Meta- analysis demonstrated fallers perform significantly worse than non-fallers on all measures analysed except the Timed Up and Go Cognitive ( p < 0.05 ) , but discriminative ability of the measures is commonly not reported .
Of those reported , the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value ( 0.92 ) , but without reporting corresponding measures of clinical utility .
Conclusion : Clinical measures of balance differ significantly between fallers and non-fallers but have poor predictive ability for falls risk in people with multiple sclerosis
Objective : To determine the ability of clinical measures of balance to distinguish fallers from non-fallers and to determine their predictive validity in identifying those at risk of falls .
Cohort Study Comparing the Berg Balance Scale and the Mini-BESTest in People Who Have Multiple Sclerosis and Are Ambulatory
Background The Berg Balance Scale ( BBS ) is a balance measure commonly used for people with multiple sclerosis ( MS ) . The Mini-BESTest is an alternative based on balance systems . Objective The study objective was to compare the BBS and the Mini-BESTest for sensitivity to change , likelihood ratios for walking aid use and falls , and associations with clinical variables in people who have MS and are ambulatory . Design This was a cohort study with measurements before and after exposure to 8 weeks of routine physical therapy intervention . Methods For 52 participants who had a primary diagnosis of MS and who were independently mobile , with or without an aid , demographic details and a history of falls and near falls were collected . Participants completed the  Mini-BESTest , Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale-29 , Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 , BBS , Modified Fatigue Impact Scale  , and  Six-Minute Walk Test .  Results No participant started with a baseline  Mini-BESTest  maximum score of 28 , whereas 38.5 % ( n=20 ) started with a baseline BBS maximum score of 56 . Statistically significant changes in the  Mini-BESTest score ( X̅=5.31 , SD=3.5 ) and the BBS score ( X̅=1.4 , SD=1.9 ) were demonstrated . Effect sizes for the Mini-BESTest and the BBS were 0.70 and 0.37 , respectively ; st and ard response means for the Mini-BESTest and the BBS were 1.52 and 0.74 , respectively . Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the Mini-BESTest and the BBS were 0.88 and 0.77 , respectively , for detecting mobility device use and 0.88 and 0.75 , respectively , for detecting self-reported near falls . The Mini-BESTest had a higher correlation for each secondary measure than did the BBS . Limitations This study involved a sample of convenience ; 61 % of the participants did not use a walking aid . The order of testing was not r and omized , and fall status was obtained through retrospective recall . Conclusions The Mini-BESTest had a lower ceiling effect and higher values on responsiveness tests . These findings suggest that the Mini-BESTest may be better at detecting changes in balance in people who have MS , are ambulatory , and have relatively little walking disability
Meta- analysis demonstrated fallers perform significantly worse than non-fallers on all measures analysed except the Timed Up and Go Cognitive ( p < 0.05 ) , but discriminative ability of the measures is commonly not reported .
Of those reported , the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value ( 0.92 ) , but without reporting corresponding measures of clinical utility .
Conclusion : Clinical measures of balance differ significantly between fallers and non-fallers but have poor predictive ability for falls risk in people with multiple sclerosis
Objective : To determine the ability of clinical measures of balance to distinguish fallers from non-fallers and to determine their predictive validity in identifying those at risk of falls .