![]() ![]() Data were solicited from existing BTrackS users who provided verbal assurance that the BBT protocol was implemented according to its standardized set of instructions and that only community-dwelling individuals who were healthy were tested. Data consisted of BBT results collected from 16,357 community-dwelling individuals at more than 50 sites across the United States and Canada ( eTable, available at, shows demographic data). Postural sway data for this study were provided by the parent company for BTrackS: Balance Tracking Systems, Inc. This was accomplished using a very large (N = 16,357) database of results to calculate true percentile rankings stratified by relevant age, sex, height, and weight factors. In light of all these reasons, the aim of the present study was to provide the first set of normative data for the BBT. Third, normative data can be useful in the diagnosis of balance impairments associated with many neuromuscular conditions. ![]() Second, normative results can be effectively used to quantify positive and negative changes that occur over the course of an intervention period, permitting the effectiveness of interventions to be established. First, comparisons between data from patients and reference data from individuals who are healthy can establish the existence of latent balance dysfunctions, allowing for intervention strategies to be proactively applied. Normative data are critical for any clinical assessment of postural sway. 10, 11 In particular, the device promotes a method called the BTrackS Balance Test (BBT), which is especially effective for evaluating clinical populations because it is fast (<2 minutes) and easy to administer (software guided) and uses a protocol (ie, four 20-second trials of standing with eyes closed) that most individuals who are ambulatory can complete without falling. The BTrackS consists of the BTrackS Balance Plate, which is more portable (approximately 6.75 kg, no AC power required) and affordable (<$1000 US) than other devices, and user-friendly software that objectively and reliably tests postural sway. The Balance Tracking System (BTrackS Balance Tracking Systems, Inc, San Diego, California) was created in 2013, with the objective of overcoming the above stated force plate limitations. 9 Despite this fact, force plate use in clinical settings has remained somewhat limited, likely because of the high cost and lack of portability inherent in most traditional force plates. Increased COP magnitude (ie, greater postural sway) during quiet standing with eyes open or closed has been shown in many clinical conditions, including multiple sclerosis, 7 mild traumatic brain injury, 8 and stroke. Force plates measure postural sway based on a metric called center of pressure (COP), which is the weighted average of forces created while standing on a force plate. 5, 6įorce plate technology is one of the most sensitive and objective means of assessing postural sway in a clinical setting. 2 Today, postural sway assessments are routinely performed based on evidence that increased postural sway is associated with poorer performance on activities of daily living, 3 higher rates of residential care, 4 and increased risk of falling. 1 Over 100 years ago, neurologist Moritz Heinrich Romberg was the first to recognize the clinical utility of measuring postural sway for assessing sensory feedback deficiencies in patients with balance issues. This fundamental aspect of motor control is achieved through a mechanism called “postural sway,” whereby sustained oscillatory motion occurs about a fixed postural position in the presence of gravity. Human balance can be defined as the ability to maintain upright standing without falling. ![]()
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