title: A contribution to the validation of the Wii Balance Board for the assessment of standing balance.
abstract: Valid and reliable accessible measures of balance are required in a health-related fitness test battery, both in the general population and in groups with special needs. For this purpose, the capability of the Wii Balance Board (WBB) in evaluating standing balance was analysed and compared with a laboratory-graded force platform (FP). A 30-s double limb standing test with open and closed eyes was performed by 28 individuals (12 male and 16 female, mean age = 23.8, SD = ±2.7 years). A simple method of acquisition of the centre of pressure (CoP) over time was applied to compare WBB and FP simultaneously on the same signal. User-defined software was developed to obtain the CoP from WBB over time and the resulting related measures and graphical representations. The comparison of measures, such as sway path and maximum oscillations along the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral direction, obtained with the FP and the WBB shows that the latter, in conjunction with the user-defined developed software, can be appropriate, considering prescribed limits, and an easy-to-use tool for evaluating standing balance.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Industrial Engineering , University of Padua , Padova , Italy.
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Industrial Engineering , University of Padua , Padova , Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cardaioli
authors.affiliation: b Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology , University of Padua , Padova , Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences , University of Padua , Padova , Italy.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biomedical Sciences , University of Padua , Padova , Italy.
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carraro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Posture; low-cost measures; standing balance