Comparative Evaluation of the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test and Berg Balance Scale for Postural Control in Stroke Survivors: A Retrospective Exploratory Study in Lahore

Abstract

Background: Post-stroke balance impairment can limit mobility, independence, and rehabilitation outcomes. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is widely used, whereas the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) was developed to capture several dynamic balance systems. Objective: To compare the documented measurement performance of the Mini-BESTest and BBS in stroke survivors and examine their relevance to walking-related functional status. Design: Retrospective exploratory study. Methods: Twenty-six stroke survivors aged 45–65 years were assessed at Lahore General Hospital and Sheikh Zaid Hospital, Lahore. The thesis dataset included Mini-BESTest and BBS item-level scores and ordinal walking-speed categories. Data were analyzed in SPSS 27 using descriptive statistics, an independent-samples t-test for two documented slow-walking subgroups, and an overall internal-consistency analysis. Results: The thesis dataset contained 26 valid cases. Mini-BESTest item means ranged from 1.65 to 2.00 on the thesis coding scale, while documented BBS item means ranged from 1.23 to 2.04 on a 0–4 scale. The overall 36-item dataset showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .873; standardized α = .860). The two documented slow-walking subgroups did not differ significantly in their coded walking-speed values (t(15) = −0.489, p = .632). Conclusions: Both instruments provided clinically relevant balance information, but the Mini-BESTest offered broader coverage of anticipatory, reactive, sensory, and dynamic balance domains. The findings support its use as a complementary or preferred assessment when dynamic balance deficits are clinically important. Because the available thesis output did not provide instrument-specific reliability coefficients or continuous gait-speed correlations, claims of superiority should be interpreted cautiously.

Keywords: Stroke; postural control; Mini-BESTest; Berg Balance Scale; balance assessment; gait; rehabilitation