title: A head shake sensory organization test to improve the sensitivity of the sensory organization test in the elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The head shake sensory organization test (HS-SOT) is an expansion of the sensory organization test (SOT), which evaluates impairment of the patient's ability to apply vestibular input while actively moving the head. HS-SOTs has been proposed to increase the sensitivity of SOTs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of HS-SOTs in a healthy population with respect to age and compare the sensitivity of HS-SOTs with that of SOTs in the elderly population.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred two (n = 102) healthy subjects were divided into 3 age groups: the young adult group (between 20 and 39 yr), the adult group (between 40 and 59 yr), and the elderly group (between 60 and 79 yr). The subjects underwent SOTs and HS-SOTs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The equilibrium scores of HS-SOTs underwent more significant change than those of SOTs in the elderly group. The equilibrium score ratio SOT2/HS-SOT2 (HS-SOT during SOT condition 2) decreased by 4% more in the elderly group compared with that of the young adult group. The ratio of SOT5/HS-SOT5 decreased by 54% more in the elderly group compared with that of the young adult group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the elderly, equilibrium scores of HS-SOTs changed more than those of SOTs. In addition, SOT5/HS-SOT5 demonstrated more sensitive changes in the elderly than SOT2/HS-SOT2 did.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon-si, South Korea.
authors.forename: Moo Kyun
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun-Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jae Gu
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Chang-Jae
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Soon Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D019416:Head Movements; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D055815:Young Adult