OBJECTIVE: To investigate the utility of foam posturography for assessing equilibrium at the chronic stage after acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy. METHODS: Thirty-four consecutive patients (16 patients at the chronic stage) with acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy and absent caloric responses unilaterally were recruited, along with 66 healthy control subjects. Two-legged stance tasks were performed in 4 conditions: with eyes open or closed, with or without using foam rubber. We adopted 6 parameters: the movement velocity of the center of pressure, the envelopment area traced by the movement of the center of pressure with eyes closed/foam rubber, Romberg's ratios of velocity and area with foam rubber, and the foam ratios (the ratio of a parameter measured with and without foam rubber) of velocity and area with eyes closed. RESULTS: All 6 parameters were significantly higher in the patients in the acute/subacute stage (<3 mo) than in the control subjects (p < 0.0001). Five parameters, excluding the foam ratio of the area with eyes closed, were still significantly higher in the patients at the chronic stage (>3 mo) than in the control subjects (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Foam posturography is useful for assessing equilibrium even at the chronic stage after acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the utility of foam posturography for assessing equilibrium at the chronic stage after acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy. METHODS: Thirty-four consecutive patients (16 patients at the chronic stage) with acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy and absent caloric responses unilaterally were recruited, along with 66 healthy control subjects. Two-legged stance tasks were performed in 4 conditions: with eyes open or closed, with or without using foam rubber. We adopted 6 parameters: the movement velocity of the center of pressure, the envelopment area traced by the movement of the center of pressure with eyes closed/foam rubber, Romberg's ratios of velocity and area with foam rubber, and the foam ratios (the ratio of a parameter measured with and without foam rubber) of velocity and area with eyes closed. RESULTS: All 6 parameters were significantly higher in the patients in the acute/subacute stage (<3 mo) than in the control subjects (p < 0.0001). Five parameters, excluding the foam ratio of the area with eyes closed, were still significantly higher in the patients at the chronic stage (>3 mo) than in the control subjects (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Foam posturography is useful for assessing equilibrium even at the chronic stage after acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy.
Authors: Helen S Cohen; Ajitkumar P Mulavara; Brian T Peters; Haleh Sangi-Haghpeykar; Jacob J Bloomberg Journal: Laryngoscope Date: 2013-10-02 Impact factor: 3.325