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 .
Clinical and posturographic correlates of falling in Parkinson's disease.
Various clinical tests and balance scales have been used to assess postural stability and the risk of falling in patients with idiopathic Parkinson 's disease ( IPD ) .  Quantitative posturography allows a more objective assessment but the findings in previous studies have been inconsistent and few studies have investigated which posturographic measures correlate best with a history of falling . The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of clinical tests , balance scales , and  stable-platform posturography  in detecting postural instability and discriminating between fallers and non-fallers in a home-dwelling PD cohort . Forty-eight PD subjects ( Hoehn & Yahr stage 1 - 3 ) and 17 age-matched controls had the following assessment s : Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale , Berg Balance Scale , Unified Parkinson 's Disease Rating Scale ( UPDRS ) ( motor ) , pull-test , timed up- and -go , static posturography , and dynamic posturography to assess multidirectional leaning balance . Of the clinical assessment s , all but the pull-test were closely correlated with a history of falling .  Static posturography  discriminated between PD fallers and controls but not between PD fallers and non-fallers , whereas  dynamic posturography ( reaction time , velocity , and target hit-time ) also discriminated between fallers and non-fallers . Our findings suggest that this combination of clinical and posturographic measures would be useful in the prospect i ve assessment of falls risk in PD patients . A further prospect i ve study is now required to assess their predictive value . © 2013 Movement Disorder Society
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 .