Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26953694›Full record

ArticlePloS one2016

Reliability of System Identification Techniques to Assess Standing Balance in Healthy Elderly.

Jantsje H Pasma, Denise Engelhart, Andrea B Maier, Ronald G K M Aarts, Joop M A van Gerven, J Hans Arendzen, Alfred C Schouten, Carel G M Meskers, Herman van der Kooij

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Slow dynamics of human balance control.Scientific reports · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Jantsje H PasmaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Denise EngelhartDepartment of Biomechanical Engineering, Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine (MIRA), University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
Andrea B MaierDepartment of Medicine and Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Ronald G K M AartsDepartment of Mechanical Automation and Mechatronics, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
Joop M A van GervenCenter for Human Drug Research, Leiden, the Netherlands.
J Hans ArendzenDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Alfred C SchoutenDepartment of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Carel G M MeskersDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Herman van der KooijDepartment of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
University of Twente · NLDelft University of Technology · NLAmsterdam UMC Location VUmc · NLCentre for Human Drug Research · NLLeiden University Medical Center · NLThe Royal Melbourne Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesSystem identification techniques have the potential to assess the contribution of the underlying systems involved in standing balance by applying well-known disturbances. We investigated the reliability of standing balance parameters obtained with multivariate closed loop system identification techniques.

methodsIn twelve healthy elderly balance tests were performed twice a day during three days. Body sway was measured during two minutes of standing with eyes closed and the Balance test Room (BalRoom) was used to apply four disturbances simultaneously: two sensory disturbances, to the proprioceptive and the visual system, and two mechanical disturbances applied at the leg and trunk segment. Using system identification techniques, sensitivity functions of the sensory disturbances and the neuromuscular controller were estimated. Based on the generalizability theory (G theory), systematic errors and sources of variability were assessed using linear mixed models and reliability was assessed by computing indexes of dependability (ID), standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC).

resultsA systematic error was found between the first and second trial in the sensitivity functions. No systematic error was found in the neuromuscular controller and body sway. The reliability of 15 of 25 parameters and body sway were moderate to excellent when the results of two trials on three days were averaged. To reach an excellent reliability on one day in 7 out of 25 parameters, it was predicted that at least seven trials must be averaged.

conclusionThis study shows that system identification techniques are a promising method to assess the underlying systems involved in standing balance in elderly. However, most of the parameters do not appear to be reliable unless a large number of trials are collected across multiple days. To reach an excellent reliability in one third of the parameters, a training session for participants is needed and at least seven trials of two minutes must be performed on one day.

Indexed as

Postural BalanceAgedAged, 80 and overGeriatric AssessmentHumansReproducibility of ResultsSensitivity and Specificity

Identifiers

PMID26953694
PMCPMC4783059
OpenAlexW2299095550

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.