CONTROL OF MIDDLE-AGED AND ELDERLY ADULTS WITHOUT AND WITH CHRONIC VESTIBULOPATHY SUBMITTED TO STIMULATION BY VIRTUAL REALITY
Vestibular Diseases. Postural Balance. Dizziness. Vertigo. Reference values.
Introduction: postural control is maintained through synergistic interaction between sensory and neuromotor systems. This integration between the systems, which includes the visual, somatosensory, neuromusculoskeletal and vestibular, keeps the Center of Gravity within the support base and the Stability Limit (LE), besides providing rapid responses when there are external disturbances. Posturography is used for complementary evaluation of postural control and the tests involve the use of force platform, which detect pressure center oscillations (CP). Horus® computerized posturography is an equipment that evaluates postural control, through evidence that provides seven different sensory conditions, and promotes stimuli of oculomotor reflexes (optokinetic, slow eye pursuit, visuo-vestibular and sacaric interaction), and is relevant for the diagnosis of quantitative parameters that induce postural instability. Objective: To compare the postural control of individuals in the aging process without and with chronic vestibulopathy submitted to posturographic evaluation associated with virtual stimuli. Methodology: this is a quantitative analytical research, which will be carried out through the cross-sectional clinical study. Individuals of both sexes, aged between 40 and 75 years, distributed in Group 1 (G1) - without diagnosis of vestibulopathy, falls and complaint of body imbalance and/or dizziness, will be included in Group 2 (G2), consisting of individuals with vestibulopathy, history of falls and complaint of imbalance and/or dizziness/vertigo. The groups will be evaluated by means of instruments, which contains: clinical characterization, cognition (LCT); daily activities (VADL); level of physical activity (IPAQ); confidence in body balance (ABC SCALE); and body balance assessment (MiniBESTest). The posturographic evaluation will be performed through the Horus platform®, including the following quantitative parameters: 1) Global Parameters (Trajectory Length (mm), Total Average Speed (mm/s), Body Mass (kg), LE Area (mm2), Reliable Ellipse (mm2); 2) Residual Functional Balance (Trust Ellipse Area (mm2) and Residual Functional Balance of the seven sensory conditions; 3) Sensory Analysis (Sensory Sum function (%), Visual function (%), Vestibular Function (%), Right, Left and Tunnel Visual Dependence (%) and Composite Balance Index (%); and 4) Parameters of each different sensory condition evaluated: Reliable Ellipse (mm), Reliable Ellipse/LE, Mid-Lateral CP (mm), nteroposterior CP (mm), Average Speed (mm/s), Ap Average Velocity (mm/s), Lateral Medium Frequency Band (Hz), Nteroposterior Frequency Band (Hz). Expected results: it is expected to identify the differences in postural control between individuals without and with vestibulopathy, and how vestibulopathy could impact postural control, and these will be analyzed through the results of the posturography examination. Also from this, the reference values will be set for each group. In addition, it will be possible to direct the most relevant postural balance rehabilitation interventions, through the analysis of the measurements of the area of displacement of the PC and the body oscillations in the different sensory conditions evaluated. In addition, it aims to establish a protocol for the execution of the tests in their different sensory conditions to reach the diagnosis in this population.