Wearable Sensor-Based Gait Analysis in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: Quantitative Assessment of Residual...

Area of Science:

• Vestibular Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Gait Analysis

Background:

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a common vestibular disorder.
• Standard tests struggle to quantify residual dizziness post-treatment.
• Wearable inertial sensors offer objective gait analysis for subtle impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate sensor-based gait metrics using the φ-bonacci index framework.
• Quantify gait changes and residual dizziness in BPPV patients before and after canalith repositioning procedures (CRPs).

Main Methods:

• Fifteen BPPV patients and fifteen controls performed walking tests with wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs).
• Gait was assessed under eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) conditions.
• The φ-bonacci index components (A1, A2, A4) measured gait harmonicity, symmetry, and stability.

Main Results:

• BPPV patients showed impaired gait harmonicity (higher A1) pre-treatment.
• Post-CRPs, A1 values normalized, indicating restored gait self-similarity.
• Residual dizziness correlated with elevated A4 values, especially under EC conditions, suggesting incomplete sensory reweighting.

Conclusions:

• Wearable sensor-derived φ-bonacci metrics provide objective markers for BPPV gait abnormalities.
• These metrics can detect residual dizziness and aid in diagnosis, rehabilitation, and follow-up.
• The findings support the use of these metrics as digital biomarkers for BPPV management.