Validating the Berg Balance Scale for patients with Parkinson's disease: A key to rehabilitation evaluation

Abstract

Objective: To assess the criterion-related validity of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) in subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD). Design: Prospective, correlational analysis between the BBS and accepted measures of PD motor and functional impairment. Setting: The federally funded PD research center, an interdisciplinary center of excellence for people with PD within a Veterans Affairs medical center. Participants: Thirty-eight men (average ± standard deviation, 71.1±10.5y) with confirmed PD. Their initial diagnosis had been made on average 5.8±3.6 years earlier. All could stand or walk unassisted and had mild to moderate disability. Patients who could not ambulate without assistive devices were excluded. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Correlational analyses between the BBS and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor scale, Modified Hoehn and Yahr Staging (Hoehn and Yahr) Scale, and the Modified Schwab and England Capacity for Daily Living Scale (S&E ADL Scale). Results: BBS score showed significant correlations with indicators of motor functioning, stage of disease, and daily living capacity. BBS score was inversely associated with the UPDRS motor score (-.58, P