title: Responsiveness and reliability of a pediatric strategy score for balance.
abstract: Various motor patterns or 'strategies' can be used to maintain balance. The purpose of this study was to determine the responsiveness of a pediatric strategy score (PED-SS) compared to a standard strategy score (SS) as a measure of age-related changes in the force patterns used to maintain stance. Eighty-one healthy children between 3-6 years of age were tested during stance on a force platform while facing a visual surround. The platform, visual surround (or both) moved simultaneously with the child's body sway. Four sensory conditions that altered visual and somatosensory (support surface) inputs were presented. The PED-SS was found to be more responsive to age-related changes in balance behavior compared to the SS. The oldest children (aged 5 and 6 years) showed the greatest ability to utilize horizontal A/P shear force to maintain stance and this finding was reflected only in the PED-SS. The implications of evaluating force strategy as one component of balance in healthy children is discussed with respect to the early developmental assessment of vestibular and developmental coordination disorders.
authors.affiliation: Program in Physical Therapy, University of Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Di Fabio
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Foudriat
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D015982:Bias; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests