Correlations between postural control and psychological factors in vestibular schwannoma patients.

Background: Various individual factors have been described to influence postural performances related to vestibular schwannoma. However, psychological factors may also be involved in postural variations.

Objective: To identify relationships between postural performances, illness perceptions, coping, anxiety-depression and quality of life of patients with vestibular schwannoma.

Methods: Twenty-six patients who were scheduled for a surgical removal of a vestibular schwannoma underwent posturography tests and were asked to complete psychological questionnaires three days prior to surgery.The Sensory Organization Test, the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised, the Brief-COPE, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument were used for assessments. Correlations between posturography and psychological questionnaires were calculated.

Results: Balance disorders were associated with (i) impaired quality of life of patients, (ii) anxiety and depression affects, (iii) greater daily consequences, and with (iv) denial coping response.

Conclusions: Given the association between balance disorders and psychological factors, health practitioners should be attentive to the deterioration of both aforementioned issues.