A New Method for Assessment of Upright Posture Intolerance

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cardiology
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Upright posture intolerance affects various diseases, but current assessment methods lack quantification.
• This limitation hinders objective measurement of treatment response in patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a quantifiable tool for assessing upright posture intolerance.
• To aid in the diagnosis and management of conditions associated with this intolerance.

Main Methods:

• A novel questionnaire was created to evaluate key aspects of upright posture tolerance.
• The questionnaire assesses duration of standing, symptom onset upon sitting/lying, recovery time, and sit-to-stand transitions.
• A visual analog scale was incorporated to rate functional capacity.

Main Results:

• The questionnaire was tested on four patients with diagnosed upright posture intolerance.
• Patients with intracranial hypotension, postural hypotension, and Klippel-Feil syndrome showed deficits in four of five assessed components.
• A patient with vertebrobasilar ischemia reported deficits in two of five components.

Conclusions:

• A new, self-administered questionnaire effectively identifies components of upright posture intolerance.
• This tool has the potential to monitor patient response to therapeutic interventions.