Interaction of age and foam types used in Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB)

Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB) is a simplified method for investigating the organization of multiple sensory inputs in postural control. The accuracy of the test is based partly on the foam types. Several types of foam are available, but the validity of these foams on CTSIB and the interaction of age and foam types have not been addressed. In this study, postural sway of young (21.6±3.3 years) and older (53.2±4.9 years) participants were assessed while standing on four types of foam: NeuroCom®, sponge, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), and memory foams. Postural sway during stance on solid floor and foams with eyes open and eyes closed were quantified by root-mean-square (RMS) of center of body mass acceleration in the mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) directions using the acceleration-based OPAL system. Physical properties of foams including density, Young's modulus, and indentation force deflection (IFD) were determined. Results demonstrated that RMS-ML in older subjects was larger than younger subjects (p≤0.001), especially when standing on the NeuroCom® foam with eyes closed (p=0.001). There was an interaction of age and foam types as larger differences in RMS-ML were observed between young and older subjects on the NeuroCom® and EVA foams, but not the other foams. The sway characteristics were largest when standing on the NeuroCom® foam which demonstrated high density and high compliance. Our findings suggested the importance of foam selection in CTSIB on accurate postural sway analysis and balance assessment.