title: The virtual time to contact in the evaluation of balance disorders and prediction of falls in people with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to compute Virtual Time to Contact (VTC) from stabilometric assessment to study balance impairments in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). To this purpose we assessed the ability of VTC to discriminate between balance skills of PwMS and healthy subjects (HS), among sensory conditions and between fallers and non fallers.
  
  
  METHODS
  VTC was calculated to characterize balance performance in 47 PwMS and 13 HS in four different sensory conditions during quiet standing. Main Outcome Measures were VTC, Number of falls, Berg Balance Scale and Dynamic Gait Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that VTC was able to discriminate between PwMS and HS (p < 0.0001) and between challenging sensory conditions (p < 0.0001), no relevant information was added by VTC in the detection of subjects prone to falls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VTC provides unique information with respect to balance control because it takes into account the relationship between centre of mass (CoM) and the borders of base of support (BoS). VTC proved to be a valid descriptor of balance performance in PwMS highlighting balance disorders in this population of subjects, however models for falls prediction have to be improved.
authors: LaRiCE: Gait and Balance Disorders Laboratory, Don Gnocchi Foundation I.R.C.C.S. V. Capecelatro, Milano, Italy. dcattaneo@dongnocchi.it
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Cattaneo
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Ferrarin
authors: Johanna
authors: J
authors: Jonsdottir
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Montesano
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Bove
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult