English

Abstract

Geriatric population in India is rapidly increasing. According to one estimate the number of persons above the age of 60 years is 76.6 million in India. India as the second most populous country in the world, with elderly people constituting 7.7% of total population. The morbidity in this age group is often due to increased incidence of falls. It is often preceded with spells of dizziness and often associated with vestibular disorders. Peripheral vestibular disorders often difficult to evaluate at the time of fall and only realized after the fall. Peripheral vestibular disorders like Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), Vestibulopathy, Vestibular Neuritis are some of the disorders that affect geriatric population that affect the functional ability in 'activities of daily living (ADL). BPPV has been frequently found to be more common with advancing age. One simple test to assess ADL (Activities of Daily Living) is TUG test (Timed Up and Go). A score of 11.1 seconds or more on TUG test was correlated with 80% chance of a fall in the elderly. Hence a study is undertaken to evaluate peripheral vestibular disorders in elderly with special reference to BPPV along with their performance on TUG (Timed Up and Go) test. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) has been found to be most common vestibular disorder in the elderly. One out of four elderly with Peripheral vestibular disorder has a risk of 'fall'. BPPV is the most common peripheral vestibular disorder leading to 'risk of fall' three times more among the elderly after 75years.