Overall , there are many scales and tests used to assess the balance disorders and disabilities of people with PD .
Postural instability is common in Parkinson ’s disease ( PD ) , often contributing to falls , injuries , and reduced mobility .
In the clinical setting , balance disorder is commonly diagnosed using clinical tests and balance scales , but it is suggested that the most sensitive measurement is the force platform .
The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the methods and various posturographic procedures used to assess the body balance and gait in PD .
Clinimetrics of postural instability in Parkinson’s disease
Abstract Judgement of the ability to recover balance after a sudden shoulder pull is used as a clinical measure of postural instability in Parkinson ’s disease . To further evaluate its merits , we compared this ‘ retropulsion test ’ with dynamic posturography in 23 Parkinson patients .  Dynamic posturography involved 20 serial ‘ toe-up ’ support surface rotations , which induced backward body sway . We found a moderate correlation ( Spearman ’s ρ = 0.54 ; P < 0.05 ) between the retropulsion test and body sway after platform rotations during the ‘ off ’ phase , but no correlation during the ‘ on ’ phase ( Spearman ’s ρ = 0.43 ; P = 0.11 ) . These results cast doubt on the use of the retropulsion test as a measure of postural instability in Parkinson ’s disease
Overall , there are many scales and tests used to assess the balance disorders and disabilities of people with PD .
Postural instability is common in Parkinson ’s disease ( PD ) , often contributing to falls , injuries , and reduced mobility .
In the clinical setting , balance disorder is commonly diagnosed using clinical tests and balance scales , but it is suggested that the most sensitive measurement is the force platform .
The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the methods and various posturographic procedures used to assess the body balance and gait in PD .