Vestibular rehabilitation with mobile posturography as a "low-cost" alternative to vestibular rehabilitation with computerized dynamic posturography, in old people with imbalance: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Vestibular rehabilitation (VR), specifically, VR with dynamic computerized posturography (CDP) has proven to be useful to improve balance and reduce the risk of falling in old patients. Its major handicap is probably its cost, which has hindered its generalisation. One solution to reduce this cost is performing VR with mobile posturography systems, which allow assessment of stability at the center of body mass in daily-life conditions.

Presbyvestibulopathy, Comorbidities, and Perception of Disability: A Cross-Sectional Study.

To assess the perception of disability in patients with presbyvestibulopathy and to determine the factors (demographic, balance test scores, and comorbidities) that determine higher levels of disability. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary university hospital. There were 103 patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for presbyvestibulopathy and were included.

Vestibular Rehabilitation Using Posturographic System in Elderly Patients with Postural Instability: Can the Number of Sessions Be Reduced?

Purpose: Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) using posturography systems has proved useful in improving balance among elderly patients with postural instability. However, its high cost hinders its use. The objective of this study is to assess whether two different protocols of VR with posturography, one of them longer (ten sessions) and the other shorter (five sessions), show significant differences in the improvement of balance among old patients with instability.

Modified Timed Up and Go Test for Tendency to Fall and Balance Assessment in Elderly Patients With Gait Instability.

To compare the results from the modified Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) with posturographic variables, the subjective perception of disability due to gait instability, and the number of falls in a sample of the elderly population with imbalance, to confirm that the TUG Test is a useful clinical instrument to assess the tendency to fall in individuals of this age group. Cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary university hospital, in 174 people aged 65 years or older with gait instability. Modified TUG Test was performed; time, step count and the need for support during the test were the analyzed variables.

Does patient environment have any influence on balance?

Background: Although patient environment is a factor to consider when planning a vestibular rehabilitation program, there are no studies correlating this factor to outcomes of balance assessment.

Aim: To evaluate whether there are differences in objective evaluation of balance in elderly patients at risk of falls according to the environment in which they live (urban or rural) and their lifestyle (considering cardiovascular risk factors).

Methods: Cross-sectional study of a sample of 139 elderly patients with high risk of falls assessed with objective outcome measures: Computer Dynamic Posturography (CDP), and the modified Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test; and subjective outcome measures: Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (short FES-I).

Prognostic factors that modify outcomes of vestibular rehabilitation in elderly patients with falls.

Background: Our previous study has shown that vestibular rehabilitation (VR) is an effective technique to reduce falls in elderly patients. It would be interesting to establish patients' clinical characteristics in which vestibular rehabilitation is expected to be more effective.

Aims: Evaluate factors that could modify rehabilitation outcomes in elderly patients with previous falls.

Optimising costs in reducing rate of falls in older people with the improvement of balance by means of vestibular rehabilitation (ReFOVeRe study): a randomized controlled trial comparing computerised dynamic posturography vs mobile vibrotactile posturography system.

Background: Accidental falls, especially for the elderly, are a major health issue. Balance disorders are one of their main causes. Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) has proven to be useful in improving balance of elderly patients with instability.

Vestibular rehabilitation in elderly patients with postural instability: reducing the number of falls-a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Our previous study had shown the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation (VR) in improving balance in elderly patients, assessed immediately afterwards.

Aims: The main goal of the present study is to consider whether this improvement in balance assessment turns out in a reduction of the number of falls.

Methods: 139 elderly patients with high risk of falls were included and randomized to one of the following study arms: computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) training, optokinetic stimulus, exercises at home or control group.

Short-term effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation in elderly patients with postural instability: a randomized clinical trial.

Balance becomes more precarious with age, and even without pathological disorders, the physiological decline in balance that occurs with age is a factor that also favors falls. So the aim of the present study is to assess the short-term effectiveness of three different methods of vestibular rehabilitation, compared to a control group, in improving balance in elderly patients with postural instability. 139 elderly patients with high risk of falls were included and randomized to one of the following study arms: computer dynamic posturography (CDP) training, optokinetic stimulus, exercises at home, or control group.

Posturographic limits of stability can predict the increased risk of falls in elderly patients with instability?

Conclusions: There was a difference in average score of the sensory organization test (SOT) of the case group (elderly instability) compared to the control group (healthy subjects). Cases had worse scores on the limits of stability (LOS) than controls, but were only able to confirm statistically significant differences in the movement velocity.

Objective: To study the LOS of elderly patients with instability vs healthy subjects of the same age to try to explain the increased risk of falls in elderly patients with instability.

Balance Disorders in the Elderly: Does Instability Increase Over Time?

Objectives: To analyze the equilibriometric differences between 2 populations of elderly patients (young elderly and very elderly) with instability induced solely by age.

Methods: Cross-sectional study, with 2 study groups classified according to patient age (cut-points in twenty-fifth and seventy-fifth percentiles of the age of the sample).

Population: 64 patients aged 65 years or more.

Is there a relationship between short FES-I test scores and objective assessment of balance in the older people with age-induced instability?

Fear of falling (FOF) is a common problem among the elderly. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether there is a correlation between FOF, estimated via the short FES-I test, and objective evaluation of balance in a group of elderly patients with age-related instability. The balance of 139 subjects of more than 65 years of age is evaluated by the timed up and go test and the computerised dynamic posturography (CDP).

Impact of obesity in elderly patients with postural instability.

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess whether obesity affects balance in elderly patients with postural instability.

Study Design: It is a case-control study, with cases defined by BMI ≥30 kg/m(2), and developed in a third level university hospital.

Methods: We included 135 patients aged 65 years old or more who presented postural instability.

Reduction of falls in older people by improving balance with vestibular rehabilitation (ReFOVeRe study): design and methods.

Main Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation (VR) to improve the balance in older people, assessed immediately afterwards.

Secondary Objectives: (a) To verify the maintenance of improvement of the balance achieved in the medium term (6-12 months). (b) To consider whether this improvement results in a reduction in the number of falls.

Can we predict the risk of falls in elderly patients with instability?

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine whether clinical and instrumental examination of balance can predict the risk of falls in elderly patients with instability.

Study Design: It is a case control study, with cases defined by falls in the last year, developed in a third level university hospital.

Patients: Seventy patients aged 65 years or more who met at least one of the following inclusion criteria: (a) at least one fall in the last year; (b) spend more than 15s during the timed up and go test (TUG); (c) a score of less than 68% average balance in the sensory organisation test (SOT) of the computerised dynamic posturography (CDP); or (d) at least one fall in the CDP-SOT.

Is there a relationship between objective and subjective assessment of balance in elderly patients with instability?

To assess whether a subjective questionnaire that measures the disability caused by balance disorders in daily life activities is correlated to objective assessment of balance in elderly patients with age-related instability. We included 37 subjects aged 65 years or more who presented balance disorders induced solely by age. Balance assessment was through the sensory organisation test and limits of stability of computerised dynamic posturography, the SwayStar system and the modified timed up and go test.

[Proposal for presbycusis screening in a primary care clinic].

Objectives: Presbycusis is one of the causes of deafness that has increased most in our society. To show the levels of presbycusis in people over 60 who attend our health centre for other reasons and to assess the utility of certain tests employed in primary care to detect hearing problems.

Patients And Method: One-hundred and ten people.