First trial response to sudden support surface displacement: the effect of vestibular compensation

The effect of visual condition is more intense in the first trial response in normal subjects and patients and in last trial response only in patients. The first trial effect is more evident in compensated patients in the eyes open condition with any type of perturbation, and in non-compensated patients with the angular displacements in either visual condition.

The study of body reaction to FTR can help to understand the complex mechanisms involved in the postural response and to develop new therapies to improve stability and prevent falls in unilateral vestibular deficit (UVD). This work describes the adaptation effect and the visual influence on the postural response to repetitive balance perturbation stimulus in normal subjects, compensated, and uncompensated UVD patients.

The magnitude of displacement has been measured when the support surface is linearly or angularly displaced. The differences between results in the first and late trial, and the differences between the eyes open and eyes closed situation have been compared.

Compensated patients recover the adaptation ability to unexpected changes on the support surface through visual preference mechanism. Not compensated patients present hypermetric postural response with greater instability in the eyes open and eyes closed situations.