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Medio-lateral postural instability in subjects with tinnitus
Zoi Kapoula1, Qing Yang, Thanh-Thuan Lê
1IRIS Group, UMR 8194, CNRS, Service d'Ophtalmologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris Paris, France.
Frontiers in Neurology
|June 8, 2011
Summary
Tinnitus can negatively impact balance and postural control, leading to increased body sway. This effect is more pronounced in individuals with left-sided tinnitus, particularly when their gaze shifts.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Tinnitus modulation by movements suggests abnormal sensorimotor integration.
- Postural control relies on multisensory integration; sound can influence posture.
- This study investigates if tinnitus affects postural performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine postural control quality in patients with modulated tinnitus.
- To compare postural sway in tinnitus patients versus controls.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-three tinnitus patients and 18 controls underwent posturography.
- Subjects fixated a target during eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions.
- Analysis included standard deviation of lateral sway (SDx), FFTx, and wavelet analysis.
Main Results:
- Tinnitus patients exhibited significantly higher lateral body sway (SDx) in both conditions.
- FFTx and wavelet analysis confirmed increased sway.
- Left-sided tinnitus patients showed greater sway when looking away from center.
Conclusions:
- Tinnitus may influence posture similarly to external sound, potentially via attention or vestibular pathways.
- Poor sensorimotor integration is a possible cause of postural abnormalities.
- Left tinnitus may exacerbate these issues due to cerebral cortex processing dominance.
