Relationship between the Berg Balance Scale and Static Balance Test in Hemiplegic Patients with Stroke

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between results of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Static Balance Test (SBT) in hemiplegic patients with stroke. [Subjects] The subjects were 39 hemiplegic patients (25 men, 14 women; mean age, 69.4 +/- 11.0 years) with stroke that had occurred within the preceding 6 months and who had good understanding of verbal instructions. [Methods] The SBT consists of five posture-holding tasks (sitting, stride standing, close standing, one-foot standing on the unparalyzed leg, and one-foot standing on the paralyzed leg). Four grades, 1-4, are used to judge the ability of patients to hold these postures. The SBT and BBS were each implemented, and the relationship between test results was analyzed using correlation coefficients. [Results] The correlation coefficient for the BBS score and SBT score was 0.87. Thus, a strong correlation was seen between the BBS and SBT. [Conclusion] The SBT is thought to be an assessment index that can predict overall balance ability.