The "broken escalator" phenomenon: vestibular dizziness interferes with locomotor adaptation
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although vestibular lesions degrade postural control we do not know the relative contributions of the magnitude of the vestibular loss and subjective vestibular symptoms to locomotor adaptation. OBJECTIVE: To study how dizzy symptoms interfere with adaptive locomotor learning. METHODS: We examined patients with contrasting peripheral vestibular deficits, vestibular neuritis in the chronic stable phase (n = 20) and strongly symptomatic unilateral Meniere's disease (n = 15), compared to age-matched healthy controls (n = 15). We measured locomotor adaptive learning using the "broken escalator" aftereffect, simulated on a motorised moving sled. RESULTS: Patients with Meniere's disease had an enhanced "broken escalator" postural aftereffect. More generally, the size of the locomotor aftereffect was related to how symptomatic patients were across both groups. Contrastingly, the degree of peripheral vestibular loss was not correlated with symptom load or locomotor aftereffect size. During the MOVING trials, both patient groups had larger levels of instability (trunk sway) and reduced adaptation than normal controls. CONCLUSION: Dizziness symptoms influence locomotor adaptation and its subsequent expression through motor aftereffects. Given that the unsteadiness experienced during the "broken escalator" paradigm is internally driven, the enhanced aftereffect found represents a new type of self-generated postural challenge for vestibular/unsteady patients.
Date Issued
2020-05-01
Date Acceptance
2020-01-24
Citation
Journal of Vestibular Research: Equilibrium and Orientation: an international journal of experimental and clinical vestibular science, 2020, 30 (2), pp.81-94
ISSN
0957-4271
Publisher
IOS Press
Start Page
81
End Page
94
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Vestibular Research: Equilibrium and Orientation: an international journal of experimental and clinical vestibular science
Volume
30
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
©2020 IOS Press All rights reserved.
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32116265
PII: VES200693
Subjects
Meniere’s
disease
disease
Vestibular system
dizziness
locomotor adaptation
motor control
vertigo
vestibular neuritis
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Netherlands
Date Publish Online
2020-02-26