Influence of sensory information on static balance in older patients with vestibular disorder

Introduction: With aging, the sensory systems suffer an accumulation of degenerative, infectious and/or traumatic processes that may hinder the body balance maintenance. Objective: To assess the influence of sensory information on static body balance of elderly individuals with vestibular disorders. Methods: Cross-sectional study of elderly individuals with vestibular disorders. The Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance and posturography integrated with virtual reality (Balance Rehabilitation UnitTM) were used. Posturography parameters analyzed included center of pressure and velocity of body sway. Results: 123 individuals with mean age of 73.11 were assessed. Worst performance was observed in the Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance condition of visual dome-unstable surface. Differences between conditions were: firm surface-open eyes/firm surface-closed eyes, unstable surface-open eyes/unstable surface-closed eyes (p