Identifying deficits in balance control following vestibular or proprioceptive loss using posturographic analysis of stance tasks.
OBJECTIVE
To distinguish between normal and deficient balance control due to vestibular loss (VL) or proprioceptive loss (PL) using pelvis and shoulder sway measures.


METHODS
Body-worn gyroscopes measured pelvis and shoulder sway in pitch (anterior-posterior) and roll (side-to-side) directions in 6 VL, 6 PL and 26 control subjects during 4 stance tasks. Sway amplitudes were compared between groups, and were used to select optimal measures that could distinguish between these groups.


RESULTS
VL and PL patients had greater sway amplitudes than controls when standing on foam with eyes closed. PL patients also swayed more when standing with eyes closed on firm support and eyes open on foam. Standard sensory analysis techniques only differentiated VL patients from controls. Stepwise discriminate analysis showed that differentiation required pitch measures for VL patients, roll measures for PL patients, and both measures for all three groups. Pelvis measures yielded better discrimination than shoulder measures.


CONCLUSIONS
Distinguishing between normal and deficient balance control due to VL or PL required pitch and roll pelvis sway measures.


CONCLUSIONS
Accurate identification of balance deficits due to VL or PL may be useful in clinical practice as a functional diagnostic tool or to monitor balance improvements in VL or PL patients.
Horlings
C G C
CG
Department of ORL, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
Küng
U M
UM
Bloem
B R
BR
Honegger
F
F
Van Alfen
N
N
Van Engelen
B G M
BG
Allum
J H J
JH
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010388:Pelvis / Q000294:innervation; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012782:Shoulder / Q000294:innervation; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult