earticle

영어

Balance is one of essential components to improve functional level after stroke, which is complicated motor skill depending on multi sensory-motor process and interaction between environmental factor and functional condition. After stroke, neurological impairments lead to the decrease in functional level and produce compensatory strategy in order to ensure an independence in daily activities. Because of such variety in this aspect, precise evaluation should be performed to identify the problems of each patients in motor, sensory, and cognition as well as functional implications, which is helpful to establish individualized program in stroke rehabilitation. Tools to evaluate balance function should be adequately valid, and selected by reflecting personal characteristics of patients with stroke. Therefore, many evaluation tools have been developed to demonstrate balance function. Laboratory tests are difficult to be commonly used in clinical setting, benefits are to offer quantitative data on balance reaction and performance. Also, clinical tests provide valuable data to understand postural impairment and function disability of patients with stroke. Accordingly, this study aimed to describe balance mechanisms and strategies as well as evaluation methods of balance function in stroke. Focus was to demonstrate clinical tests to readily use in clinical setting.