The Romberg test

The Romberg test, also known as the Romberg test or Romberg standing test, is a neurological test that examines your body's ability to sense your movements and position.

The Romberg test is simple and requires no preparation or instruments and it is often performed as part of a specialist neurological examination, ENT examination or vestibular examination. In order to perform the test, the patient must stand upright with their feet close together. The patient must maintain this position for 30 seconds with their eyes open, then for another 30 seconds with their eyes closed.

During the test, the arms can be held next to the body, crossed in front of the body or held at a right angle to the torso. In both phases of the test (with eyes open and with eyes closed), the goal is  to maintain balance. Any signs of imbalance or the tendency to sway may indicate the presence of a possible condition.

The Romberg test is positive if the patient is unable to maintain balance with closed eyes.  If the patient is suffering from ataxia, it likely that the patient sways in all directions during the test. However, if the patient is suffering from a dysfunction of the vestibular system, the patient tends to always sway in the same direction, most often to the side affected by the deficit. Contrarily, the Romberg test is negative if the patient is able to stay stable during the test and have minimal swaying. This means that any vestibular or proprioceptive symptoms may not be related to balancing issues. Based on the results, the ENT doctor assesses whether further examinations are necessary and the appropriate therapy.