title: Reliability of the Japanese version of the Berg balance scale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Japanese translation of the Berg balance scale (BBS) has previously been published; however, its reliability has not yet been validated. This study aimed to evaluate its reliability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients took the BBS test three times; two neurologists monitored the results. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficients were calculated, and the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with balance disturbance were recruited.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study participants included 15 men and 18 women with a mean age of 62.8 years (SD, 14.8). For the total BBS score, the inter-rater ICC and Cronbach's α coefficient were 0.9337 and 0.9493, respectively, while the intra-rater ICC and Cronbach's α coefficient were 0.9772 and 0.9416, respectively. Most items had a relatively high ICC. The Cronbach's α coefficients were more than 0.9 for all items.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Japanese version of the BBS was found to have a high inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and internal consistency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yabe
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uwatoko
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirotani
authors.forename: Hidenao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies