Clinical efficacy of the Romberg test using a foam pad to identify balance problems: a comparative study with the sensory organization test

The modified Romberg test using a foam pad ("MRuFP") as a bedside examination has been used to assess the function of the complex sensory input needed for upright stance. The objective of this study was to assess its clinical value detecting vestibular falls in comparison with the sensory organization test (SOT), the gold standard. In total, 80 patients who had undergone the MRuFP, SOT, and bithermal caloric tests were included in this study. The MRuFPs were performed on two (height 12 cm, MRu2FP) or three (18 cm, MRu3FP) layers of foam pads. The odds ratios of falling on SOT were calculated. Iterative algorithms were used for linear curve fitting between the balance time on the MRuFP and SOT equilibrium score (ES). The diagnostic performance of MRuFP under different conditions was poor, with low sensitivity (0.07-0.63), when the results of SOT were used as the gold standard. However, the odds ratios of failing SOT condition 5 were 6.78 (95 % CI = 1.26-36.50) for patients with abnormal findings on eyes closed (EC)-MRu2FP and 10.91 (95 % CI = 2.58-46.11) for those on the EC-MRu3FP in patients without caloric weakness. In patients with caloric weakness, the odds ratio of failing SOT condition 5 for patients with abnormal findings on EC-MRu2FP was 7.0 (95 % CI = 0.69-70.74, p > 0.05), and 32.0 for those on EC-MRu3FP (95 % CI = 2.81-364.7). A linear equation was presented as the model fit (adjusted R (2) = 0.355) predicting the SOT condition 5 ES according to the balance time on EC-MRu3FP. In conclusion, the EC-MRu3FP, as a bedside examination, correlated well with SOT condition 5 as an objective measure.