title: The accuracy of individual Berg Balance Scale items compared with the total Berg score for classifying people with chronic stroke according to fall history.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether individual Berg Balance Scale (BBS) items or a group of items would have greater accuracy than the total BBS in classifying community-dwelling people with stroke with a history of multiple falls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 44 community-dwelling individuals with chronic stroke; 34 had one or no falls in the past six months, and 10 had multiple falls. Each BBS item was dichotomized at three points along the scoring scale of 0-4: between scores of 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and 3 and 4. Sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), and positive (+LR) and negative (-LR) likelihood ratios were calculated for all items for each scoring dichotomy based on their accuracy in classifying subjects with a history of multiple falls. These findings were compared with the total BBS score where the cutoff score was derived from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dichotomized point 3-4 for items B11 (turning 360 degrees), B12 (alternate foot on stool), B13 (tandem stance), and B14 (standing on one leg) all revealed Sn greater than 60%. B14 had the best Sn and Sp (0.90 and 0.50). Combining B11, B12, or B13 with B14 did not improve Sn. Total BBS receiver operating characteristic curve revealed a cutoff score of 52 (Sn = 90% and Sp = 41%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using selected items from the BBS may be more time efficient and accurate than the total BBS score for classifying people with chronic stroke living in the community with a history of multiple falls. Prospective study is needed to validate these findings relative to fall prediction.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Services Unit, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Lamia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alzayer
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beninato
authors.forename: Leslie G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Portney
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation