Motion Discomfort Research Articles

Assessing Ride Motion Discomfort Measurement Formulas

This article is about a framework for determining the degree of realism of any given passenger ride motion discomfort measurement formula. After providing some context and reviewing evidence of deficiency in currently popular ride motion discomfort measurement formulas, the article outlines the research program that needs to be carried out in order to establish such a framework. The research begins with gathering recordings of uncomfortable ride motion episodes encountered in a chosen type of passenger transport service. It then has test subjects compare the episodes via a ride motion simulator and adjust their amplitudes pair wise until they cause equal discomfort. It explains how to take the pair wise amplitude adjustments and determine amplitude adjustments that bring all of the motion episode recordings to a common level of discomfort so that they form a normalized set. Then, the lower the scatter of the scores assigned by any given discomfort measurement formula to the members of that set, the more realistic that formula will be for the chosen service.

71‐1: Data‐Driven and Optics‐Inspired Decomposition of Global Pupil Swim in VR/AR for an Improved Perception Model of Motion Discomfort

Users can observe dynamic distortion (or global pupil swim) during the usage of VR/AR headsets. Our earlier study correlated pupil swim to selected optic flow patterns corresponding to motion and mathematically modeled discomfort. This study decomposes global pupil swim as a linear sum of orthogonal basis patterns based on Zernike polynomials for improved applicability and for an improved perception model.

COVID-19 감염병 대응 의료진의 개인보호구 개선사항 분석 및 동작 프로토콜 개발: 동작적합성과 쾌적성을 중심으로

The purpose of the present study was to improve the comfort of COVID-19 encapsulated personal protective equipment (PPE) and develop a test protocol to evaluate the mobility characteristics and performance of the PPE. We interviewed 16 healthcare workers (2 males and 14 females; 30.6 ± 6.8 y in age) who had experience in COVID-19 screening and testing stations or patient facilities in hospitals (Seoul and Daegu). A 43-question questionnaire was used in all interviews. The interviews showed that healthcare workers were concerned about the following: the seams around the coverall crotch were easily torn; the hoods of the coveralls did not fit their heads; the sleeves were too long or short; the powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) was heavy, bulky and noisy; the N95 masks induced face pressure and skin irritation; the goggles (or face shields) often fogged up; double or triple-layered rubber gloves caused tactile insensitivity; the strings of disposable shoe covers were too long. We examined their postures and tasks as well. Based on the interviews, we developed a new set of mobility and performance test protocols, which consisted of a postural test (18 postures), a simulated performance test (12 tasks), and visibility/language delivery/tactile sensitivity tests. The mobility test protocols can be included in the national guidelines to reduce motion discomfort and improve the performance of COVID-19 healthcare workers who have to wear encapsulated personal protective equipment.

Operation of T-Foils and Stern Tabs to Improve Passenger Comfort on High-Speed Ferries

_ High-speed ferries of around 100mlength cruising at around 40 knots can cause significant passenger discomfort in head waves. This is due to the frequencies of encountering waves, of maximum hull response to encountered waves and of maximum passenger discomfort all falling within a similar range. In this paper, the benefit obtained by fitting active T-foils and stern tabs to control heave and pitch in head waves is considered. Ship motion responses are computed by numerical integration in the time domain including unsteady control actions using a time domain, high-speed strip theory. This obviates the need to identify transfer functions, the computed time responses including nonlinear hull immersion terms. The largest passenger vertical accelerations occur at forward locations and are best controlled by a forward located T-foil acting in combination with active stern tabs. Various feedback control algorithms have been considered and it is found that pitch damping control gives the greatest improvement in passenger comfort at forward positions. Operation in adaptive and nonlinear modes so that the control deflections are maximized under all conditions give the greatest benefit and can reduce passenger motion sickness incidence (MSI) by up to 25% in a 3-mhead sea on the basis of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recommendations for calculation of MSI for a 90-minute seaway passage. Introduction When the first high-speed, lightweight catamaran car ferries were developed, it quickly became apparent that motion control systems were desirable to improve passenger comfort. This was a direct consequence of the high operating Froude numbers (based on waterline length) of up to 0.75, which gave rise to heave and pitch motions in excess of the wave height and wave slope. It was also a consequence of the period of encountered waves at high speed that becomes close to the period at which passengers would experience significant motion discomfort, approximately 5-6 seconds. As a consequence, active motion controls were introduced and have been fitted to most vessels operating on routes where significant wave heights might reach or exceed approximately 3m.

Assessment of Spinal Range of Motion and Musculoskeletal Discomfort in Forklift Drivers. A Cross-Sectional Study.

Forklifts are commonly used in industrial supply chains to transport heavy loads. Forklift drivers have the risk of developing musculoskeletal discomfort derived from the movement pattern required at work. This research aimed to investigate the spinal range of motion (ROM) and musculoskeletal discomfort of forklift drivers and compare it with a control group. Forklift drivers (39 males) and office workers (31 males) were recruited to assess cervical, thoracic, and lumbar ROM with an electronic double inclinometer. Additionally, musculoskeletal discomfort was registered with the Cornell Discomfort Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Forklift drivers showed a higher cervical discomfort and ROM of lateral lumbar bending than office workers. Both groups reported lower ROM in cervical and lumbar lateral bending on the right side versus the left side. No differences of asymmetry were reported for any variable between groups. Specific exercise programs may correct these mobility imbalances.

Validity and Responsiveness of the Visual Vertigo Analogue Scale.

People with visual vertigo have dizziness provoked by visual stimulation. We have developed a Visual Vertigo Analogue Scale (VVAS) to evaluate their symptoms and response to rehabilitation. Our goal was to validate the VVAS against the Situation Characteristics Questionnaire (SITQ) score and determine its responsiveness to treatment. Participants (n = 115) completed 3 questionnaires: Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), VVAS, and the SITQ at their initial and final sessions of vestibular rehabilitation. The SITQ was analyzed using the Space Motion Discomfort (SMD1) outcome measure and by calculating the average score of all the items (SMDavg). The results were stratified into those who had a significant clinical change in their DHI score posttreatment and those who did not. Associations of the VVAS with SMD scores and change scores were determined by Pearson and Spearman correlations. Nonparametric t tests were used to compare the 2 DHI groups on the clinical outcomes. There were significant associations between VVAS scores (P < 0.0001) and both SMD1 (βVVAS = 0.02) and SMDavg scores (βVVAS = 0.03). Significant differences existed between the 2 DHI groups for all scores: VVAS (P = 0.0002), SMD1 (P = 0.02), and SMDavg (P = 0.0001). VVAS scores correlated well with SMD1 and SMDavg scores. Changes in VVAS pre- and posttreatment scores corresponded to the changes seen in SMD1 and SMDavg scores. The VVAS shows validity and responsiveness to change. The VVAS can be used to detect clients with visual vertigo and to verify the progression of the client's symptoms.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A258).

Acrophobia and gender - A Case Study on Government High School Students, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Acrophobia is one type of specific phobia. It is an extreme and sometimes irrational fear of heights. The phobia is classified by space and motion discomfort, this fear has many root causes and can be severe in its intensity. The present study was carried out to know the level of the exam phobia among 8th to 10th Government high school students in. The response was taken from 2743 students (Male: 1589. Female: 1154). The study found that out of the total male students, 21.63% students expressed the phobia and it is 16.99% in the case of female. Comparatively, high percentage of male students has acrophobia than female students in all the classes. Homeopathy, Exposure based therapy, Cognitive therapy and Relaxation techniques are some of the useful treatment methods.

Measurement of space and motion discomfort in persons with vestibular disorders

Abstract Background: The purpose of this paper was to estimate the test-retest agreement and to describe the discriminative validity of measures recorded from the Situational Characteristics Questionnaire-extended

Visual Field Dependence Is Associated with Reduced Postural Sway, Dizziness and Falls in Older People Attending a Falls Clinic.

Moving visual fields can have strong destabilising effects on balance, particularly when visually perceived motion does not correspond to postural movements. This study investigated relationships between visual field dependence (VFD), as assessed using the roll vection test, and reported dizziness, falls and sway under eyes open, eyes closed and optokinetic conditions. Ninety five falls clinic attendees undertook the roll vection test (i.e. attempted to align a rod to the vertical while exposed to a rotating visual field). Sway was assessed under different visual conditions by centre of pressure movement. Participants also completed questionnaires on space and motion discomfort, fear of falling, depression and anxiety. Thirty four (35.8%) participants exhibited VFD, i.e. had an error > 6.5º in the roll vection test. Compared to participants without VFD, participants with VFD demonstrated less movement of the centre of pressure across all visual conditions, were more likely to report space and motion discomfort and to have suffered more multiple falls in the past year. VFD was independent of fear of falling, anxiety and depression. VFD in a falls clinic population is associated with reduced sway possibly due to a stiffening strategy to maintain stance, dizziness symptoms and an increased risk of falls.

心因性めまいの分類（バラニー学会案）と治療

The behavioral subcommittee of International Classification of Vestibular Disorders (ICVD for Barany Society) identified eight psychiatric disorders that cause vestibular symptoms and one disorder at the interface of neuro-otology and psychiatry. Basically, anxiety and depressive disorders are the two major psychiatric disorders that cause vestibular symptoms. Both are the primary disorders that cause episodic and chronic dizziness and they are also disorders secondary to organic vestibular diseases which are responsible for episodic or chronic dizziness. Vestibular health anxiety, which is categorized as somatoform disorders, has characteristic features such as excessive seeking for reassurance about vestibular symptoms. Persistent Postural and Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a newly defined inclusive term that is a synonym encompassing the previously-termed Phobic Postural Vertigo (PPV), Chronic Subjective Dizziness (CSD), Space Motion Discomfort (SMD), and Visual Vertigo (VV). The characteristic symptom of PPPD is chronic dizziness that is related to posture (severe when upright) and is exacerbated by active or passive motion, complex visual stimuli, or by performance of small-field, precision visual activities such as using a computer. PPPD patients sometimes have comorbid anxiety and depression. In all cases except for vestibular health anxiety, treatment for anxiety and depression with minor tranquilizers or SSRIs is effective for both vestibular and psychiatric symptoms. In treating dizzy patients, careful investigation of psychiatric disorders is important especially in the case of secondary psychiatric comorbidities since clinicians often treat only for vestibular disorders. In our study, SSRIs were exclusively effective for chronic dizziness patients with highly anxious and depressive patients with or without organic vestibular diseases (Horii A et al. 2004, 2007). A simple interview using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is useful to judge the existence or absence of psychiatric comorbidities.

The University of California Los Angeles Dizziness Questionnaire: Advantages and disadvantages

Dizziness is one of the most troublesome symptoms of vestibular disorders, although its description remains somewhat imprecise, encompassing vertigo, lightheadedness, disequilibrium and giddiness. Symptoms include sensitivity to motion stimuli and discomfort with open spaces, such as empty streets and bridges. It is accompanied by varying degrees of anxiety and phobic behaviors. Several tools have been developed in an attempt to quantify the degree of disability, self-perceived health status and quality of life in patients with dizziness. This review focuses on the University of California, Los Angeles Dizziness Questionnaire (UCLA-DQ), which is used to assess the effect of dizziness on quality of life. This paper also includes a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the UCLA-DQ and compares it to other instruments used to assess dizziness. In spite of a few disadvantages, we believe that this multidimensional questionnaire is an appropriate tool for evaluating patients with vestibular impairment. It should be used during the acute phase of symptoms, as well as during and after rehabilitative therapy, to assess patient improvement.

Symptoms elicited in persons with vestibular dysfunction while performing gaze movements in optic flow environments1

People with vestibular disorders often experience space and motion discomfort when exposed to moving or highly textured visual scenes. The purpose of this study was to measure the type and severity of symptoms in people with vestibular dysfunction during coordinated head and eye movements in optic flow environments. Seven subjects with vestibular disorders and 25 controls viewed four different full-field optic flow environments on six different visits. The optic flow environments consisted of textures with various contrasts and spatial frequencies. Subjects performed 8 gaze movement tasks, including eye saccades, gaze saccades, and gaze stabilization tasks. Subjects reported symptoms using Subjective Units of Discomfort (SUD) and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). Self-reported dizziness handicap and space and motion discomfort were also measured. Subjects with vestibular disorders had significantly greater discomfort, oculomotor and disorientation symptoms, with some amount of symptoms in 55-60% of the trials, compared with control subjects, who had symptoms in less than 20% of the trials. The magnitude of the symptoms increased during each visit, but did not depend on the optic flow condition. Subjects who reported greater dizziness handicap and space and motion discomfort had greater severity of symptoms during the experiment (Spearman rho > 0.78). Compared with controls, subjects with vestibular disorders had about 10 deg less head excursion during the gaze saccade tasks. Overall, performance of gaze pursuit and gaze stabilization tasks in moving visual environments elicited greater symptoms in subjects with vestibular disorders compared with healthy subjects.

Space and Motion Perception and Discomfort in Air Travel

The perception of comfort during air trips is determined by several factors. External factors like cabin design and environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, air pressure, noise, and vibration) interact with individual characteristics (anxiety traits, fear of flying, and personality) from arrival at the airport to landing at the destination. In this study, we investigated the influence of space and motion discomfort (SMD), fear of heights, and anxiety on comfort perception during all phases of air travel. We evaluated 51 frequent air travelers through a modified version of the Flight Anxiety Situations Questionnaire (FAS), in which new items were added and where the subjects were asked to report their level of discomfort or anxiety (not fear) for each phase of air travel (Chronbach's alpha = 0.974). Correlations were investigated among these scales: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Cohen's Acrophobia Questionnaire, and the Situational Characteristics Questionnaire (SitQ, designed to estimate SMD levels). Scores of SitQ correlated with discomfort in situations involving space and movement perception (Pearson's rho = 0.311), while discomfort was associated with cognitive mechanisms related to scores in the anxiety scales (Pearson's rho = 0.375). Anxiety traits were important determinants of comfort perception before and after flight, while the influence of SMD was more significant during the time spent in the aircraft cabin. SMD seems to be an important modulator of comfort perception in air travel. Its influence on physical well being and probably on cognitive performance, with possible effects on flight safety, deserves further investigation.

Validation de la version française du questionnaire des caractéristiques situationnelles dans la mesure de l’inconfort spatio-moteur

Space and motion discomfort (SMD) refers to various symptoms that occur in environments with unreliable visual and kinesthetic information that do not permit adequate spatial orientation. Some studies have demonstrated that there is a stable and predictable relationship between vestibular dysfunction and anxiety disorders. Further, vestibular dysfunction can predispose or trigger the development of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (PD/A) or reinforce phobic avoidance. It therefore seems clinically useful to develop and validate instruments for evaluating SMD in various populations. Measuring SMD could facilitate identification of individuals with PD/A who present comorbid vestibular dysfunction. Jacob et al. developed and validated such a questionnaire: the Situational characteristics questionnaire (SitQ). This questionnaire evaluates the presence of symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, and instability under specific conditions. The SitQ comprises two subscales that measure SMD and one subscale (agoraphobia) that measures agoraphobic avoidance behaviours. The instrument has two sections. The first section is composed of the SMD-I and agoraphobia subscales, containing 19 and seven items, respectively. Each item consists of two contrasting descriptors of a specific situation or environment. The respondent is required to indicate to what extent the two described situations or environments cause discomfort. Each item includes a "criterion" descriptor for the situation (i.e., a descriptor that is presumed to engender SMD) and an alternative (non-criterion) descriptor. The second section comprises the SMD-II scale; this scale is composed of nine criterion situations, for which non-criterion situations are not supplied. The instrument takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.The present study focuses on the validation of the French-language version of the SitQ: the questionnaire des caractéristiques situationnelles (QCS).The sample was composed of French Canadians recruited across Quebec from an anxiety disorders treatment clinic, general psychiatric care clinics, a community organization for individuals with anxiety disorders, advertisements in local newspapers, and ads posted in various public locations. The sample included 141 participants who met the criteria for lifetime PD/A. Participants reported current PD/A (n=73) or PD/A in remission (n=68). The control sample was recruited from undergraduate courses in various disciplines. Two hundred and thirty-five (n=235) students completed the questionnaires. Data from 63 (26.8%) participants were excluded from the analyses due to failure to complete all of the research questionnaires.Analysis of the global descriptive data and the descriptive data for each dependent variable revealed that the data were independent of sociodemographic variables and respected the assumptions of normal distribution (skewness and kurtosis). Parametric tests were subsequently conducted. Using the combined data from the control and clinical groups, the internal consistency of the scales was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha. The SMD-I and SMD-II scales demonstrated good homogeneity. The results were comparable or superior to those obtained with the English-language version of the questionnaire. The agoraphobia scale demonstrated weaker internal consistency and corresponding weaker homogeneity. This result was consistent with that of the original version of the agoraphobia scale; this scale was eliminated for the subsequent analyses. Construct validity was analyzed via t-tests comparing clinical and control groups. Effect sizes were estimated using percentage of variance explained. The SMD-I scale demonstrated weak construct validity and was also eliminated from subsequent analyses. The SMD-II scale demonstrated good construct validity and provided an adequate measure of the theoretical construct of SMD. This scale permitted discrimination of participants according to the presence or absence of PD/A. It is therefore possible to identify participants with PD/A by their level of SMD. This result is comparable to that of Jacob et al.The results of the present study are generally consistent with the results of the validation of the original version of the questionnaire. However, the SMD-I and agoraphobia scales in the French-language version of the measure did not achieve a level of significance sufficient to definitively establish validity.

Respiratory vulnerability to vehicle buffeting

Buffeting in a jerky ride in a bus or ambulance normally provokes a sustained tachypnoea driven by vibration and sensory mechanisms including vestibular signals. Tachypnoea reinforces the torso against mechanical shocks but results in overbreathing, causing a mild fall in CO(2). However, normal CO(2) is rapidly restored by a reduction in depth of breathing. We test the hypothesis that vulnerable subjects, exemplified by elderly individuals and patients with vestibular disorders, may fail to adapt to buffeting. Respiratory and cardiovascular functions were recorded from five elderly subjects, two patients with bilateral loss of vestibular function and five patients with 'BPPV,' while being exposed to 15-min buffeting in a flight simulator which simulated transport in an ambulance over rough pavement. Results were compared with published norms. Some subjects sustained overbreathing during motion, through either tachypnoea or deep breathing, causing a marked reduction in CO(2) levels (3/5, 2/2 avestibular, 4/5 elderly, 4/5 BPPV). Others failed to raise breathing frequency which would render them susceptible to mechanical shock (4/5 elderly, 1/2 avestibular). Overbreathing was particularly evident in three anxious subjects. Overbreathing during buffeting could be caused by (1) resetting of CO(2) rest levels lower; (2) change in receptor sensitivity; (3) adjustment of central drive to breathing; and (4) stiffening of posture because of motion discomfort reduced the ability to modulate breathing. The buffeting experienced was moderately violent. More profound hypocapnia and mechanical shock are likely to result in vulnerable individuals failing to adapt to severe buffeting in transport on unpaved roads, in war zones or by sea ambulance.

Deconstructing acrophobia: physiological and psychological precursors to developing a fear of heights

Acrophobia is one of the most prevalent phobias, affecting as many as 1 in 20 individuals. Of course, heights often evoke fear in the general population too, and this suggests that acrophobia might actually represent the hypersensitive manifestation of an everyday, rational fear. In this study, we assessed the role of sensory and cognitive variables in acrophobia. Forty-five participants (Mean age 25.07 years, 71% female) were assessed using a booklet with self-reports as well as several behavioral measures. The data analysis consisted in multivariate linear regression using fear of heights as the outcome variable. The regression analyses found that visual field dependence (measured with the rod and frame test), postural control (measured with the Sharpened Romberg Test), space and motion discomfort (measured with the Situational Characteristics Questionnaire), and bodily symptoms (measured with the Bodily Sensation Questionnaire) all serve as strong predictors for fear of heights (Adjusted r(2)=.697, P<.0001). Trait anxiety (measured with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y-2) was not related with fear of heights, suggesting that this higher order vulnerability factor is not necessary for explaining this particular specific phobia in a large number of individuals. The findings reveal that fear of heights is an expression of a largely sensory phenomena, which can produce strong feelings of discomfort and fear in the otherwise calm individuals. We propose a theory that embraces all these factors and provides new insight into the aetiology and treatment of this prevalent and debilitating fear.

Space and motion discomfort and abnormal balance control in patients with anxiety disorders

Objective: Previous research suggested that panic disorder with agoraphobia is associated with abnormalities on vestibular and balance function tests. The purpose of this study was to further examine psychiatric correlates...

Vestibulo-ocular function in anxiety disorders

Previous studies of vestibulo-ocular function in patients with anxiety disorders have suggested a higher prevalence of peripheral vestibular dysfunction compared to control populations, especially in panic disorder with agoraphobia. Also, our recent companion studies have indicated abnormalities in postural control in patients with anxiety disorders who report a high degree of space and motion discomfort. The aim of the present study was to assess the VOR, including the semicircular canal-ocular reflex, the otolith-ocular reflex, and semicircular canal-otolith interaction, in a well-defined group of patients with anxiety disorders. The study included 72 patients with anxiety disorders (age 30.6 +/- 10.6 yrs; 60 (83.3% F) and 29 psychiatrically normal controls (age 35.0 +/minus; 11.6 yrs; 24 (82.8% F). 25 patients had panic disorder; 47 patients had non-panic anxiety. Patients were further categorized based on the presence (45 of 72) or absence (27 of 72) of height phobia and the presence (27 of 72) or absence (45 of 72) of excessive space and motion discomfort (SMD). Sinusoidal and constant velocity earth-vertical axis rotation (EVAR) was used to assess the semicircular canal-ocular reflex. Constant velocity off-vertical axis rotation (OVAR) was used to assess both the otolith-ocular reflex and static semicircular canal-otolith interaction. Sinusoidal OVAR was used to assess dynamic semicircular canal-otolith interaction. The eye movement response to rotation was measured using bitemporal electro-oculography. Results showed a significantly higher VOR gain and a significantly shorter VOR time constant in anxiety patients. The effect of anxiety on VOR gain was significantly greater in patients without SMD as compared to those with SMD. Anxiety patients without height phobia had a larger OVAR modulation. We postulate that in patients with anxiety, there is increased vestibular sensitivity and impaired velocity storage. Excessive SMD and height phobia seem to have a mitigating effect on abnormal vestibular sensitivity, possibly via a down-weighting of central vestibular pathways.

Visually induced postural sway in anxiety disorders

Postural sensitivity to moving visual environments in patients with anxiety disorders was studied. We hypothesized that patients with anxiety disorders would have greater sway in response to a moving visual environment compared to healthy adults, especially if they have space and motion discomfort (SMD). Twenty-one patients with generalized anxiety without panic (NPA) and 38 patients with panic and agoraphobia (PAG) were compared to 22 healthy controls. SMD was evaluated in all subjects via questionnaire. Subjects stood on a force platform that was either fixed or rotating with the subject (i.e., sway referenced) during exposure to a sinusoidally moving visual surround. Center of pressure (COP) data were computed from force transducers in the platform as a measure of sway. Results showed that patients swayed significantly more in response to the moving visual scene compared to control subjects, with no differences between the NPA and PAG groups. SMD was a predictor of sway response in the patients: patients with high SMD swayed significantly more than both Controls and anxiety patients with low SMD. These results indicate that patients with anxiety disorders, particularly those with SMD, are more visually dependent for balance. This subgroup of patients may be amenable to treatment used for patients with balance disorders (i.e., vestibular rehabilitation) that focuses on sensory re-integration processes that address visual sensitivity.

The effect of age on vestibular rehabilitation outcomes.

The purpose of the retrospective chart review was to compare vestibular rehabilitation outcomes in young versus older adults. Retrospective matched design. Twenty-three persons with vestibular disorders aged 20 to 40 years were matched by gender, vestibular diagnosis, and vestibular function test results to 23 older adults aged 60 to 80 years. The patients were treated with a custom-designed physical therapy exercise program. Patients completed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, and the Dynamic Gait Index; number of falls; and rated the severity of their dizziness. The two-sample test, the Mann-Whitney test, and McNemar's test for correlated proportions were used to determine whether there was a difference in scores between the two age groups at the beginning and end of physical therapy. During the initial evaluation, older adults reported having statistically greater space and motion discomfort and more severe symptoms on a scale of 0 to 100. Younger adults had more impaired DGI scores and a higher proportion of caloric testing abnormalities. After rehabilitation, overall improvement was seen in both the younger and older populations. There were no statistical differences between the two groups on the DHI, the DGI, reported symptoms at discharge, or number of falls. When only the complete matched-pair data were analyzed, there were no statistically significant differences between the age groups in the proportion of patients demonstrating clinical improvement. Age does not significantly influence the beneficial effects of vestibular rehabilitation for persons with vestibular disorders.