2001; Quantitative assessment of the postural control after vestibular rehabilitation in patients with central vestibular disease

Abstract #21440, Date "Sunday, Feb 4 2001 1:00PM - 12:00PM "
Session E3 Clinical Otolaryngology I

Quantitative assessment of the postural control after vestibular rehabilitation in patients with central vestibular disease

Alejo Suarez , Mariana Arocena , Pablo Muse , Hamlet SUAREZ

"Central vestibular disorders(CVD) can elicit imbalance and lack of postural control, in the elderly population. Twelve patients (71-82 y/o) with imbalance and CVD defined by means of the clinical assessment and electronistagmography, were treated with a vestibular rehabilitation program (VRP). The postural control was assessed before and after the treatment with the Test of the Equilibrium Under Altered Condition. The postural responses were measured through a platform (AMTI), measuring the Confidential Ellipse (CE) of the center of pressure distribution area in 80 sec. record, and the Sway Velocity (SV). During the test, visual stimuli were performed in order to measure the postural control with a moving environment. The stimulation paradigm was A- standing position without specific visual stimulation, B- standing with visual stimulation (Smooth pursuit -sinusoid 0,2 Hz-, and optokinetic stimulus -65?/s-). Signal processing was done with a scalogram by wavelets in order to observe the time-frequency relation of the postural control. Significant changes pre and post VRP in the CE and the SV were determined using Student`s t-test for independent samples, and as a level of significant error, an alpha 0,05 was accepted. The correletion with the clinical follow up in this group of patients with CVD, allow us to propose as 'markers' of the adaptive behaviour after VRP, in the three condition of the stimulation paradigm: 1_ the decrease of the CE, 2_ the decrease of the SV, 3_ lower values in the power of the sway frequencies contents in X and Y axis measured in Arbitrary Units of Energy Density by wavelets. Two clinical implications are analized: i- measuring the response to the treatment, ii- determining the risk of fall in elderly population. "