Kentala Erna, Vivas Jason, Wall Conrad
Department of Otology and Laryngology and the Jenks Vestibular Diagnostic Laboratory Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infumary, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, USA.
Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2003 May;112(5):404-9. doi: 10.1177/000348940311200503.
To evaluate the effectiveness of a prototype vibrotactile balance prosthesis in maintaining balance during dynamic posturography, we studied 6 subjects with unilateral or bilateral vestibular deficit by means of Equitest computerized dynamic posturography (CDP). Their anterior-posterior (AP) sway at the small of the back was measured with a micromechanical rate gyroscope and a linear accelerometer. The resulting tilt estimate was displayed by a vibrotactile array attached to the torso. The vibration served as tilt feedback to the subject. Subject performance was evaluated with the tilt performance index (TPI), which is the inverse of the root-mean-square of tilt. We found that the balance prosthesis reduced the subjects' AP sway. The subjects' results without the balance prosthesis on CDP sensory organization tests (SOTs) 5 and 6 were compared to results with the prosthesis. The average TPI increased significantly (p < .05) when vibrotactile feedback was used as compared to the unaided condition. This finding was true for both SOTs 5 and 6. We conclude that vibrotactile feedback of estimated AP body tilt improved the subjects' ability to perform selected CDP tests. Some of the subjects were able to stand throughout the test with the device turned on, whereas they otherwise constantly fell.
为评估一种原型振动触觉平衡假体在动态姿势描记术中维持平衡的有效性,我们通过Equitest计算机化动态姿势描记术(CDP)对6名单侧或双侧前庭功能缺损的受试者进行了研究。用微机械速率陀螺仪和线性加速度计测量他们背部腰部的前后(AP)摆动。由此产生的倾斜估计值由附着在躯干上的振动触觉阵列显示。振动作为对受试者的倾斜反馈。用倾斜性能指数(TPI)评估受试者的表现,TPI是倾斜均方根的倒数。我们发现平衡假体减少了受试者的AP摆动。将受试者在CDP感觉组织测试(SOTs)5和6中不使用平衡假体时的结果与使用假体时的结果进行比较。与无辅助条件相比,使用振动触觉反馈时平均TPI显著增加(p < 0.05)。SOTs 5和6的情况都是如此。我们得出结论,估计的身体AP倾斜的振动触觉反馈提高了受试者进行选定CDP测试的能力。一些受试者在设备开启的情况下能够在整个测试过程中站立,否则他们会不断摔倒。