Can posturography contribute to the diagnosis of vertigo in patients where other tests fail to do so?

In this study, patients showing abnormal posturographic results in a test-configuration upon examination of the visuo-proprioceptive-vestibular interaction (Static Posturography type III, SPGIII) are reviewed. Group I (n = 81) comprised patients for whom no clear diagnosis could be obtained (neither central nor peripheral) and with rather atypical complaints. Group II (n = 77) comprised patients in whom a well-defined peripheral disorder could be found (typical provoked vertigo as BPPV (n = 30) and Meniere's disease (n = 30)). Group I consisted of s subgroup Ia, including patients with a complete negative classical examination (n = 32), a subgroup Ib with patients showing minor central signs (n = 28), and subgroup Ic comprising patients with slight peripheral indications (n = 21). The findings in SPGIII were compared between these two groups and are discussed in the light of earlier experience with such data in typical peripheral vestibular disorders. Similar sensory interaction patterns were found in both groups, with only small differences between them, suggesting that in some of these cases, especially in subgroups Ia and Ic, vestibular disturbance might be present, which would not have been sufficiently and clearly revealed by the classical tests. Especially the negative effects, i.e. when the withdrawal of a sensory input improved stability instead of aggravating it, which is the opposite to what should be expected, suggest that the other sensory inputs, vision and proprioception, play a role in the definition of the posturographic results in typical vestibular disorders as well as in diagnosis.