Joint Assessment of Equilibrium and Neuromotor Function: A Validation Study in Patients with Fibromyalgia

Abstract

Objective: To develop and validate a tool for evaluating balance and neuromotor function in patients with fibromyalgia (FMS). Methods: Brainstorming, the nominal group technique, and pilot-testing were used to select a battery of 20 functional balance tests that were included in a screening tool. A total of 108 subjects (62 with fibromyalgia syndrome, 22 aged over 65 years, and 24 healthy subjects) participated in this validation study. Factor validity, internal consistency, the ability to discriminate between patients and healthy subjects, and concurrent validity with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), and other tools for measuring balance, such as the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC-16), the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), and posturographic parameters, were evaluated. Results: The factorial analysis extracted four factors that explained 70% of the variance. The Alpha Cronbach value was 0.928. Concurrent validity of the screening tool with respect to other tools was high, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed an AUC value of 0.932 for discriminating between healthy and FMS subjects. Severe balance disorder related to head movements in FMS patients was found. Conclusion: The 20-item JAEN (Joint Assessment of Equilibrium and Neuro-motor Function) screening tool is a valid and reliable tool for assessing balance in patients with FMS.

Vestibular Disability/Handicap in Fibromyalgia: A Questionnaire Study

“…One limitation to our study was the usage of generic tools such as DHI and SVQ questionnaires for detecting dizziness. Future studies should implement more specific tools for FM patients such as the 20-item Joint Assessment of Equilibrium and in addition the Neuro-Motor Function Screening, which has been recently validated as a reliable tool for assessing balance in patients with FM [ 54 ].…”

Relationship between Kinesiophobia and Mobility, Impact of the Disease, and Fear of Falling in Women with and without Fibromyalgia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…This tool is a self-report questionnaire developed and validated by the Prevention of Falls Network Europe (ProFaNE), providing information on the level of concern about falls for a range of activities of daily living inside and outside the home, providing excellent reliability and validity [ 37 , 46 ]. This questionnaire has been previously used in the FM population [ 47 ]. The FES-I contains 16 items scored on a four-point scale (1 = not at all concerned, 4 = very concerned), and a higher score is associated with a greater fear of falling [ 46 ].…”

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Brain Electrical Activity, Heart Rate Variability, and Dual-Task Performance in Healthy and Fibromyalgia Women: A Study Protocol

“…Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I), FES-I, is a self-administered questionnaire that consists of 16 items that are scored on a four-point scale in which the higher the score, the greater the fear of falling [ 80 ]. This questionnaire has previously been used in people with FM [ 81 ]. The Spanish version of the FES-I will be used in this study [ 82 ].…”