The Berg Balance Scale (or BBS) is a widely used clinical test of a person's static and dynamic balance abilities, named after Katherine Berg, one of the developers. For functional balance tests, the BBS is generally considered to be the gold standard.Langley, F.A. & Mackintosh, S.F.H. (2007).
Functional balance assessment of older community dwelling adults: A systematic review of the literature
The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, 5(4). The test takes 15–20 minutes and comprises a set of 14 simple balance related tasks, ranging from standing up from a sitting position, to standing on one foot. The degree of success in achieving each task is given a score of zero (unable) to four (independent), and the final measure is the sum of all of the scores. The BBS has been shown to have excellent inter-rater (ICC = 0.98) and intra-rater relative

reliability Reliability, reliable, or unreliable may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Computing * Data reliability (disambiguation), a property of some disk arrays in computer storage * High availability * Reliability (computer networking), a ...

(ICC = 0.97), with an absolute reliability varying between 2.8/56 and 6.6/56, with poorer reliability near the middle of the scale, and is internally consistent (0.96). The BBS correlates satisfactorily with laboratory measures, including postural sway, and has good concurrent criterion, predictive criterion, and construct

validity Validity or Valid may refer to: Science/mathematics/statistics: * Validity (logic), a property of a logical argument * Scientific: ** Internal validity, the validity of causal inferences within scientific studies, usually based on experiments ** ...

. Considerable evidence indicates that the BBS is also a valid measure of standing balance in post-

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patients, but only for those who ambulate independently, due to the tasks that are required of the patient. The BBS was recently identified as the most commonly used assessment tool across the continuum of stroke rehabilitation and it is considered a sound measure of balance impairment. The BBS has been strongly established as valid and reliable but there are still several factors which may indicate that the BBS should be used in conjunction with other balance measures. For example, there are a few tasks in the BBS to test dynamic balance, which may limit its ability to challenge older adults who live independently in the community. A ceiling effect and

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has been reported for the BBS when used with community dwelling older adults. The use of the BBS as an outcome measure is compromised when participants score high on initial trials. In initial development of the BBS, the authors noted that a limitation to the scale was the lack of items requiring postural response to external stimuli or uneven support surfaces. This indicates that the BBS may be more appropriate for use with frail older adults rather than community-dwellers. In addition, the BBS has been shown to be a poor predictor of falls. The interpretation of the result is: Alternatively, the BBS can be used as a multilevel tool, with the risk of multiple falls increasing below a score of 45 and a significant increase below 40. In the original study, the value of 45 points was used to calculate relative risk estimates to demonstrate predictive validity, and a score of 45 has been shown to be an appropriate cut-off for safe independent ambulation and the need for assistive devices or supervision. An instrumented version of BBS is recently proposed to avoid observer bias and to facilitate objective assessment of Balance in home environments for periodic or long term monitoring.

Outcome measures

The Berg Balance Scale is used by clinical exercise physiologists,

physiotherapists Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

and

occupational therapists Occupational therapists (OTs) are health care professionals specializing in occupational therapy and occupational science. OTs and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) use scientific bases and a holistic perspective to promote a person's abili ...

to determine the functional mobility of an individual. This test can be administered prior to treatment for elderly individuals and patients with a history of but not limited to

Multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

Ataxia Ataxia is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in eye movements. Ataxia is a clinical manifestation indicating dysfunction of ...

vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, h ...

and

respiratory disease Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, are pathology, pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in Breathing, air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the t ...

. The Berg Balance Scale Test can be administered every few months of treatment to determine if the treatment was effective for increasing the patient's functional mobility (a difference of 8 points is considered a significant change).

References

{{reflist Diagnostic neurology Medical scales Geriatrics

Outcome measures

See also

References