Investigating Feet Positions of the Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance

Purpose: The purpose was to investigate the feet together (FT) position and the heel to toe (HT) position using the Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB) to establish normative data in a healthy elderly population. Subjects: Thirteen subjects were voluntarily recruited from an independent living facility and a community center. Methodology: Subjects were timed up to 30 seconds in each condition of the CTSIB with the FT and HT position for one trial each. Data were analyzed for means, standard deviations and variance. Confidence intervals of 95% were assigned to each condition using the t-distribution. Results: All 13 subjects scored 30 seconds in conditions 1 through 3 with the FT. The mean for conditions 4, 5 and 6 were 26, 18 and 16 seconds, respectively. They had a sequentially descending trend. Five subjects completed the HT position. The highest means were in conditions 1 and 4 with 28 and 29 seconds, respectively. The lowest mean was condition 6 with 5 seconds. Confidence intervals were developed for all conditions except for conditions 1 through 3 with the FT. Discussion: Confidence intervals will allow clinicians to test balance with the CTSIB and compare the scores to a normal distribution interval. Further research is warranted in the reliability and validity of the CTSIB