Evaluating vestibulo-ocular reflex gain and catch-up saccades following head impulses in normal aging.

Background: The video head impulse test (vHIT) is vital in clinical setting for assessing vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) function in patients of all ages. However, how normal aging influence VOR gain and catch-up saccades remains unclear, thus leading to confusion in interpretation of vHIT results.

Objective: This study aims to compare VOR gain and saccades parameters (frequency, amplitude, and latency) between younger and older adults, while maintaining head velocity and acceleration within the same range.

Vibration Thresholds Using Conventional Audiometry are Clinically Useful Indicators of Postural Instability in Older Adults.

Background:  Falls are a major health concern with potentially dramatic consequences for people over 65 years of age. One crucial determinant in the risk of falls in older adults is postural control, a complex process that requires the contribution of different sensory modalities, namely visual, vestibular, auditory, and somatosensory. While there are well-established methods to screen for age-related vision, hearing, tactile, and vestibular impairments, there are very few widely available methods to screen for somatosensory function, but studies indicate that ankle audiometry (vibration thresholds) using a common B-71 bone vibrator can serve that purpose.