Evaluation of postural balance in children with normal hearing using Wii Balance Board

Abstract

Posturography provides valuable information about the balance. Wii Balance Board is inexpensive and when used with specially designed software is a potentially effective tool for instrumental balance assessment. Objective: To study the main outcome variables of postural balance in healthy children using the Wii Balance Board platform. Methods: Postural balance parameters of 38 children with normal hearing and without vestibular complaints were recorded using Wii Balance Board and Wii Posturografie software. Way, Area, Lat, Ant-Post, AP/Lat parameters in position with eyes opened and closed were measured. Romberg Way, Romberg Area parameters were calculated. Results: Numerical values of postural balance in children significantly increased with closed eyes position. The parameter Area, obtained during the study in open eyes, was improving with increasing the children age. The parameters of postural balance Way, Area, AP, obtained during the study with eyes closed, were likely to be decreased with increasing age of a child. Conclusion: This paper describes the quantitative data of postural balance in healthy children obtained with the Wii Balance Board platform and Wii Posturografie software.