RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The ability to maintain balance can be affected by misperception of the body position in space that is common in individuals with a stroke. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether individuals with recent stroke could participate in assessment of their perceived body position in standing. METHODS: Eight individuals who sustained a stroke and who exhibited visiospatial problems and eight healthy control subjects participated in the study. They were positioned on a platform that was tilted in toes up/down or left/right directions and identified the position of their body when they felt that the body was vertical when the platform on which they were standing was returning back to a horizontal position after being tilted. RESULTS: Mean errors in perceived antero-posterior platform position were 1.75±0.25deg in patients and 0.66±0.28deg in control subjects (p<0.05). In the lateral plane mean errors in perceived platform position were 1.64±0.32deg in patients and 0.54±0.07deg in control subjects (p<0.05). Patients identified perceived body position approximately three times worse than control subjects in both anterior-posterior and lateral planes. CONCLUSIONS: This technique may be used for assessment of perceived body position in standing. SIGNIFICANCE: Objective measurement of perceived body position in standing could help to better understand the stroke-related disability.