Kinetisense Newsletter

The Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance (mCTSIB) is a test that is used to evaluate the ability of a patient to stand upright and maintain balance under a number of sensory conditions. When looking at the issue of falls amongst those in the elderly population, the impairment of the sensory systems used for balance is an important factor to consider (1). Research has shown that as individuals become older, declines in the function of the vestibular system, visual impairments, impaired somatic sensation, and impairment of the sensory systems involved with balance are all associated with a high risk of falls (1).

The mCTSIB consists of four specific test conditions. As Goble et al. (2019) describe, “the first condition is the “standard” test condition where all three sensory systems (proprioception, vision, and vestibular) are available to assist in maintaining balance and, therefore, the smallest amount of postural sway is expected. In condition two, the eyes are closed to temporarily eliminate visual feedback, thus, increasing reliance on proprioceptive and vestibular systems. Since proprioception is more heavily utilized for balance than the vestibular system, the typical perspective is that this condition largely measures the contribution of proprioception to balance. In the third condition, the visual and vestibular systems are available, but the proprioceptive system is compromised by having the individual being tested stand on a compliant foam surface. If there is a difficulty maintaining postural sway in this condition, the visual system is typically implicated given its preference over vestibular feedback for balance. In the fourth condition, the eyes are closed and the individual stands on foam. In this case, the visual and proprioceptive systems are compromised, shifting reliance to the vestibular system as the primary sensory source used to maintain balance” (2).