Evaluation of clinical measures of equilibrium.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the clinical utility of several simple measures of static and dynamic equilibrium in human subjects. In particular, one proposed clinical measure, the Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance (CTSIB) was compared with dynamic posturography for the measurement of postural control capabilities.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of normal subjects and prospective observational study of the same performance measures in vestibular disorder patients.


METHODS
Academic tertiary care referral center.


METHODS
Data were collected for all test measures from a group of normal subjects (ages, 20 to 79 years), as well as for a group of patients undergoing treatment for vestibular dysfunction.


RESULTS
Data suggest that several semiquantitative clinical tests of static and dynamic equilibrium can be helpful in evaluating and monitoring patients with chronic vestibular dysfunction. The CTSIB results seem to correlate well with dynamic posturography, suggesting that this measure may be useful in identifying patients with abnormal postural control. Formal dynamic posturography testing appears to be more sensitive in detecting abnormal postural control and more exact in defining the specific pattern of dysfunction.


CONCLUSIONS
Simple clinical measures of static and dynamic equilibrium can reliably distinguish vestibular disorder patients from normal subjects. Dynamic posturography continues to play an important role in the functional evaluation and management of vestibular disorder patients.
El-Kashlan
H K
HK
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-0312, USA.
Shepard
N T
NT
Asher
A M
AM
Smith-Wheelock
M
M
Telian
S A
SA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology