Vestibular Function Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Falls and fractures in Alzheimer's disease (AD) negatively impact patient outcomes.
• Balance impairment is a significant concern in AD patients, contributing to falls and fractures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate balance deficits in AD patients through the lens of vestibular system dysfunction.
• To evaluate the utility of specific vestibular function tests in assessing balance impairment in Alzheimer's disease.

Main Methods:

• Compared vestibular function in 12 AD patients, 12 healthy elderly adults, and 12 younger adults.
• Utilized the stepping test, caloric nystagmus testing, and visual suppression (VS) testing to assess vestibular function.
• Correlated vestibular test results with fall tendency and constructional apraxia in AD patients.

Main Results:

• Abnormalities in the stepping test were observed in 9 out of 12 AD patients.
• Significant visual suppression (VS) abnormalities were detected in the AD group.
• Lower VS suppression rates were noted in AD patients with a tendency to fall or constructional apraxia.

Conclusions:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with impaired vestibular control of balance.
• The visual suppression (VS) test is a valuable tool for assessing fall risk in AD patients.
• Vestibular dysfunction in AD likely stems from central (cerebral vestibular cortex) impairment rather than peripheral issues.