The influence of acute vestibular disorder on balance control and gait characteristics

Purpose The potential of static and dynamic posturography as a method for characterizing vestibular disease-specific effects is still unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of acute vestibular disorders on balance control and gait characteristics in comparison to healthy controls using Zebris^® FDM platform.

Methods In this study, 21 patients with acute neuritis vestibularis (NV) and 20 age and gender-matched subjects without vertigo symptoms (CG) participated. Four static tasks and four dynamic conditions were carried out on the Zebris^® FDM platform. Different Center of Pressure (COP)-parameters as well as spatio-temporal gait characteristics were observed. In addition to caloric testing, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES-I) were included in the test setup.

Results The NV had a significant higher sway area, COP displacement (AP) during normal standing with closed eyes (NSCE) and a significant higher COP speed, a higher COP displacement in anterior-posterior (AP) as well as in medio-lateral (ML) direction during closed standing with closed eyes (CSCE) as the CG.

Conclusion Static and dynamic measurements using a pressure distribution platform can be considered as complementary instruments in the diagnosis of acute vestibular neuritis. Especially the two static conditions NSCE and CSCE as well as the dynamic tasks Normal Walk (NW) and Parallel Walk Test 20cm (PW20) seem to be subtests to distinguish between healthy subjects and vertigo patients.

Poster-PDF A-1279.pdf

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
13. Mai 2021