Dynamic Posturography in the Assessment of Balance
Dynamic posturography (i.e., computerized dynamic posturography) tests balance control in situations intended to isolate the factors that affect balance in everyday experiences. The individual wears a harness to prevent falls and stands on an enclosed platform surrounded by a visual field. By altering the angle of the platform or shifting the visual field, the test is intended to assess movement coordination and the sensory organization of visual, somatosensory, and vestibular information relevant to postural control.
An example of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved dynamic posturography device is NeuroCom EquiTest®.
POLICY
Dynamic posturography as a method of assessing balance control is considered investigational.
IMPORTANT REMINDER
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Existing studies fail to provide adequate data to evaluate this technology as a diagnostic test.
The lack of randomized controlled studies and poor quality of published studies provide no evidence of the health outcome effects of treatment decisions based on dynamic posturography.
SOURCES
BlueCross BlueShield Association. Medical Policy Reference Manual. (10:2009). Dynamic posturography (2.01.02). Retrieved February 2, 2010 from BlueWeb. (19 articles and/or guidelines reviewed)
Gouveris, H., Stripf, T., Victor, A., & Mann, W. (2007). Dynamic posturography findings predict balance status in vestibular schwannoma patients. Otology and Neurotology, 28 (3), 372-375. Abstract retrieved June 26, 2007 from PubMed database.
Technology Evaluation Center. (1996, September). Dynamic posturography in the assessment of vestibular dysfunction (Vol. 11, No. 11). Chicago: BlueCross BlueShield Association. (28 articles and/or guidelines reviewed)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (1995, August). Center for Devices and Radiological Health. 510(k) Premarket Notification Database. K951771. Retrieved February 2, 2010 from http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=105728.
ORIGINAL EFFECTIVE DATE: 9/1992
MOST RECENT REVIEW DATE: 4/8/2010