The sensitivity of posturographic parameters to acquisition settings

• Published in: Medical engineering & physics Vol. 24; no. 9; pp. 623 - 631
• Main Authors: Schmid, M., Conforto, S., Camomilla, V., Cappozzo, A., D’Alessio, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Acceleration; Adult; Analog-Digital Conversion; Biological and medical sciences; Calibration; Female; Force plate; Fourier Analysis; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Movement - physiology; Physical Examination - instrumentation; Physical Examination - methods; Physical Examination - standards; Postural Balance - physiology; Posture; Posture - physiology; Posturographic parameters; Pressure; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity; Sensitivity and Specificity; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Standardization; Stress, Mechanical; Sensitivity; Force plate; Posturographic parameters; Standardization; Posture
• ISSN: 1350-4533; 1873-4030
• DOI: 10.1016/S1350-4533(02)00046-2

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of posturographic parameters (PP) to changes in acquisition settings. A group of eight young adults underwent a set of typical orthostatic posture trials, and selected PP were then calculated from a set of centre of pressure (CoP) displacement time series obtained by applying different cut-off frequencies to the same set of raw data. Four PP out of 11 showed significant changes with respect to cut-off frequency. Statistical mechanics parameters exhibited smaller sensitivity than summary measures. On the basis of the results obtained, a proposal for a standard cut-off frequency and a sampling rate value is embodied in the paper together with some suggestions on measurement settings, with a view to standardized use of instrumentation for quantitative analysis in orthostatic posturography.