Changes in Sensory Organization Test Scores with Age

Acta Otorrinolaringologica Espanola, 2009

Introduction and objectives: 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. Material and 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.

Balance dysfunction remains a significant factor for disability in the elderly [1]. Several mechanisms have been proposed do explain the changes in balance during aging. Balance disorders represent a growing public health problem due to the association with falls and fall related injuries [2]. The complexity of the balance system, however, often requires a thorough, multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation and successful treatment of balance impairment [3]. The vestibular system detects head movement in space and in turn generates reflexes that are crucial for daily activities, such as stabilizing the visual axis and maintaining head and body posture [4]. To measure postural balance an accurate and reliable instrument is needed that can numerically reflect the importance of the different variables involved in human balance [5]. With this study it’s our aim to directly determine the balance of older people and to establish the importance of the vestibular system in aging. Univers...

Manual Therapy, Posturology & Rehabilitation Journal, 2015

Introduction: To be sedentary and have any disease with regard to vestibular pathology can compromise the performance of the postural control and increases the risk of falls. Objective: This study aimed to compare the postural control of elderly active, sedentary and vestibular pathology. Methods: The sample consisted of 45 elderly separated according to their current health condition: elderly active, sedentary and with vestibulopathy. The postural balance tests were performed in bipedal support, eyes open and the variables measured by the force platform were the center of pressure and average speeds of postural sway in the directions, anteroposterior (A/P) and medial-lateral (M/L). Results: Elderly with vestibulopathy presented significantly poorer postural balance (P…

2023

Background and aim: Bilateral Vestibulopathy (BVP) leads to unsteadiness when walking, which worsens in darkness or on uneven ground, as well as oscillopsia during head or body movement. A previous review concluded that clinical balance tests that challenge multiple aspects of balance should be investigated, since simple tests struggle to distinguish between BVP and healthy participants. Our aim was (1) to test if the more comprehensive Mini-BESTest is feasible in BVP, (2) to examine how participants perform in terms of their overall and subcomponent scores and (3) to compare these scores with healthy reference data from the literature. Methods: Fifty participants with BVP completed the Mini-BESTest as part of a larger study. The Mini-BESTest has 4 components: anticipatory, reactive postural control, sensory orientation and dynamic gait. It comprises 14 items with a maximum score of 28. Falls incidence in the previous 12 months was obtained by questionnaire. To compare the overall and sub-scores between our participants with BVP and those of healthy participants from the literature (n=327; obtained via PubMed searches and contacting authors), Mann-Whitney U tests were used. Sub scores within the BVP group were also compared. Spearman correlations were used to investigate the relationships between Mini-BESTest score and age. Results: No floor or ceiling effects were observed. Participants with BVP had significantly lower Mini-BESTest total scores than the healthy group (BVP mean=20.

Archives of Physiotherapy

Background: This study was done to verify the associations between the usual gait speed (UGS), the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and the perception of disability in elderly vestibular patients and to identify factors associated with TUG results. Methods: This was a descriptive, analytical, and retrospective study that used data from the clinical records of vestibular patients aged 65 years or older at a rehabilitation service in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The records were examined for the following information: sex, age, type of vestibular disorder, dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) score and performance in the TUG and UGS tests before treatment. Pearson's or Spearman's correlation coefficient was used depending on the distribution of data. Age and the DHI were factored into multiple linear regression models in order to model the tests. A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive power of age, the DHI total, and the UGS for the sample's TUG results. The level of significance was 5%. Results: We evaluated 118 clinical records, of which 26 were excluded due to incomplete information, leaving data from 92 vestibular patients (73 females; 78.3 ± 5.8 years old). Unilateral vestibular hypofunction and Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo presented the highest prevalence. The total score and the DHI domains showed a significant association with the TUG and UGS values. The age-adjusted DHI had a low predictive power for these same values. Conclusions: The total score and DHI domains have a significant association with the TUG and UGS values for elderly adults with vestibular disorders. The age-adjusted DHI has a low predictive power for TUG and UGS values.

Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of adequate treatment of concomitant diseases in the elderly undergoing Vestibular Rehabilitation (VR). 52 elderly patients with complaints of vertigo and/or imbalance requiring VR participated in this prospective study. The trial was designed as an open clinical assay at the Ear Nose and Throat Department Geriatric Otoneurology Clinic, and was done between 2003 and 2005. Patients were compared with the total group of elderly individuals treated with VR during the same period. 65 diseases were diagnosed in the study group, an average 1.25 diseases per patient. After the treatment of these diseases, patients underwent VR. The effectiveness of VR (remission and partial improvement rates) was 84.5% in the study group against 81.8% in the control group, which was not significant. Remission of symptoms, however, was present in 69.2% of the study group against 43.18% of the control group, which was statistically significant. The difference in...

Introduction: Essentially, aging is a physiological state of an organism that poses a great threat of dementia, falling, incontinence, weight loss, feeling of weakness and mobility difficulties. Factors of falling that can be influenced on include balance and muscle strength, which are strongly associated. Balance can be described as capability of maintaining a certain body or body part position in contact with the base that is either still or moving. The effect of strength training with the aim of improving balance and prevention of falling is modest, although there is a significant correlation between strength and balance, which is caused by the mechanism of maintaining balance. It is a compound set consisting of various processes which requires a successful integration of multiple components, including sensor systems such as visual, vestibular and somato-sensory which cannot be stimulated by strength training. The main goal of the research is to differentiate the subsamples of el...

Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 2017

Background and Purpose: The group of individuals 85 years and over (termed oldest-old) is the fastest-growing population in the Western world. Although daily functional abilities and balance capabilities are known to decrease as an individual grows older, little is known about the balance and functional characteristics of the oldest-old population. The aims of this study were to characterize balance control, functional abilities, and balance self-effi cacy in the oldest-old, to test the correlations between these constructs, and to explore differences between fallers and nonfallers in this age group. Methods: Forty-fi ve individuals living in an assisted living facility who ambulated independently participated in the study. The mean age was 90.3 (3.7) years. Function was tested using the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI). Balance was tested with the mini-Balance Evaluation System Test (mini-BESTest) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Balance self-effi cacy was tested with the Activities-Specifi c Balance Confi dence (ABC) scale. Results: The mean total function LLFDI score was 63.2 (11.4). The mean mini-BESTest score was 69.8% (18.6%) and the mean TUG time was 12.6 (6.9) seconds. The mean ABC score was 80.2% (14.2%). Good correlation (r > 0.7) was observed between the ABC and the function component of the LLFDI, as well as with the lower extremity domains. Correlations between the mini-BESTest scores and the LLFDI were fair to moderate (r 's range: 0.38-0.62). Age and ABC scores were signifi cant independent explanators of LLFDI score (P = .0141 and P = .0009, respectively). Fallers and nonfallers differed signifi cantly across all outcome measures scores, except for TUG and for the "Reactive Postural Control" and "Sensory Orientation" domains of the mini-BESTest. Discussion and Conclusions: The results of this study provide normative data regarding the balance and functional abilities of the oldest-old, and indicate a strong association between self-effi cacy and function. These results emphasize the impor

Journal of Physiotherapy & Physical Rehabilitation, 2016

Many mechanisms have been proposed to explain age-related changes in balance. Assuming that aging affects all physiological processes, postural balance reduction can be explained by the loss of cellular receptors in the vestibular system, impaired sensory perception, decreased muscular strength, increased reaction time and changes in proprioception . Reduced physical activity can also cause a reduction in balance in the elderly. Balance disorders represent a growing public health concern, owing to their connection with falls and the associated consequences. These consequences include fractures and immobilization or prolonged hospitalization, leading to losses in autonomy and quality of life of the elderly . These considerations stress the need to develop a program of special

Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2021

Background: This ageing is physiological process associated with vestibular dysfunction. The incidence of vestibular problems increases with age and can lead to drops, dropping risk, lack of confidence, pain and depression. Vestibular disorder is commonly characterized by vertigo or body discomfort (look and aggravation of postural stability) (a sense of spinning movement). In older adults with a fall history, peripheral vestibular disorders are among the most frequently known and widespread vestibular dysfunctions. Aim: To associate vestibular dysfunction and motion sensitive vertigo and risk of fall in adults. Methodology: Cross sectional study with convenient non- random sampling. For tests has been applied for screening vestibular dysfunction. If a participant shows 2 tests positive have vestibular dysfunction. SPSS 21 is used for data analysis. Results: Highly significant results between association of age with motion sensitive and age with fall efficacy scale P value is less t...