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Published on: September 1, 2023
The dizziness handicap inventory and its relationship with functional balance performance
Luc Vereeck1, Steven Truijen, Floris L Wuyts
1Division of Neuro- and Psychomotor Physical Therapy, Department of Health Care Sciences, University College of Antwerp, Merksem, Belgium. l.vereeck@ha.be
Summary
Functional balance tests, like the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), better reflect dizziness handicap than static tests. The DGI explains significant handicap in dizzy patients, supporting its clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Vestibular rehabilitation
- Clinical balance assessment
- Patient-reported outcomes
Background:
- Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) quantifies subjective handicap.
- Objective balance measures are crucial for evaluating dizziness and imbalance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and various objective balance performance measures.
- To determine which balance tests best correlate with perceived dizziness handicap.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series analysis of 214 patients with dizziness or imbalance.
- Evaluated DHI scores against static balance (e.g., single-leg stance) and functional locomotion tests (e.g., Dynamic Gait Index - DGI).
Main Results:
- Moderate correlations were found between DHI scores and functional locomotion tests, with the DGI showing the strongest association (rS = -0.69).
- Static balance tests demonstrated weaker correlations with DHI scores.
- The DGI accounted for 42% of the variance in DHI scores.
Conclusions:
- Functional balance tests, particularly those involving locomotion like the DGI, correlate more strongly with DHI scores than static balance measures.
- The DGI is a valuable tool for assessing handicap in patients experiencing dizziness and imbalance.
