional balance assessments, and to assess the performance of a cohort of stroke individuals with respect to healthy individuals. MethodsHealthy subjects and individuals with stroke were recruited. Both groups were assessed using the WBB-based posturography system. Individuals with stroke were also assessed using a laboratory grade posturography system and a battery of clinical tests to determine the concurrent validity of the system. A group of subjects were assessed twice with the WBB-based system to determine its reliability. ResultsA total of 144 healthy individuals and 53 individuals with stroke participated in the study. Concurrent validity with another posturography system was moderate to high. Correlations with clinical scales were consistent with previous research. The reliability of the system was excellent in almost all measures. In addition, the system successfully characterized individuals with stroke with respect to the healthy population. ConclusionsThe WBB-based posturography system exhibited excellent psychometric properties and sensitivity for identifying balance performance of individuals with stroke in comparison with healthy subjects, which supports feasibility of the system as a clinical tool.