Postural instability in Meniere's disease

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Havia, M.^{a; *} | Kentala, E.^a | Pyykkö, I.^b

Affiliations: [a] Department of Otolaryngology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland | [b] Department of Otolaryngology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: MD Mari Havia, PB 220, 00029 HUS, Finland. Fax: +358 9 47175010; E-mail: mari.havia@kolumbus.fi

Abstract: In order to characterize the postural instability by duration of Meniere's disease (MD) we present the results of 180 MD patients tested on posturography. The duration of the disease varied from 4 weeks to 36 years. The patients were clinically examined and they had filled a questionnaire concerning their symptoms. Postural instability was examined by a force platform posturography and the results are expressed as sway velocities (SV). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean SV between groups of different duration of MD. The number of the patients with normal eyes open SV declined by duration of the illness from 73% to 38% but the decline was not statistically significant. The mean age in the different duration groups of MD varied from 47 to 61 years. In general 58% of the patients had their eyes open SV in normal range and 55% when measured eyes closed. When examining the SV between the 4 different hearing stages of MD we found that those belonging into the group III (pure tone average [PTA] 41–70 dB) had significantly higher eyes open and eyes closed SV's than the patients in the group I (PTA under 25 dB).

Keywords: dizziness, bilaterality, postural control, balance disorders

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2004-14104

Journal: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 37-46, 2004