title: Effects of fast head turns on head, trunk and pelvis motions during standing and walking in patients with unilateral vestibular deficit.
abstract: Patients with unilateral vestibular deficit (UVD) report difficulties with maintaining balance while executing fast head turns. Our aim was to determine whether head, trunk, and pelvis angular displacements were symmetrical in patients with UVD as they executed voluntary yaw rotation of the head towards or away from the side of the vestibular lesion, during standing and walking. Eight patients who underwent surgical resection of an acoustic neuroma stood with feet together or walked at comfortable pace across a 10-meter walkway. They turned the head as quickly and as fast as possible in the direction indicated by an illuminating arrow (left, right or none). The head angular displacement was similar towards the affected and intact sides. Acceleration tended to be larger during head rotations towards the affected versus the intact side by 13% at the head, 42% at the trunk and 37% at the pelvis (p> 0.05, NS). The pelvis rotated opposite to the head in 65% of trials towards the affected side and 56% of the trials towards the intact side during standing and 81% and 69%, respectively during walking. Overall, the UVD had only a minor influence on the symmetry of head, trunk and pelvis kinematics during fast yaw rotation of the head executed during standing and walking.
authors.affiliation: School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8M5. npaquet@uottawa.ca
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Paquet
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dannenbaum
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hakim-Zadeh
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fung
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D007839:Functional Laterality; D019416:Head Movements; D006801:Humans; D007699:Kinesthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009039:Motion Perception; D009068:Movement; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D010388:Pelvis; D004856:Postural Balance; D012399:Rotation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013909:Thorax; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D016138:Walking