Evaluation of proprioception in the student population using the modified Romberg test: effect of an intervention

Abstract

Background: The modified Romberg test is useful in measuring proprioception in adults even with its limited application at present due to lack of consensus and uniformity between the different tests. However, this is a rapid, reliable, reproducible and economical test. Objective: to assess, using the modified Romberg test, the impact on proprioception when a training exercise program is implemented in a university population. Materials and Methods: Observational, quasi-experimental, before-after intervention study, without control group. Sample of 53 medical students from UPTC - Tunja in the period 2022-2. A training intervention was carried out to stimulate proprioception, the impact of which was evaluated using the modified Romberg test before and after training. The information was tabulated and analyzed in the Epi-Info7 software, with descriptive statistics techniques for quantitative variables and contingency tables were designed for categorical variables. Results: an increase in the mean time of the final result compared to the initial one was found for both lateralities and in the same sense a positive difference was found between the final mean result and the initial one, with an initial average for the right leg of 17 seconds and final 21.6 seconds; for the left leg they were 16.6 seconds initially and 21.4 seconds at the end. The average difference for the right leg was 5.09 seconds, which was greater than the difference of 4.75 seconds for the left leg. Conclusion: The modified Romberg test is useful in measuring proprioception; Cut-off point of this test is 20 seconds, results below this are considered a proprioceptive deficit and results above this indicate the proprioceptive state; Proprioception is a poorly studied, exercised and evaluated sense that needs more research and application in the clinic to prevent injuries.