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Balance function test correlates of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory
G P Jacobson1, C W Newman, L Hunter
1Division of Audiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202.
Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
|October 1, 1991
Summary
Balance function tests alone don't fully assess balance system disease impact. This study found platform posturography, especially sensory organization, best correlates with patient-reported dizziness handicap using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Vestibular Science
Background:
- Balance function tests are crucial for diagnosing vestibular disorders.
- However, objective test data may not fully represent a patient's subjective experience of dizziness and handicap.
- The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) quantifies self-perceived functional, emotional, and physical effects of dizziness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationships between objective balance function test components and subjective dizziness handicap.
- To determine which balance tests best correlate with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores.
Main Methods:
- 367 patients undergoing balance function evaluations participated.
- Balance function was assessed using electronystagmography, rotational testing, and platform posturography.
- Patients completed the 25-item Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI).
Main Results:
- Significant correlations were found between DHI scores and the sensory organization subtests of platform posturography.
- Patients with spontaneous nystagmus reported greater dizziness handicap.
- Decreased postural stability, assessed via inter-relations of vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems, was linked to higher perceived handicap.
Conclusions:
- Platform posturography, particularly its sensory organization components, provides valuable insights into patient-reported dizziness handicap.
- Objective measures of postural stability and presence of nystagmus are associated with a greater perceived handicap in balance disorder patients.
- Integrating subjective DHI scores with objective balance testing offers a more comprehensive patient assessment.