Test-retest reliability of the pediatric clinical test of sensory interaction for balance in 4-6 years old children

The pediatric clinical test of sensory interaction for balance (P-CTSIB) evaluates the functional maturity of vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems and the quality of sensory interactions between these systems. This test is a simple and inexpensive tool used in the clinical tests of balance performance. The current study aimed at examining the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the P-CTSIB test in preschool children.
The present study was performed on 38 children aged 4 to 6 years in preschools and kindergartens of Tehran, Iran. The test consists of 12 positions including visual positions (eyes open, eyes closed, and wearing a visual-conflict dome), support surface (standing on a hard surface and a foam) and the position of the feet (feet together and heel-toe position). The subjects were evaluated in each of the P-CTSIB test positions twice.
Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for standing duration, antero-posterior sway, and lateral sway were 0.92, 0.77, and 0.84, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ranged from 0.70 to 0.92 for standing duration, 0.27 to 0.89 for antero-posterior sway, and 0.31 to 0.87 for lateral sway.
The results of this study showed that the internal consistency of the P-CTSIB test in 4-6-year-old children was significant. This test has a high reliability in the feet together position. Therefore, the P-CTSIB test with feet together is suggested as a reliable clinical measure to assess children’s balance.