TEST #3 Disorders of Equilibrium (Dr. Sachen) Flashcards
General Considerations
Balance and awareness of body position in relation to surroundings requires input from two of the following three systems:
1) VISUAL: to judge distance
2) LABYRINTHINE: to judge Acceleration and Position Change
3) PROPRIOCEPTIVE: to judge posture
* Important of ROMBERG TEST**
Dizziness
VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN ELDERLY:
- THIRD most common outpatient complaint
- Affects 33% of all people over age 40 in one study
- More common in ELDERLY
- More common in those with DIABETES and other chronic illnesses - more common in those taking certain medications
- Greatly INCREASED RISK of Falls and Injury
BUT A VERY VAGUE COMPLAINT:
- A SYMPTOM and not a diagnosis
- A sensation of movement, unsteadiness, faintness, dysequilibrium, etc.
Dizziness means different thing to different people
- Spinning, tilting, listing, rolling, falling
- Unsteadiness, imbalance, falling
- Floating, near fainting, lightheadedness
- Blurry vision, hazy
- Disoriented, confused, spacy, dreamlike
- Anxious, tense
Disorders of Equilibrium
First DEFINE the Symptom
1) VERTIGO: illusion of movement of oneself or objects around self may be VESTIBULAR or neurologic in origin
2) DISEQUILIBRIUM: may be CAUSED BY Vertigo but usually a nonvertiginous state of altered static or dynamic balance due to dysfunction of
CEREBELLUM, DORSAL COLUMNS (sensory), MOTOR SYSTEMS (central or peripheral, basal ganglia
3) PRESYNCOPE: Lightheadedness or impending LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS often due to orthostasis, arrhythmia, hyperventilation and aggravated by high temperature, prolonged standing, large meals
Vertigo
- Illusion of movement – rotatory, body tilt, impulsion
- Due to disturbance in vestibular dysfunction (Semicircular Canals/ Otoliths)
- Often accompanied by sweating, nausea
- Sometimes associated with HEARING IMPAIRMENT or TINNITUS
Disequilibrium
Nonvertiginous altered static or dynamic balance:
1) SENSORY: proprioceptive deficit, visual impairment, compensated vestibular disorders, worse in dark and associated with a ROMBERG SIGN.
2) MOTOR: Mechanical (arthritis), Peripheral or Central (motor function), Cerebellar, NO ROMBEG SIGN.
3) CEREBELLAR: NO ROMBERG SIGN (Cannot stand with feet together with eyes open or closed).
Presyncope
Sense of impending LOSS of Consciousness!!!!
- Often associated with Pallor, Sweating, visual dimming or constricted fields, weakness
- ETIOLOGIES: arrythmia, hypotension, vasovagal excess, pulmonary emboli, drugs
- Aggravated by increased temperature, prolonged standing, large meals, deconditioning
Central versus Peripheral
PERIPHERAL:
1) Vertigo:
- Intense
2) Duration of Nystagmus:
- Brief
3) Fatigue of Nystagmus:
- Yes
4) Direction of Nystagmus:
- Fixed
5) Direction of Nystagmus:
- Horizontal/ Diagonal
6) Latency of Nystagmus:
- Several Seconds
7) N and V:
- Intense
8) Hearing Loss:
- Possible
9) Neuro Symptoms:
- NEVER
CENTRAL:
1) Vertigo:
- Mild
2) Duration of Nystagmus:
- Persist
3) Fatigue of Nystagmus:
- No
4) Direction of Nystagmus:
- Changeable
5) Direction of Nystagmus:
- Can be Vertical
6) Latency of Nystagmus:
- None
7) N and V:
- Mild
8) Hearing Loss:
- Rarely
9) Neuro Symptoms:
- Usually
Peripheral Causes of Vertigo
- Benign positional vertigo
- Vestibular neuronitis
- Meziere’s Disease
- Drug induced ototoxicity
Peripheral: Benign Positional Vertigo
- BPV is the MOST COMMON CAUSE of RECURRENT VERTIGO, with a lifetime prevalence of 2.4%.
- ETIOLOGY – idiopathic, trauma (head/barometric), infection
- BPV is a clinical SYNDROME characterized by brief recurrent episodes of vertigo TRIGGERED by CHANGES in HEAD POSITIONwith respect to gravity.
- The Duration, Frequency, and Intensity of symptoms of BPV vary, and spontaneous recovery occurs frequently.
- Thought due to DEBRIS FLOATING IN ENDOLYMPH of any of the semicircular canals (posterior most common).
Diagnosis of Peripheral: Benign Positional Vertigo
- Can be made on clinical grounds in a patient with positional vertigo.
- Confirmed by DIX- HALLPIKE position testing.
Treatment of Peripheral: Benign Positional Vertigo
1) Positional exercises often helpful
2) MEDICATIONS:
a) Vestibular suppressants – meclizine, scopolamine, valium
b) Antiemetics – Phenergan, Compazine, etc.
c) Anxiolytics
3) Physical therapy – vestibular rehabilitation (balance therapy)
BPV by Canal Type
POSTERIOR:
1) Estimated Frequency:
- 81-89%
2) Provocative Maneuver:
- Dix Hallpike*
3) Nystagmus:
- Torsional
HORIZONTAL:
1) Estimated Frequency:
- 8-17%
2) Provocative Maneuver:
- Supine Roll Test (Pagnini- McClure)
3) Nystagmus:
- Horizontal Direction Changing
ANTERIOR:
1) Estimated Frequency:
- 1-3%
2) Provocative Maneuver:
- Dix Hallpike*
3) Nystagmus:
- Downbeat**, Torsional
- In posterior canal benign positional vertigo, nystagmus is provoked following Dix Hallpike positioning with the affected ear down. In anterior canal benign positional vertigo, nystagmus is provoked following Dix Hallpike positioning with the affected ear up.
** The observation of vertical positional nystagmus requires CAREFUL assessment to rule out brainstem or cerebellar lesions.
Peripheral: Vestibular Neuronitis
- Spontaneous attack of vertigo that does not involve hearing loss or tinnitus and resolves spontaneously.
- Characterized by vertigo, nausea, and vomiting of acute onset, typically lasting up to 2 wk.
- Not characteristically positional
Peripheral: Meziere’s Disease
– Described by Meniere in 1861
– Onset between 20-50 years of age (rarely older)
– M:F = 1:3
– Thought due to an increase in the volume of labyrinthine endolymph because of poor absorption (endolymphatic hydrops)
