Sensory Organization Test

It changes visual cues and the support surface in a systematic way, then measures postural sway during those challenges. Comparing sway across conditions shows how effectively the brain integrates visual, vestibular, and somatosensory information. This approach helps identify which sensory contributions are associated with a patient’s dizziness, imbalance, or impaired postural control.

A patient may maintain balance by relying excessively on vision or on feedback from the support surface. When those cues are altered, increased postural sway can reveal difficulty using other available sensory information. Identifying this dependence gives clinicians a more specific view of the sensory factors contributing to imbalance rather than treating balance performance as a single, undifferentiated problem.

The vestibular system provides one of the sensory inputs that the brain integrates to maintain posture. Altering visual information and support-surface feedback makes vestibular contribution more apparent during the assessment. The resulting sway measurements can therefore support evaluation of vestibular dysfunction and help distinguish sensory involvement in patients experiencing dizziness or imbalance.

The patient is assessed while visual cues and the support surface are systematically altered. These changes create different sensory challenges for postural control, while the assessment measures postural sway. Clinicians can then examine how performance changes across the challenges, using the pattern of responses to evaluate sensory integration rather than relying only on a single balance observation.

Clinicians may use the Sensory Organization Test when evaluating dizziness, imbalance, or suspected vestibular dysfunction. It is also relevant for patients with neurological disorders in whom sensory contributions to postural control need clarification. The results can support diagnosis by showing whether altered use of visual, vestibular, or somatosensory information accompanies the patient’s balance difficulties.

Results can help identify the sensory contributions that should receive attention during balance rehabilitation. Because the assessment measures postural sway under systematically altered sensory conditions, clinicians can compare performance patterns over time. This makes the test useful for monitoring changes in patients with vestibular or neurological disorders and for evaluating whether postural control improves during follow-up.