Body balance in elderly patients, 12 months after treatment for BPPV

Solange Martiliano Lança,Juliana Maria Gazzola,Cristiane Akemi Kasse,Fatima Cristina Alves Branco-Barreiro,Daniela Patricia Vaz,Renata Coelho Scharlach

doi:10.5935/1808-8694.20130008

Abstract

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is highly prevalent in the elderly population, triggering major changes in body balance. ObjectiveTo compare the results obtained from static posturography in the elderly before and after otoliths repositioning maneuvers and 12 months after treatment onset. Design: longitudinal, descriptive and analytical study. MethodElderly patients with clinical diagnosis of BPPV submitted to Balance Rehabilitation Unit static posturography in 10 sensory conditions at three time intervals: before and after the repositioning maneuver and12 months after the treatment. ResultsWe studied 23 subjects with a mean age of 68.74 years. Posturography revealed that the stability limit was not significantly different when the three time intervals were compared (p = 0.405). The center of pressure (CoP) showed a significant change in condition 2 (stable surface and closed eyes), because after the repositioning maneuver, the CoP significantly differed vis-à-vis the results before and 12 months after the treatment (p = 0.003). The values of body velocity sway (BVS) were significantly different in six sensory conditions in these three time intervals. Conclusion12 months after the treatment for BPPV, the static posturography showed balance abnormalities similar to those found before treatment.

Highlights

Progress and the expansion of services in the fields of social works, healthcare, leisure and occupational therapy has brought about a very positive impact to the aspects involving the longevity of the world population
12 months after the treatment for Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo (BPPV), the static posturography showed balance abnormalities similar to those found before treatment
This study aims at comparing the results obtained from static posturography in elderly patients before and after the otoliths repositioning maneuvers (ORM) and after 12 months of initial treatment for BPPV

Summary

Introduction

Progress and the expansion of services in the fields of social works, healthcare, leisure and occupational therapy has brought about a very positive impact to the aspects involving the longevity of the world population. Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most prevalent neurotology disorder in the elderly[2] and it may bring about changes to body balance which directly impact the quality of life of these individuals. This disease has a clinical setting characterized by sudden vertigo fits, usually intense, lasting for seconds, triggered by certain movements of the head[3]. BPPV’s diagnosis is achieved by analyzing symptoms and vertigo or positional nystagmus triggered by the Dix-Hallpike maneuver, the Side Lying Maneuver or Head Roll Maneuver[4,5] BPPV’s main etiology is idiopathic, followed by head injuries, general anesthesia, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, Ménière’s disease, vestibular neuritis, viral labyrinthitis, posterior fossa tumors and ischemia, and others[4].

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