1. Decrease of Horizontal Canal Vestibulo-Oculomotor Reflex Gain in the Elderly with Dysequilibrium without Lifetime Vertigo.
- Author
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Teggi, Roberto, Trimarchi, Matteo, Gatti, Omar, Fornasari, Francesco, and Bussi, Mario
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VESTIBULAR apparatus , *AGING , *DIZZINESS , *VESTIBULO-ocular reflex , *DISEASES in older people , *ACCIDENTAL fall prevention , *VERTIGO diagnosis , *GERIATRIC assessment , *ACCIDENTAL falls , *CEREBELLAR ataxia , *LONGITUDINAL method , *PEOPLE with intellectual disabilities , *REFLEXES , *RISK assessment , *SEMICIRCULAR canals , *VERTIGO , *VESTIBULAR function tests , *PREDICTIVE tests , *DISEASE incidence , *RETROSPECTIVE studies , *DIAGNOSIS - Abstract
Background/aims: Unsteadiness in the elderly is a frequent complaint and a strong predictor of falls and psychological distress. Although there is a general consensus that it is a multifactorial condition, recent studies have focused on the role of aging of the vestibular system as a possible cofactor. The aim of our work was to assess horizontal canal function in the elderly.Methods: We evaluated the gain of horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) with a video head impulse test on a sample of 58 subjects aged >70 years without lifetime episodes of vertigo and correlated the value with different clinical conditions (hypertension, diabetes, prior cardiovascular and vascular disorders of the central nervous system, and falls).Results: The mean value of the gain was 0.86 ± 0.12, and people aged between 70 and 80 years presented higher values (0.90 ± 0.1) compared to those >80 years (0.81 ± 0.13; p = 0.025). Previous vascular disorders of the central nervous system were a predictor of decreased VOR gain (p = 0.0003). A nonparametric analysis demonstrated that sex, age, and VOR gain (p ˂ 0.0001) were predictive of falls.Conclusions: Our data support the hypothesis of a decrease of VOR gain in the elderly. The decrease of canal function may therefore play a role in the risk of falls in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
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