Background and Purpose: The Balance Evaluation Systems Test(BESTest) has been shown to be a reliable and valid measure of balance in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). A less time-consuming assessment may increase clinical utility. We compared the discriminative fall risk ability of the Mini-BESTest with that of the BESTest and determined the reliability and normal distribution of scores for each section of the BESTest and the Mini-BESTest in individuals with PD. Methods: Eighty individuals with idiopathic PD were assessed using the BESTest and Mini-BESTest. A faller was defined as an individual with 2 or more falls in the prior 6 months. Subsets of individuals were used to determine interrater (n = 15) and test-retest reliability (n = 24). Results: The Mini-BESTest, total BESTest score, and all sections of the BESTest showed a significant difference between the average scores of fallers and nonfallers. For both the Mini-BESTest and BESTest, interrater (intraclass correlation ICC ≥ 0.91) and test-retest (ICC ≥ 0.88) reliability was high. The Mini-BESTest and BESTest were highly correlated (r = 0.955). Accuracy of identifying a faller was comparable for the Mini-BESTest and BESTest (area under the receiver operating characteristic plots = 0.86 and 0.84, respectively). Discussion: No specific section of the BESTest captured the primary balance deficit for individuals with PD. The posttest probabilities for discriminating fallers versus nonfallers were comparable-to-slightly stronger when using the Mini-BESTest. Conclusion: Although the Mini-BESTest has fewer than half of the items in the BESTest and takes only 15 minutes to complete, it is as reliable as the BESTest and has comparable-to-slightly greater discriminative properties for identifying fallers in individuals with PD.

Partnered tango dance can improve balance and gait in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Partnered dance may allow these individuals to challenge balance more than nonpartnered dance. Alternatively, partnered practice could reduce balance gains because the participant may rely on the partner as a balance aid when challenged. The authors compared the effects of partnered and nonpartnered dance on balance and mobility in 39 people (11 women) with mild-moderate PD (Hoehn and Yahr stages I-III). Participants were randomly assigned to partnered or nonpartnered tango and attended 1-hour classes twice per week, completing 20 lessons within 10 weeks. Balance and gait were evaluated in the weeks immediately before, immediately after, and 1 month after the intervention. Both groups significantly improved on the Berg Balance Scale, comfortable and fast-as-possible walking velocity, and cadence. Improvements were maintained at the 1-month follow-up. The nonpartnered class improved as much as the partnered class; however, partnered participants expressed more enjoyment and interest in continuing.

Background: Gait impairments, balance impairments, and falls are prevalent in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Although the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) can be considered the reference standard for the determination of fall risk, it has a noted ceiling effect. Development of ceiling-free measures that can assess balance and are good at discriminating “fallers” from “nonfallers” is needed. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) and the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) with the BBS among individuals with PD and evaluate the tests' reliability, validity, and discriminatory sensitivity and specificity for fallers versus nonfallers. Design: This was an observational study of community-dwelling individuals with idiopathic PD. Methods: The BBS, FGA, and BESTest were administered to 80 individuals with PD. Interrater reliability (n=15) was assessed by 3 raters. Test-retest reliability was based on 2 tests of participants (n=24), 2 weeks apart. Intraclass correlation coefficients (2,1) were used to calculate reliability, and Spearman correlation coefficients were used to assess validity. Cutoff points, sensitivity, and specificity were based on receiver operating characteristic plots. Results: Test-retest reliability was .80 for the BBS, .91 for the FGA, and .88 for the BESTest. Interrater reliability was greater than .93 for all 3 tests. The FGA and BESTest were correlated with the BBS (r=.78 and r=.87, respectively). Cutoff scores to identify fallers were 47/56 for the BBS, 15/30 for the FGA, and 69% for the BESTest. The overall accuracy (area under the curve) for the BBS, FGA, and BESTest was .79, .80, and .85, respectively. Limitations: Fall reports were retrospective. Conclusion: Both the FGA and the BESTest have reliability and validity for assessing balance in individuals with PD. The BESTest is most sensitive for identifying fallers.