Capacity of adolescents with cerebral palsy on paediatric balance scale and Berg balance scale.
Both Berg and Pediatric Balance Scales validly rank balance in adolescents with cerebral palsy across GMFCS levels.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Chanada and team gave two balance tests to 42 teens with cerebral palsy.
They used the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS).
Each teen was also rated on the GMFCS-E&R, a five-level walking scale.
What they found
Both tests tracked the GMFCS levels well.
Only at level III did the PBS static score differ from the BBS.
This tiny gap shows both tools are valid for this group.
How this fits with other research
Enkelaar et al. (2013) also found the BBS useful, but in older adults with intellectual disability.
Their sample scored much lower than same-age peers, proving the scale is sensitive without fancy gear.
Pennington et al. (2013) built a speech scale for kids with CP; like Chanada, they aimed for a quick, reliable clinic tool.
Together, these papers show simple, low-cost measures can work across CP sub-groups and ages.
Why it matters
You can grab either the BBS or PBS and feel confident.
Pick one, stay consistent, and track progress as teens move through GMFCS levels.
No extra gear or training is needed—just a stopwatch and a mat.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The Berg balance scale (BBS) and the paediatric balance scale (PBS) are reliable tools for measuring balance ability. However, reports of BBS and PBS scores in adolescent cerebral palsy have been limited. The objectives of this study were to investigate functional balance capacities, as tested with the BBS and PBS in adolescents with cerebral palsy, to compare the total PBS and BBS scores between Gross Motor Function Classification System-Expanded and Revised (GMFCS-E&R) levels and to compare the static balance PBS and BBS scores within each GMFCS-E&R level. Fifty-eight school-aged adolescents with cerebral palsy between the ages of 12 and 18 years with GMFCS-E&R levels of I to IV were recruited. The Kruskal-Wallis test was utilized to compare the median scores for the PBS and BBS between the different GMFCS-E&R levels. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed to examine the differences in the static balance scores between the PBS and the BBS within the same GMFCS-E&R levels. The results reveal that there were differences in the BBS and PBS scores among the four GMFCS-E&R levels. A significant difference was found between the BBS and PBS scores only among the patients with cerebral palsy and level III GMFCS-E&R. The BBS and PBS are valid and reliable tools for clinical examination and for distinguishing between levels of functional balance in adolescents with cerebral palsy.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2015 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2014.09.016