[Clinical application of posturography with inclinometer and platform with global bottom]

To investigate the efficacy of posturography with inclinometer and platform with global bottom to make the subjects contact the ground almost at one point in the evaluation of body balance function.

The body balance function of 100 normal persons, 50 males and 50 females, aged 21 approximately 50, and 87 patients with peripheral vertigo due to semicircular canal palsy, aged 20 approximately 60, was measured with a new type of posturograph with inclinometer and platform with global bottom developed by the authors. The subjects with an inclination-sensor being fixed at the waist were asked to adopt four postures during the measurement: standing on the ground with eyes opened (test 1), standing on the ground with the eyes closed (test 2), standing on the platform with the eyes opened (test 3), and standing on the platform with the eyes closed (test 4).

The measurement of the normal persons showed the average values of body sway angle velocity were 0.57 +/- 0.24 d/s in test 1, 0.70 +/- 0.18 d/s in test 2, 1.16 +/- 0.32 d/s in test 3, and 2.67 +/- 0.70 d/s in test 4. Sixty-two out of the 87 patients (71.26%) showed abnormality in one or more than one of the 4 tests with a value more than x +/- 2s of the normal value, among them 7 showed abnormal value in test 1, 14 in test 2, 16 in test 16, and 56 in test 4. Two weeks after the onset of vertigo, 55 out of the 87 patients showed abnormal values by this examination.

Posturography with inclinometer and platform with global bottom is effective on evaluation of balance function, In particular, the test of standing on the platform with the eyes closed effectively reflects the vestibulospinal reflex.