Balance and physical impairments after stroke

Objective: To investigate the relationship among laboratory and clinical ba lance measures and physical impairments. Design: A descriptive correlational study. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: Thirty subjects with stroke, recruited through convenience sa mpling. Main Outcome Measures: Postural sway was calculated in terms of center of p ressure (COP) parameters including spectral characteristics. Clinical balan ce was measured using the Balance Scale. The assessed physical impairments included stages of lower limb motor recovery, ankle proprioception, and pas sive dorsiflexion range of the involved limb. Results: The Balance Scale was correlated with COP speed (r = -.57), COP ro ot mean square speed (r = -.50), and COP mean frequency (r = -.50) in the a nterior-posterior direction only. Moderate to high correlations were found among most of the COP parameters except spectral characteristics. Significa nt differences in postural sway were found among different stance in eyes-o pen (p = .00 to .02) and eyes-closed conditions (p = .00 to .04). Subjects with impaired ankle proprioception had significantly increased postural swa y and decreased Balance Scale scores when compared with the subjects with i ntact ankle proprioception. Conclusions: Some of the clinical and laboratory balance assessments were r elated, indicating that some components of the tests are similar, but some measured different aspects of balance. Postural sway was related to visual condition, stance position, and proprioception. (C) 1999 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Americ an Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.