Test-retest, intra- and inter-rater reliability of the reactive balance test in healthy recreational athletes

Objective: The reactive balance test (RBT) is a recently developed neurocognitive balance test. The aim of this study was to determine test-retest, intra- and inter-rater reliability of the RBT in healthy recreational athletes. Design: Reliability study design. Setting: Primary. Participants: Twenty-one volunteers (age = 22 ± 1 years, height = 175 ± 9 cm, weight = 69 ± 7 kg) participated. Interventions: The two experimental trials were separated by an average of 33 ± 15 days. During experimental trials participants performed the Y-balance test (to determine maximal reach distances), and RBT once. Main outcome measures: Visuomotor response time and accuracy. Test-retest, intra- and inter-rater reliability were estimated for both these RBT outcome measures. Results: Excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability was observed for visuomotor response time and accuracy. Test-retest reliability for visuomotor response time was considered good, while moderate test-retest reliability was found for accuracy. Conclusions: Our results indicate that overall test-retest, intra- and inter-rater reliability of the RBT was moderate to excellent. Thus, the RBT possesses acceptable reliability to use in group level analyses. Future research should further determine the clinimetric properties of the RBT in specific populations and research the RBT along the sport injury continuum.