Identifying Key Risk Factors for Dizziness Handicap in Middle-Aged and Older People

Blood Pressure Response to the Head-Up Tilt Test in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

The vestibular organ is involved in controlling blood pressure through vestibulosympathetic reflexes of the autonomic nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the effect of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) on blood pressure control by the autonomic nervous system by observing changes in blood pressure before and after BPPV treatment using the head-up tilt test (HUTT). A total of 278 patients who underwent the HUTT before and after treatment were included. The HUTT measured blood pressure repeatedly on the day of diagnosis and the day of complete recovery, and the results were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Regarding the difference in the systolic blood pressure of patients with BPPV, the blood pressure at 1, 2, and 3 min in the upright position after complete recovery was significantly lower than before treatment (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.012, respectively). Blood pressure at 1 and 2 min in the diastolic blood pressure of patients with BPPV in the upright position after complete recovery was significantly lower than before treatment (p = 0.001 and p = 0.034, respectively). This study shows that BPPV increases blood pressure during the initial response to standing in the HUTT.

Subjective Evaluation of Balance by the Dizziness Handicap Inventory Does Not Predict Fall Risk in Older Adults Visiting Otolaryngology Clinics

OBJECTIVES

Subjective symptoms of dizziness in older adults are affected not only by objective data such as postural balance, but also by complex psychological factors. Published data analyzing how simultaneous evaluations of both objective and subjective assessments of balance can predict fall risk remain lacking. This study examined how fall risk can be predicted based on both objective data for balance and hearing and subjective symptoms of dizziness among older adults visiting otolaryngology clinics.

METHODS

Medical charts of 76 patients ≥65 years old with dizziness/vertigo who visited the otolaryngology clinic were reviewed. Objective data were evaluated by postural balance (posturographic data with eyes open and closed, and one-leg standing test), spontaneous nystagmus, and mean hearing levels. Subjective handicap associated with dizziness/vertigo was assessed using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). Subjective mental status of anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Information on history (cardiovascular diseases) and fall accidents within the preceding year was collected using an in-house interview sheet.

RESULTS

Objective data on postural balance did not correlate with subjective symptoms on DHI or HADS (P > .05, Pearson's correlation coefficient). Adjusted logistic regression modeling with the outcome of incident falls revealed that poor postural balance significantly predicted fall risk (P < .05; 4.9 [1.4-16.8] per 10-cm² increment). Nystagmus tended to be associated with fall risk. In contrast, DHI score did not predict fall risk (P = .43; 1.0 [0.9-1.03]). Receiver operating characteristic analysis proposed a cut-off for postural sway with eyes closed >6.1 cm² as optimal to predict falls in patients with nystagmus (AUC, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-0.997).

CONCLUSION

Poor postural balance is associated with increased fall risk after adjusting for subjective symptoms in older adults at otolaryngology clinics. Conversely, the self-perceived dizziness handicap of DHI score is an insufficient tool to evaluate their fall risk.

Consciously processing balance leads to distorted perceptions of instability in older adults

Background

Persistent dizziness without a clear cause is common in older adults. We explored whether an anxiety-driven preoccupation with consciously processing balance may underpin the distorted perceptions of unsteadiness that characterises ‘unexplained’ dizziness in older adults.

Methods

We experimentally induced anxiety about losing one’s balance (through a postural threat manipulation) in a cohort of asymptomatic older adults and evaluated associated changes in perceived stability, conscious movement processing and postural control. These outcomes were also assessed when performing a distracting cognitive task designed to prevent anxiety-related conscious movement processing, in addition to during baseline conditions (ground level).

Results

Despite a lack of increase in postural sway amplitude (p = 0.316), participants reported reductions in perceived stability during postural threat compared to baseline (p < 0.001). A multiple linear regression revealed that anxiety-related conscious movement processing independently predicted perceptions of instability during this condition (p = 0.006). These changes were accompanied by alterations in postural control previously associated with functional dizziness, namely high-frequency postural sway and disrupted interaction between open- and closed-loop postural control (ps < 0.014). While the distraction task successfully reduced conscious processing (p = 0.012), leading to greater perceived stability (p = 0.010), further increases in both postural sway frequency (p = 0.002) and dominance of closed-loop control (p = 0.029) were observed.

Conclusion

These findings implicate the role of conscious movement processing in the formation of distorted perceptions of unsteadiness, suggesting that such perceptions may be modifiable by reducing an over-reliance on conscious processes to regulate balance.