ระยะเวลาในการควบคุมการทรงตัวระหว่างโฟมนิวโรคอมและแอเร็กที่ใช้ในการทดสอบ Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (mCTSIB) ในผู้สูงอายุ

Abstract

A common clinical tool for balance assessment in the elderly is the modified clinical test for sensory interaction and balance (mCTSIB). This test is used for assessing the ability to appropriately organize sensory information for stance control by timing the stance duration. The mCISIB composes of four conditions; stand with eyes open and eyes closed on a firm surface and foam surface. Types of foam pad used in the mCTSIB test can affect accuracy of the test results. The NeuroCom foam is the standard foam used for the mCTSIB testing but it is expensive. At present, the AIREX Balance-Pad is a cheaper foam that is widely used in both clinical and laboratory settings but there is no report on its appropriateness for the mCTSIB. Therefore, this study aimed to compare time to maintain stability between AIREX Balance-Pad foam and the NeuroCom foam whenstanding on conditions of the mCTSIB in elderly. Sixty-eight healthy elderly persons were asked to maintain stability under four conditions of mCTSIB: firm and foam surface (AIREX and NeuroCom) with eyes open and eyes closed for 120 seconds each condition. Participant’s time to maintain stability during the mCTSIB test was recorded using the stop watch. Combination of the time to maintain stability on four conditions of the mCTSIB (composite score) and standing time on each foam condition was compared between AIREX and NeuroCom foams. Paired samples t-test was conducted to compare between two types of foams at a level of p-value < 0.05. The composite score measured during the mCTSIB test was significant higher (p = 0 . 0 0 0 ) when using the AIREX foam (431.78  64.37 seconds) compared to the NeuroCom foam (424.06  67.66 seconds). Significant difference of time to maintain stability between two different types of foam pads was found for eyes closed condition (p = 0.001), but not eyes open condition (p = 0 .0 9 9 ) . A composite score for the mCTSIB on the NeuroCom foam differs from the AIREX foam, especially under eyes closed condition. Using different types of foam in balance test may lead to the wrong interpretation of balance performance of elderly persons.