[Value of dynamic postural control tests on elderly people with vestibulopathy].
OBJECTIVE
The stability limits and rhythmic weight shift tests study the functional capacity to achieve voluntary postural control of movement in the standing position. The objectives of this paper are to know the interest of these tests in the evaluation of elderly people with vestibular disorders and their relation with the number of falls suffered during the year prior to the study.


METHODS
Sixty elderly people (65-80 years old) with vestibular disorders (patients) and 60 healthy subjects (control group) of similar age were selected. According to videonystagmographic and clinical criteria, the patients group was divided into compensated and decompensated. All the subjects in the sample performed the stability limits and rhythmic weight shift tests with the NedSVE/IBV system. The number of falls of each subject was determined by a meticulous anamnesis.


RESULTS
Compensated patients, decompensated patients and the control group had similar scores in this instrumental functional evaluation, without any statistically significant differences. None of the parameters assessed in this study correlated statistically with the subjects' number of falls during the year prior to the study.


CONCLUSIONS
The stability limits and rhythmic weight shift tests are of little utility in the functional evaluation of the elderly with vestibular disorders and in the detection of patients with greater risk of falls.
Ortuño-Cortés
Miguel A
MA
Clínica Barona y Asociados, Casa de Salud, Valencia, España. maortuno@hotmail.com
Martín-Sanz
Eduardo
E
Barona-de Guzmán
Rafael
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*