Test-Retest Reliability of the Postural Vertical in Healthy Participants

Yuji Fujino; Kazu Amimoto; Kazuhiro Fukata; Masahide Inoue; Kohei Shida; Hidetoshi Takahashi; Shigeru Makita

doi:10.2490/prm.20170013

Test-Retest Reliability of the Postural Vertical in Healthy Participants

Prog Rehabil Med. 2017 Dec 6:2:20170013. doi: 10.2490/prm.20170013. eCollection 2017.

Authors

Yuji Fujino¹, Kazu Amimoto², Kazuhiro Fukata¹, Masahide Inoue¹, Kohei Shida¹, Hidetoshi Takahashi³, Shigeru Makita⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rehabilitation, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan.
² Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan.
⁴ Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the angle of subjective verticality in healthy young persons.

Methods: The participants were ten young healthy adults, five men and five women. The subjective postural vertical (SPV) was measured in the frontal plane (with eyes open and eyes closed) and in the sagittal plane (with eyes closed). Participants were retested 1 week after the first test. The test-retest reliability for each parameter was estimated using the intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC(1,1)], and the minimal detectable change (MDC) scores were established with a confidence level of 95%.

Results: The test-retest reliability for the SPV was substantial (ICC ≥0.61). The MDC₉₅ values of the SPVs ranged from 1.1° to 2.1°.

Conclusions: The test-retest reliability of the postural vertical in the frontal and sagittal planes was sufficiently high in healthy young participants.

Keywords: postural vertical; reliability; verticality.