Affiliations: [a] Maccabi Healthcare Services, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| [b] Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| [c] Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Correspondence:
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Corresponding authors. Alon Kalron, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Tel.: +972 9 9512726; Mobile phone: 052 2436839; E-mail: alonkalr@post.tau.ac.il.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Investigations measuring gait tests have rarely been studied in the benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) population. OBJECTIVE:Examine instrumented mobility metrics in people with posterior semicircular canal BPPV. We examined the impact of a canalith repositioning procedure (CRP), prior to and after treatment on instrumented mobility measures, comparing the scores to those of healthy controls. METHODS:At baseline, the subject performed a series of instrumented gait and balance tests and then, the CRP was performed. At re-evaluation (1-week later), identical gait and balance tests were assessed. In addition, the Hallpike-Dix test identified patients who had improved or had not improved in their BPPV signs and symptoms. RESULTS:Thirty-two people with BPPV (25 women) and 15 healthy subjects participated in the study. At baseline (pre-CRP), people with BPPV demonstrated an increased vestibular ratio, and walked more slowly compared with the healthy controls. The CRP resolved the vertigo in 90.6% of the BPPV subjects. Compared with the pre-CRP scores, the BPPV subjects demonstrated a decreased vestibular ratio and faster walking at the post-CRP evaluation. Out of the five parameters that were significantly different from the healthy values pre-CRP, only one remained different post-CRP. CONCLUSIONS:Besides vertigo and balance difficulties, people with BPPV demonstrate walking modifications. Furthermore, the CRP has a high success rate in improving not only vertigo but also in restoring gait and balance in persons with BPPV.
