Posturographic findings in two common peripheral vestibular disorders.

Peripheral vestibular pathology disturbs the vestibulospinal reflex in a number of cases. The recording of postural sway furnishes an evaluation of this vestibulospinal influence. Two common peripheral vestibular syndromes were studied: Ménière's disease and peripheral unilateral vestibular hypofunction. It is evident that, by posturography, vestibulospinal disturbance is shown in these peripheral syndromes, whereas its occurrence cannot be predicted by other tests, e.g. caloric and rotation tests. Normalization of the vestibulospinal reflex depends on central adapting mechanisms, which were evidently still incomplete in a number of the cases examined. Whereas abnormal postural results were equally observed in both groups, rotation tests showed better vestibulo-ocular compensation in Ménière's disease, compared to the cases with unilateral vestibular hypofunction. It mattered not whether the Ménière patient was in an active or a stabilized phase. A striking difference was noted for those Ménière patients with atypical vertigo complaints, who showed a high frequency of posturographic disturbances.