Balance control near the limit of stability in various Sensory conditions in healthy subjects and patients suffering from vertigo or balance disorders : Impact of Sensory input on balance control

The large inter-individual variability within the normal population, the limited reproducibility due to habituation or fatigue, and the impact of instruction and the subject's motivation, all constitute a major problem in posturography. These aspects hinder reliable evaluation of the changes in balance control in the case of disease and complicate objectivation of the impact of therapy and sensory input on balance control. In this study, we examine whether measurement of balance control near individualized limits of stability and under very challenging sensory conditions might reduce inter- and intra-individual variability compared to the well-known Sensory Organization Test (SOT). To do so, subjects balance on a platform on which instability increases automatically until body orientation or body sway velocity surpasses a safety limit. The maximum tolerated platform instability is then used as a measure for balance control under 10 different sensory conditions. Ninety-seven healthy subjects and 107 patien...