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Normative data for static balance testing in healthy individuals using open source computerized posturography

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Computerized posturography is the gold standard for balance assessment. Because of the great cost and dimensions of commercial equipments, low-cost and portable devices have been developed and validated, such as RombergLab, a software in open source term which works connected with a low-cost force platform. The objective of this study was to obtain normative posturography data using this software.

Methods

A multicentric prospective and descriptive study, with 350 healthy participants, was designed. Static postural stability (measured using the modified clinical test of sensory interaction on balance) was evaluated using the software connected to the force platform. Using the confidence ellipse area (CEA) in each condition, global equilibrium score (GES) was calculated and adjusted for significant variable factors using cluster analysis.

Results

Mean (SD) GES was 0.72 (0.22). Age (p < 0.01), height (p < 0.01) and recruitment center (p < 0.05) were found as influence factors for GES. Cluster analysis obtained 16 groups stratified by age and height. GES decreases with age and height (p < 0.005). No significant interaction of age nor height was found with GES in these clusters (p > 0.05). After correction for height and age, GES was no longer influenced by the recruitment center (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

With the introduction of the global equilibrium score values of the present study into the software, we consider RombergLab v1.3 a reference posturography tool for healthy individuals. Further studies are needed for validating it as a suitable instrumented test for screening between healthy and pathologic subjects and its reliability over time for the follow-up of patients.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Servei d’Otorrinolaringologia, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII de Tarragona, c/Dr. Mallafré Guasch, 4, 43005, Tarragona, Spain

    Esther Domènech-Vadillo

  2. Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Reus, Spain

    Esther Domènech-Vadillo

  3. Servicio de ORL y CCC, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain

    Gabriel Aguilera-Aguilera, Carmen Sánchez-Blanco & Ángel Batuecas-Caletrio

  4. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Carlos Guajardo & Nicolás Pérez

  5. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Badajoz, Badajoz, Spain

    Gabriel Trinidad-Ruiz

  6. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Clínica Rotger, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Carlos Gimeno

  7. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Julio Rama

  8. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti, Lugo, Spain

    Marcos Rossi-Izquierdo, Elena San-Roman-Rodriguez & Berta Patiño-Castiñeira

  9. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain

    Juan Manuel Espinosa-Sanchez

  10. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital General de Catalunya, San Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain

    Eusebi Matiñó

  11. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Casa de la Salud, Valencia, Spain

    Rafael Barona & Claudio Krstulovic

  12. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

    Jesús Benitez-Rosario

  13. Unidad de Rehabilitación, Complejo Hospitario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

    Elvira Santandreu

  14. Clinica Maia, Canoas, Brazil

    Francisco Carlos Zuma e Maia

  15. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain

    María Guadalupe Álvarez-Morujo de Sande

  16. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain

    Ariadna Valldeperes & Jorge Rey-Martínez

  17. Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Clínica Quirón Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain

    Jorge Rey-Martínez

Authors
  1. Esther Domènech-Vadillo
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  2. Gabriel Aguilera-Aguilera
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  3. Carmen Sánchez-Blanco
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  4. Ángel Batuecas-Caletrio
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  6. Nicolás Pérez
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  7. Gabriel Trinidad-Ruiz
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  8. Carlos Gimeno
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  10. Marcos Rossi-Izquierdo
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  11. Elena San-Roman-Rodriguez
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  12. Berta Patiño-Castiñeira
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  13. Juan Manuel Espinosa-Sanchez
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  14. Eusebi Matiñó
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  15. Rafael Barona
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  17. Jesús Benitez-Rosario
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  18. Elvira Santandreu
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  19. Francisco Carlos Zuma e Maia
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  20. María Guadalupe Álvarez-Morujo de Sande
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  21. Ariadna Valldeperes
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  22. Jorge Rey-Martínez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Esther Domènech-Vadillo.

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Conflict of interest

None of the authors had conflict of interest in relation with the study.

Ethical standards

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Domènech-Vadillo, E., Aguilera-Aguilera, G., Sánchez-Blanco, C. et al. Normative data for static balance testing in healthy individuals using open source computerized posturography. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 276, 41–48 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-018-5170-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-018-5170-6

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