Influence of vestibular and visual stimulation on split-belt walking

Marques, Bruno; Colombo, G.; Müller, Roland; Dürsteler, Max R.; Dietz, Volker; Straumann, Dominik

doi:10.1007/s00221-007-1063-4

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…As previously mentioned, we did not address an extrapersonal space representation but rather a “sense of straight ahead” [8], as the task did not require a subject mapping in an allocentric reference frame. As described by other authors [50], such a process could rely on vestibular inputs (and other sensory inputs) to compute an internal representation of the straight-ahead direction. These latter authors also concluded that this hypothetical mechanism for straight ahead could be extended to gait deviations during normal walking in the presence of vestibular tone asymmetry.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Is “Circling” Behavior in Humans Related to Postural Asymmetry?

2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In attempting to walk rectilinearly in the absence of visual landmarks, persons will gradually turn in a circle to eventually become lost. The aim of the present study was to provide insights into the possible underlying mechanisms of this behavior. For each subject (N = 15) six trajectories were monitored during blindfolded walking in a large enclosed area to suppress external cues, and ground irregularities that may elicit unexpected changes in direction. There was a substantial variability from trial to trial for a given subject and between subjects who could either veer very early or relatively late. Of the total number of trials, 50% trajectories terminated on the left side, 39% on the right side and 11% were defined as “straight”. For each subject, we established a “turning score” that reflected his/her preferential side of veering. The turning score was found to be unrelated to any evident biomechanical asymmetry or functional dominance (eye, hand…). Posturographic analysis, used to assess if there was a relationship between functional postural asymmetry and veering revealed that the mean position of the center of foot pressure during balance tests was correlated with the turning score. Finally, we established that the mean position of the center of pressure was correlated with perceived verticality assessed by a subjective verticality test. Together, our results suggest that veering is related to a “sense of straight ahead” that could be shaped by vestibular inputs.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Is “Circling” Behavior in Humans Related to Postural Asymmetry?

2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As already described, the UFT is applied using various parameters. For instance, the number and speed of the steps may differ, and this may explain the lack of homogeneity in results throughout the literature 11,12,15,16,25 . To increase the reliability of the UFT results, several reports have advised (1) removing clocks, fans, and telephones; and (2) performing the test in silence, thus, avoiding any sound localization, as ambient sound can act as a spatial locator and influence the extent of the rotation and mask peripheral vestibular alteration 12 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Like any behavioral test, several variables can influence the results of the UFT, including the age of the patient, because gait deviation in the elderly is larger and more frequent than in younger adults 9 . Another variable that can influence the results of the UFT is gait speed: slow gait is more sensitive than faster gait speed 15 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between the Unterberger-Fukuda test and vectoelectronystagmography

2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: to study and characterize anteroposterior and angular deviations in the Unterberger-Fukuda Test (UFT) in relation to the results of the caloric tests in patients complaining of dizziness or vertigo. Methods: 44 subjects-men and women between 20 and 79 years of age-who had symptoms of vertigo or dizziness and had been referred for vectoelectronystagmography were examined. The exclusion criteria were gait difficulties arising from orthopedic and/or spinal disorders, and syndromes or neurological diseases that affect balance. Two procedures were performed: vectoelectronystagmography and UFT. Results: the caloric test showed that 25.00% of the patients had hyporeflexia-the most frequent result. In the open-eyes UFT, only 2.30% presented altered results in anteroposterior displacement. In the closed-eyes test, the equivalent value was 31.80%. Anteroposterior deviation showed a greater correlation with age than the angular one. Abnormal results in the caloric test were associated with the UFT. Conclusion: the results of the closed-eyes UFT were associated with the caloric test. Anteroposterior deviation was correlated with age, while angular deviation was not.

show abstract

“…Studies have demonstrated that, when available, visual afferences are the predominant input for gait, where this contribution is most evident for direction and speed. In the absence of visual inference however, vestibular information is integrated with that of somatosensory inputs, where vestibular information makes a significant contribution during target-directed locomotion 6,8,[10][11][12]14,15 . Deviation from a straight-ahead path induced by stimulating the vestibular and visual systems is a recurrent theme in the literature, where stimulations are typically galvanic or prism-based, respectively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unilateral peripheral vestibular defects often lead to leaning of the head and trunk toward the damaged side, asymmetric tonus of lower limbs with reduction ipsilateral to the lesion, increase in load transfer on the lesion side and impaired head stability. Patients presenting with this type of lesion also have vertigo, loss of balance and gait deviation toward the side of lowest tonus 5,9,13,14 . This deviation in gait was also found to be inducible in healthy individuals upon walking in the absence of visual afferences during galvanic stimulation.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of gait deviation on the Babinski-Weill test in healthy Brazilians

Miranda

Stefani

et al. 2013

Arq. Neuro-Psiquiatr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: The aim of this study was to validate a simple and reproducible method for assessing gait deviation on the Babinski-Weill test in a representative sample of healthy Brazilians. Methods: Gait deviations were measured in 75 individuals (median=30 years, 41 women) for forward, backwards, and Babinski-Weill steps. The test entailed blindfolded individuals walking 10 paces at a frequency of 1 Hz with deviations subsequently measured by a protractor. Results: Mean gait deviation forward was 0.53º with standard deviation (SD)=4.22 and backwards was 2.14º with SD=4.29. No significant difference in deviation was detected between genders (t test p=0.40 forward and p=0.77 backwards) or for age (ANOVA, p=0.33 forward and p=0.63 backwards). On the Babinski-Weill test, mean gait deviation was 5.26º; SD=16.32 in women and -3.11º; SD=12.41 in men, with no significant difference between genders (t test, p=0.056). Discussion: Defining normative gait patterns helps distinguish pathological states.Key words: vestibular system, gait, Babinski-Weill test. RESUMOObjetivo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi validar para uso no Brasil um método simples e reprodutível para avaliação do desvio no teste da marcha de Babinski-Weill. Métodos: As medidas de desvio da marcha foram realizadas em 75 indivíduos (mediana=30 anos, 41 mulheres) na marcha para frente, para trás e no teste da marcha Babinski-Weill. Durante os testes, indivíduos com olhos vendados andavam 10 passos na freqüência de 1 Hz, sendo os desvios mensurados com transferidor. Resultados: O desvio para frente teve média de 0,53º com desvio padrão (DP)=4,22 e para trás 2,14º com DP=4,29. Não houve diferença nos desvios entre os gêneros (teste t p=0,40 frente e p=0,77 trás) e entre as idades (ANOVA, p=0,33 frente e p=0,63 trás). No teste da marcha de Babinski-Weill as mulheres desviaram em média 5,26º; DP=16,32 e os homens -3,11º; DP=12,41, sem diferença entre os gêneros (teste t, p=0,056). Discussão: O estabelecimento de padrões de normalidade possibilita a identificação de estados patológicos.Palavras-Chave: sistema vestibular, marcha, teste de Babinski-Weill. Assessment of gait deviation on the Babinski-Weill test in healthy BraziliansAvaliação do desvio no teste da marcha de Babinski-Weill em uma amostra representativa de indivíduos brasileiros saudáveis The role of the vestibular system is to stabilize the image on the retina, control posture and balance, as well as to provide information on spatial orientation. The system is comprised peripherally by the otolith organs and semicircular canals which measure linear and angular acceleration, respectively. These send signals to the central nervous system, mainly to the vestibular nuclear complex and cerebellum. This information is used in conjunction with inputs from the visual and somatosensory systems to control gait 1-5 .Normal gait requires maintaining an erect posture, bearing weight, forward locomotion at different speeds and determining position in three-dimensional space. The vestibular system is involved i...

show abstract

Influence of vestibular and visual stimulation on split-belt walking

Cited by 14 publications

References 16 publications

Is “Circling” Behavior in Humans Related to Postural Asymmetry?

Is “Circling” Behavior in Humans Related to Postural Asymmetry?

Association between the Unterberger-Fukuda test and vectoelectronystagmography

Assessment of gait deviation on the Babinski-Weill test in healthy Brazilians

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About