Subtype-specific optimal cut-off values of the Berg Balance Scale for predicting independent walking in…

Cohort studyJournal of rehabilitation medicine· Jul 2026

Subtype-specific optimal cut-off values of the Berg Balance Scale for predicting independent walking in inpatient stroke rehabilitation: a multicentre cohort study.

Jeong-Soo Kim, In-Geon Hwang, Eu-Jeong Ko

Stroke RehabilitationCohort studyPrognosisQ1IF 2.1

Higher admission Berg Balance Scale score is independently associated with walking independently at discharge.

Subtype-specific optimal cut-off values of the Berg Balance Scale for predicting independent walking in inpatient stroke rehabilitation: a multicentre cohort study.

Jeong-Soo Kim … Eu-Jeong Ko

Journal of rehabilitation medicine · Jul 2026 · Q1 in Rehabilitation

Purpose

To determine whether admission Berg Balance Scale score independently predicts independent walking on discharge after adjustment for major confounders, and to derive subtype-specific optimal cut-off values for ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke.

Methods

Multicentre retrospective cohort study.

Results

better admission balance predicted independent walking at discharge

aOR 1.05 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.08)

null 1

1.03

1.08

CI excludes the null - significant

More results

The difference in discriminative ability between the Berg Balance Scale only and multivariable models was not statistically significant (p = 0.097).

The overall optimal cut-off was 24 points; subtype-specific cut-offs were 33 for ischaemic and 12 for haemorrhagic stroke.

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Conclusion

The Berg Balance Scale has different optimal cut-off values by stroke subtype and, as a standalone assessment, maintains discriminative ability equivalent to a multivariable model, providing clinical evidence for subtype-specific precision rehabilitation strategies.

Subtype-specific optimal cut-off values of the Berg Balance Scale for predicting independent walking in inpatient stroke rehabilitation: a multicentre cohort study.

Subtype-specific optimal cut-off values of the Berg Balance Scale for predicting independent walking in inpatient stroke rehabilitation: a multicentre cohort study.

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