Vestibular compensation: analysis of postural re-arrangement as a control index for unilateral vestibular deficit

Abstract

Patients with an acute unilateral vestibular lesion show an impaired balance control. The initial presentation is vertigo followed by postural instability; but with time, the global balance functions can be completely restored by a process called vestibular compensation. The aim of our study was to evaluate short and long-term variations of postural parameters in 20 patients affected by vestibular neuritis (VN), and to compare these patients to 20 normal individuals using computerized static posturography (CSP) along with patient feedback throughout the spectral frequency analysis. This analysis showed in patients with no residual dizziness a frequency shift of body sway from low to middle frequencies as a probable expression of the compensatory strategies used by the central nervous system. On the other hand, patients with persistence of postural instability did not show any frequency shift. Our results seem to provide an early index of a proper occurring compensation so that we can adjust therapeutic protocols according to each patient's functional modifications.