Kinesthesia Test
Explore how a Kinesthesia Test works. Get access to a free test template for your patients.
Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.
What is a Kinesthesia Test?
A Kinesthesia Test, or the Brief Kinesthesia Test (BKT), is a clinical assessment designed to evaluate an individual's kinesthetic sense—specifically, their ability to perceive joint movement and position without visual cues. This test is particularly useful in patients with sensorimotor impairments, such as those recovering from a stroke, where proprioceptive feedback may be compromised.
During the test, the healthcare professional guides the participant’s hand through a series of reaching movements to designated target points. These movements are performed without visual assistance, which helps assess the participant's proprioceptive abilities and awareness of joint positioning. The patient is asked to replicate the reaching movement from a starting position to a target, with the examiner gently guiding the hand as necessary. The test is designed to evaluate both fine motor control and spatial awareness of joint movement.
The procedure involves performing three trials for each hand—two longer reaches and one shorter reach (Borstad & Nichols-Larsen, 2016). This allows for a thorough assessment of both accuracy and consistency in kinesthetic perception. The examiner should ensure that the patient is seated comfortably and that all equipment, such as the visual shield and tape measure, is in place to facilitate accurate testing.
By administering this test, clinicians can gain valuable insights into the participant's proprioceptive abilities and identify areas where sensorimotor recovery may need further attention.
Kinesthesia Test Template
Kinesthesia Test Example
How to use the Kinesthesia Test template
Our free Kinesthesia Test template includes instructions on how to perform Borstad and Nichols-Larsen's Brief Kinesthesia Test (2016). Follow these steps to get started:
Step 1: Access the test
Click the "Use template" button to access the template via the Carepatron app. This allows you to customize the content for your needs.
Step 2: Familiarize yourself with the content
Before administering the test, read through the provided instructions and guidelines in the template. Understanding the test's structure and objectives will ensure you can effectively administer it and interpret the results accurately.
Step 3: Set up the testing environment
Ensure you have the necessary equipment and materials for the test, such as a comfortable and quiet space, a chair for the patient, and any additional tools specified in the template. Create a calm, distraction-free environment to facilitate the best possible results.
Step 4: Administer the test
Follow the instructions in the template step by step as you guide the patient through the test. Ensure to follow the recommended procedures for assessing kinesthetic awareness and make note of any relevant observations during the test.
Step 5: Record the results
As you administer the test, use the template’s fields to document the patient’s responses and other significant information. This will help you track the patient's performance and identify areas of improvement.
Step 6: Review the results
Once the test is complete, review the recorded results for accuracy and consistency. Reflect on the patient’s performance to determine any recommendations or next steps for treatment based on the test's findings.
Scoring
The scoring of this Kinesthesia Test involves measuring the accuracy of the participant’s movements in relation to the target locations (Dunn et al., 2013). After each trial, the distance between the participant's response and the target is recorded in centimeters. The test consists of three trials per hand—two longer and one shorter reach. This combination ensures a comprehensive assessment of the participant's kinesthetic sense.
To calculate the final score for each hand, you sum the two longest distances from the three trials. This scoring method highlights the participant's consistency in their reaching movements.
The total score is derived for each hand by adding the two longest distances from the trials. This provides a quantifiable measure of the participant’s kinesthetic perception, which can be used to track improvements or identify areas for further intervention in their recovery process.
Kinesthesia versus proprioception
Both kinesthesia and proprioception are critical senses that allow the body to understand its position and movement in space, contributing to balance, coordination, and motor control. Though these terms are often used interchangeably, they refer to different aspects of body awareness.
Proprioception
Proprioception or proprioceptive sense refers to the body’s ability to sense the position and movement of its parts, providing critical feedback to the central nervous system about limb position and the strength of effort required for movement. This sensory system allows individuals to perceive their body’s position in space without relying on vision. It plays a crucial role in daily activities, such as stepping off a curb and knowing where to place your foot or pressing an elevator button with the appropriate amount of pressure. One of the primary components of proprioception is joint position sense (JPS), which is the ability to perceive the position and angle of a joint, even without visual input.
Kinesthesia
Kinesthesia, often used interchangeably with proprioception, refers specifically to the awareness of body movement and the positions of body parts during activity. This sense is mediated by proprioceptors—sensory receptors in muscles and joints. Kinesthesia is closely linked to muscle memory, which enables individuals to perform learned movements with little conscious effort. It is also vital for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Difference
While proprioception includes the awareness of both limb position and balance, kinesthesia is more focused on the body's motion and movement dynamics. For example, a disruption in balance due to an inner ear infection might impair proprioception, as the person would struggle to maintain equilibrium without visual cues. However, kinesthesia would remain intact, and the person could still walk with their eyes open. In this case, proprioception integrates balance, while kinesthesia is limited to the perception of movement and position during activity.
References
Borstad, A., & Nichols-Larsen, D. S. (2016). The brief kinesthesia test is feasible and sensitive: A study in stroke. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 20(1), 81–86. https://doi.org/10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0132
Dunn, W., Griffith, J. W., Morrison, M. T., Tanquary, J., Sabata, D., Victorson, D., Carey, L. M., & Gershon, R. C. (2013). Somatosensation assessment using the NIH Toolbox. Neurology, 80(11 Suppl 3), S41. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182872c54
Commonly asked questions
Kinesthesia testing assesses an individual's ability to sense movement and position of their body parts.
An example of kinesthesia is being able to accurately perceive the movement of your arm when you close your eyes. For instance, if someone moves your arm at the elbow joint, you should be able to sense the direction and range of that movement without seeing it, relying on kinesthetic awareness of joint angles and muscle activity.
Proprioception refers to the overall sense of body position and orientation in space, encompassing static and dynamic states, such as standing or sitting. It is integral for maintaining balance and performing coordinated movements. Proprioception is often evaluated using assessments like the distal proprioception test, which measures an individual's ability to detect changes in joint angle. Additionally, somatosensory stimulation training can enhance proprioceptive awareness by targeting the sensory feedback systems responsible for detecting body position.
Kinesthesia, on the other hand, specifically relates to the sense of movement, such as detecting changes in joint angles during motion. While proprioception includes kinesthesia, kinesthesia is focused on the perception of movement and the ability to sense how the body parts move in space.
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