[Use of the posturography in balance system evaluation in occupational medicine].

BACKGROUND

The posturography test allows assessment of the entire function of balance system and quantitative, device-based verification of the clinical Romberg test. Therefore, the aim of this study is assessment of usefulness of posturography as primary test for balance disorders in occupational medicine.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The study is cross-sectional, analyzing anonymous results of 1030 patients reporting dizziness and balance disorders. Based on symptoms, clinical examination and videonystagmography patients were classified into subgroups: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV [N = 130]), non compensated (NS [N = 82]) and compensated (S [N = 174]) peripheral vestibular, bilateral vestibular (BV [N = 63]), Ménière's disease (MD [N = 53]), central dizziness (central [N = 293]), migraine (migr. [N = 132]), psychogenic dizziness (psychog. [N = 232]), Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD [N = 150]). Besides, 129 healthy people were included in the study.

RESULTS

Ninety nine percent of abnormal static posturography (SP) and 94% of abnormal dynamic posturography (PD) results were found in diseased patients. Normal results were found both in healthy group (59% PS, 67% PD) and in diseased group (24% PS, 31% PD). Static posturography's abnormal results were more frequent in NS, BV and PPPD patients. In PD the differences were visible in the central, psychog. and PPPD subgroups. In NS subgroup the high negative predictive values of static and dynamic tests (82-87%) were calculated in relation to caloric test.

CONCLUSIONS

Static tests are the basic test used in examinations of employees for occupational medicine purposes. Posturography is a quantitative record of sways in relation to normative values. Abnormal posturography results most likely indicate the presence of pathologies of the balance system, including psychofunctional disorders. Normal posturography results do not indicate the lack of pathology of balance system what should be included in the work ability assessment. Med Pr. 2022;73(2):143-50.