The Nottingham Balance Platform: a practical application of microcomputers in physiotherapy

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The Nottingham Balance Platform is a computer-controlled system which has been purpose built to monitor weight distribution through the legs of stroke patients. It has been developed a) to collect accurate and continuous information on the way weight is distributed through both legs whilst standing, and b) as a means of providing visual feedback to encourage better weight distribution in these patients. The following tests were carried out to establish the accuracy of the system. Using a method of random selection, 80 different combinations of standard weights were placed on the balance platforms. In each case the Expected Balance Coefficient (EBC) was calculated and compared to the Observed Balance Coefficient (OBC) as measured by the system. The balance coefficient is defined as the weight on the left platform as a proportion of the total weight (range 0–1). These readings were repeated 2 days later. During 160 observations, a mean error of 0.0087 (s.d. = 0.0062) was found. A scatter diagram of these differences, where the x-axis represents the EBC (0–1) and the y-axis represents the difference between the EBC and OBC, was plotted and a linear regression analysis calculated. The slope is statistically significantly different from zero (p<0.05) and indicates an increasing error as the weight on the left platform increases. However, since the error is small it was considered to be sufficient to use a correction factor of 0.0087 in the data-aquisition program to correct the results.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: