Clinical significance of head movement while stepping

Head movement of normal subjects and patients with peripheral vestibular disorders while stepping was recorded using three accelerometers, a multi-channel telemeter and a microcomputer. The head movement registered from normal subjects was stable at a stepping speed of 1.2 or 1.4 steps/sec. Patients with peripheral vestibular disorders (except for BPPV) showed significantly greater head movement values in all three directions and smaller ratios of anteroposterior component to lateral component in the head movement, as compared with those of normal subjects.