Romberg test

From Ganfyd

A test for proprioception and ataxia

Moritz Heinrich Romberg described this as a sign of tabes dorsalis, which would then have been caused by late-stage Syphilis.

Stand the patient up with their feet together, place your hands on each side of them and ask them to close their eyes. The test has a positive Romberg's sign if they have to open their eyes to avoid falling over but an idea of the effectiveness of their mechanisms of balance can be gained from the degree of increase of wobbling. Such is termed Rombergism.

Problems are not always central - transient injuries to the ankle may by reducing proprioception increase the sway.