Bilateral Peripheral Vestibular Loss

Bilateral Peripheral Vestibular Loss Age at test 38

Key Signs:
Knowledge of the pattern of balance control for this patient with a long-term loss is important when considering results of patients simulating a balance problem. Clearly this patient has compensated well but still has difficulties with control of trunk pitch standing eyes closed (see traces below). Note how the patient really tries to rapidly correct his backwards falling (pitch trace deflection downwards). Both pitch and roll velocity are abnormal. Contrast this with pa-tient results for a non organic disorder below. The simulator slowly falls forward in the pitch direction only (see case below). Test results for 1-legged stance in the bilateral loss patient also indicate instability. Trunk pitch velocity when walking, eyes closed, and roll angle when walking up and down stairs are borderline normal. Standing on two legs, eyes closed, on foam
Summary Data:
The sensory analy-sis ratio "vestibular" clearly indicates a deficiency in the use of vestibular balance control signals. Re-habilitation should concentrate on im-proving balance control during diffi-cult gait tasks.
Index:
Confirms this classi-cal type of bal-ance deficit as the patient has a value outside the normal refer-ence range.

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