Department of Physical Therapy, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana, USA.
Physiother Res Int. 2024 Apr;29(2):e2075. doi: 10.1002/pri.2075.
The Sensory Organization Test (SOT), an integral part of computerized dynamic posturography, plays a crucial role in evaluating postural stability under various altered sensory conditions. Despite its importance, there have been noted inconsistencies in the results pertaining to equilibrium and sensory system evaluations. This study aimed to compare four sensory analysis scores and equilibrium indices between older adults with and without fall risks.
The study included 34 participants identified as being at risk of falls and 42 control subjects. To categorize individuals between the two groups, we performed area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. This classification was based on scores from the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES) and the composite scores obtained from the SOT. In addition, we used the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) as well as the level of disability.
The fall risk group demonstrated significantly higher TSK scores (39.39 ± 15.24 for control group vs. 54.65 ± 10.70 for fall risk group; t = -5.09, p = 0.001). The groups demonstrated a significant interaction on the equilibrium index (F = 4.59, p = 0.03), which was lower in the fall risk group in Condition 6 with a moving surface and surround and eyes open (t = 2.29, p = 0.01). The fall risk group demonstrated a higher somatosensory score (t = -1.73, p = 0.04).
The fall risk group had a lower equilibrium index score in Condition six of the SOT, which was useful for identifying deficits in vestibular function to integrate sensory information under challenging conditions for postural adaptation. This strategy suggested that the fall risk group could compensate for their risk of falls by utilizing more effective somatosensory reweighting strategies compared with the control group.
感觉组织测试（SOT）是计算机动态姿势描记法的一个组成部分，在评估各种感觉改变条件下的姿势稳定性方面起着至关重要的作用。尽管它很重要，但在平衡和感觉系统评估方面的结果存在不一致。本研究旨在比较有和无跌倒风险的老年人之间的四个感觉分析评分和平衡指数。
该研究包括 34 名被确定为有跌倒风险的参与者和 42 名对照受试者。为了将两组个体进行分类，我们进行了接收者操作特征曲线分析下的面积分析。这种分类是基于改良跌倒效能量表（MFES）的评分和从 SOT 获得的综合评分。此外，我们还使用了坦帕运动恐惧量表（TSK）以及残疾程度。
跌倒风险组的 TSK 评分明显更高（对照组为 39.39±15.24，跌倒风险组为 54.65±10.70；t=-5.09，p=0.001）。两组在平衡指数上有显著的交互作用（F=4.59，p=0.03），在有移动表面和周围环境以及睁眼的条件 6 中，跌倒风险组的平衡指数较低（t=2.29，p=0.01）。跌倒风险组的躯体感觉评分较高（t=-1.73，p=0.04）。
跌倒风险组在 SOT 的第六个条件下的平衡指数评分较低，这有助于识别在挑战性条件下整合感觉信息的前庭功能缺陷，以适应姿势。这种策略表明，与对照组相比，跌倒风险组可以通过利用更有效的躯体感觉重新加权策略来补偿其跌倒风险。
