title: Impact of pre-operative regular physical activity on balance control compensation after vestibular schwannoma surgery.
abstract: Vestibular compensation after unilateral vestibular deafferentation is modulated by certain individual characteristics, such as pre-operative visual neurosensory preference or vestibular pattern. Physical activity (PA) allows the implementation of new sensorimotor and behavioral strategies leading to an improvement of balance control. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the level of PA before surgery on balance compensatory mechanisms in patients after vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery. Thirty patients with VS, 15 considered as regularly physically active and 15 as sedentary participated in this study, including an evaluation of gaze control by videonystagmography and postural control by a sensory organization test. Patients considered as physically active before surgery presented the best pattern of postural compensation, with the classical decrease in postural performances at short term (i.e. eight days) and the increase in postural performances at middle and long terms (i.e. 90 and 180 days, respectively) after surgery. For the sedentary patients, the consequences of surgery were more difficult to manage at short term, even though this did not prevent the ability to compensate well later on. Pre-operative practice of PA promotes the neuroplasticity of neural networks involved in motor learning, which allows to benefit of physical therapy more rapidly and efficiently.
authors: National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm), U 954, Thematic group Neurodegenerative diseases, Neuroplasticity, Cognition, Faculty of Medicine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France. gerome.gauchard@nancy.inserm.fr
authors: Gérome C
authors: GC
authors: Gauchard
authors: Cécile
authors: C
authors: Parietti-Winkler
authors: Alexis
authors: A
authors: Lion
authors: Claude
authors: C
authors: Simon
authors: Philippe P
authors: PP
authors: Perrin
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000601:surgery*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D004856:Postural Balance; D057234:Preoperative Period; D020127:Recovery of Function; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests