Postural performance and plantar cutaneous vibration perception in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Objective: To investigate whether impaired plantar cutaneous vibration perception contributes to postural disturbance in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH).

Methods: Three different groups were tested: iNPH-patients (iNPH), iNPH-patients after surgical shunt therapy (iNPH shunt), and healthy subjects (HS). Postural performance was quantified during quiescent stance on a pressure distribution platform. Vibration perception threshold (VPT) was measured using a modified vibration exciter to apply stimuli to the plantar foot.

Results: Regarding postural performance, iNPH showed significantly higher values for all investigated center of pressure (COP)-parameters compared to HS, which suggests impaired postural control. Shunted patients presented a tendency towards better postural control in contrast to non-shunted patients. VPTs did not differ significantly between all investigated groups, which suggests comparable plantar cutaneous vibration perception.

Conclusion: Patients with iNPH suffer from poor postural stability, whereas shunting tends to affect postural performance positively. Plantar cutaneous vibration perception seems to be comparable between all investigated study groups. Consequently, postural disturbance in iNPH cannot clearly be ascribed to defective plantar cutaneous input.