Self-Reported Sense of Direction and Vestibular Function in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA)

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Human Spatial Cognition

Background:

• Sense of direction varies individually and declines with age, but contributing factors beyond spatial ability are unclear.
• Vestibular system deficits are linked to impaired spatial cognition, yet their impact on real-world navigation sense is not well-established.
• Existing research primarily uses lab-based navigation tasks, leaving a gap in understanding real-world spatial orientation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between vestibular function and self-reported sense of direction in older adults.
• To determine if specific components of vestibular function correlate with real-world navigation abilities.
• To identify factors contributing to individual differences in sense of direction.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 82 healthy aging participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
• Utilized a modified Santa Barbara Sense-of-Direction (SBSOD) Scale for self-reported navigation ability assessment.
• Assessed vestibular function using cervical and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) and video head-impulse tests.

Main Results:

• Bilateral saccular loss and female sex were significantly associated with lower average SBSOD scores (poorer sense of direction).
• Vestibular impairment, specifically saccular dysfunction, appears to contribute to reduced real-world spatial navigation.
• The findings highlight a link between the vestibular system and subjective navigation capabilities.

Conclusions:

• Vestibular function, particularly saccular function, is associated with self-reported sense of direction in older adults.
• Vestibular impairment may explain some of the variability observed in real-world spatial navigation abilities.
• Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms linking vestibular input to spatial orientation.