Dynamic posturography is one more tool within the battery of vestibular tests performed in our otolaryngology clinic. Its purpose is to measure the body’s sway under different conditions.
This sway refers to the oscillation of our center of gravity forward and backward, as well as side to side. A person without alterations in their balance system is able to keep their center of gravity stable within their base of support without exceeding its limits, thus avoiding falls.
What does the Computerized Dynamic Posturography test consist of?
We refer to computerized dynamic posturography when, in addition to measuring the patient’s static and dynamic postural control through a stabilometric platform, we also modify sensory inputs by introducing a movable platform and a visually referenced environment that responds to movement.
The test consists of several exercises of increasing difficulty. During these exercises, the patient stands on the posturography platform, which contains a series of symmetrically arranged sensors that measure vertical and horizontal forces. The signals received from these sensors produce a time-based record.
The different tests that can be performed with dynamic posturography include, among others:
Maximum Voluntary Sway
The goal is to determine the patient’s mobility capacity. The patient is instructed to sway at three different speeds—slow, moderate, and fast. First, the patient must move forward and backward as far as possible, and then side to side, also reaching their limits of stability without falling.
Sensory Organization Test (SOT)
For the sensory organization test, both the platform and the visual environment can be modified to create different conditions in which the patient performs three attempts. In the initial conditions, the platform remains fixed; in the later ones, the platform becomes mobile (soft in our system). Likewise, some conditions are performed with eyes open and others with eyes closed.
Thanks to these modifications in sensory inputs, we can evaluate the relative contribution of each system to balance maintenance and the patient’s ability to adapt to situations involving sensory conflict.
Limits of Stability
This exercise aims to assess the patient’s maximum ability to shift their center of gravity in all directions within their stability cone.
In this exercise, the patient’s center of gravity is represented on a screen in front of them. Around it appear squares representing the targets the patient must reach by shifting their center of gravity. When one target is reached, the next one lights up automatically, and the patient must again return to the starting point and move toward the new target.
No prior preparation is required to perform the test, and the patient does not need to be accompanied. The test may last from 30 to 45 minutes depending on the individual. Once the results are interpreted, we can design a rehabilitation program using different strategies to improve balance and thereby reduce or prevent the risk of falls.