Affiliations: [a] Division of Physical Therapy Education, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| [b] Department of Biomechanics, College of Education, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Jung Hung Chien, PhD, Division of Physical Therapy Education University of Nebraska Medical Center 42nd and Emile, Omaha, NE 68198, USA. Tel.: +1 402 559 5052; E-mail: jhchien@unmc.edu.; Twitter: @JungHungChien1
Abstract: BACKGROUND:The mastoid vibration (MV) has been used to investigate unilateral vestibular dysfunction by inducing nystagmus. Additionally, this MV can be used to quantify the effect of deterioration by aging on the vestibular system during walking. Could such MV be used to assess the uni/bilateral vestibular deterioration by aging during standing? OBJECTIVE:This study attempted to determine the feasibility of using MV for identifying the uni/bilateral vestibular deterioration by aging during standing. METHODS:Fifteen young and ten old adults’ balance control patterns were assessed by three random MV conditions: 1) No MV; 2) Unilateral MV; 3) Bilateral MV. The dependent variables were the 95% confidence ellipse areas and the sample entropy values, which were calculated based on the center of gravity displacement within each condition. RESULTS:Significant main effects of MV and aging were found on all outcome variables. A significant interaction between aging and different MV types was observed in the 95% confidence ellipse area (p = 0.002) and the length of the short axis (anterior-posterior direction, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:We concluded that the MV could be used to identify different vestibular dysfunctions, specifically in old adults.
