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Background and Purpose: Persons with vestibular disorders are known to have slower gait speed with greater imbalance and veering during dual-task walking than healthy individuals, but the cerebral mechanisms are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether individuals with visual vertigo (VV) have different cerebral activation during dual-task walking compared with control subjects., Methods: Fourteen individuals with VV and 14 healthy controls (CON) were included (mean 39 years old, 85% women). A cross-sectional experimental study consisting of 4 combinations of 2 surfaces (even and uneven) and 2 task conditions (single- and dual-task) was performed. Participants walked over an even (level flooring) or uneven (wood prisms underneath carpeting) surface, either quietly or while reciting every other letter of the alphabet. Changes in cerebral activation over the bilateral prefrontal cortices were recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy during 4 task conditions relative to quiet standing. Gait speed and cognitive performance were recorded., Results: There were no between-group differences in cognitive performance. Both groups slowed when walking on an uneven surface or performing a dual-task; participants in the VV group walked more slowly than those in the CON group in all conditions. Participants with VV had decreased cerebral activation in the bilateral prefrontal regions in comparison to CON participants in all conditions., Discussion and Conclusions: Participants with VV had lower prefrontal cortex activation than CON participants during dual-task walking. Lower cortical activity in those with VV may be due to shifted attention away from the cognitive task to prioritize maintenance of dynamic balance.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A303).

Objective The purpose of this study was to establish the psychometric properties of the 9-Item Vestibular Activities Avoidance Instrument (VAAI-9), a patient-reported outcome measure developed to identify fear avoidance beliefs in persons with vestibular disorders. Methods This prospective cohort study included 100 participants 18 years and older seeking care at a balance disorders clinic for dizziness. Participants completed the VAAI-9, the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and other patient-reported outcomes at the initial visit and the 3-month follow-up. To measure test–retest reliability, the VAAI-9 was completed again 5 days after the initial visit and was analyzed using a 2-way mixed ICC for absolute agreement. Internal consistency was determined using the Cronbach alpha. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to assess convergent validity of the VAAI-9 with other outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to identify baseline VAAI-9 cutoff scores for those who reported mild (DHI ≤ 30) or moderate or severe (DHI > 30) perceived disability at the 3-month follow-up. Results The mean age of the study cohort was 49 (SD = 16) years; 73 (73%) were women. Seventy-one participants completed the 5-day follow-up, and 68 completed the 3-month follow-up. The VAAI-9 demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.91) and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.90). Baseline VAAI-9 scores had moderate to strong associations with other outcome measures at baseline and 3 months. A baseline VAAI-9 score of 26 or higher had a sensitivity of 80.6% and a specificity of 78.4% for identifying a DHI score of >30 at 3 months (area under the curve = 0.86). Conclusions The results provide evidence of excellent reliability and validity for the 9-item VAAI in persons with vestibular disorders. A baseline VAAI-9 score of ≥26 identified individuals at risk of persistent moderate to severe disability due to dizziness. Impact Initial levels of fear avoidance beliefs measured using the VAAI-9 provided important prognostic information about outcomes for persons with vestibular symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Avoidance of activities that trigger dizziness in persons with vestibular disorders may inhibit dynamic vestibular compensation mechanisms. OBJECTIVE: To determine the reliability of the Vestibular Activities Avoidance Instrument (VAAI) 81 and 9 item tool and to compare the VAAI scores in Dutch-speaking healthy adults and in patients with vestibular disorders. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted including 151 healthy participants and 106 participants with dizziness. All participants completed the 81-item VAAI. Within 7 days, the VAAI was completed a second time by 102 healthy adults and 43 persons with dizziness. RESULTS: The average 81-item VAAI scores [54.8(47.1) vs. 228.1(78.3)] and 9-item VAAI scores [2.4(5.9) vs. 28.1(12)] were significantly different between healthy adults and participants with dizziness (p < 0.001). In participants with dizziness the ICC for the 81-item VAAI was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91, 0.97) and for the 9-item VAAI was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.95). Cronbach's alpha for the 81-item VAAI was 0.97 and 0.85 for the 9-item VAAI. The minimal detectable change was 47.8 for the 81-item VAAI and 8.9 for the 9-item VAAI. CONCLUSIONS: Persons with dizziness have a greater tendency to avoid movements. Both test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Dutch version of the VAAI were excellent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The Visual Vertigo Analogue Scale (VVAS) assesses visual vertigo. Instead of the original scoring methods (positive VVAS > 1), we propose categorizing patients as having No (0), Mild (0.1–40), Moderate (40.01–70), or Severe (70.01–100) symptoms. OBJECTIVE: Our primary aim was to validate an alternative interpretation of the VVAS by exploring the relationship between categories of visual vertigo symptoms and measures of activity and participation, dizziness handicap, anxiety, and depression. We aimed to describe the severity of visual vertigo reported by patients in different vestibular diagnostic categories. METHODS: Participants with vestibular disorders (n = 250) completed the VVAS, Vestibular Activities and Participation (VAP) Measure, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: Patients with central disorders were more symptomatic than those with peripheral vestibular disorders. As evaluated by one-way ANOVA, the scores on the VAP, HADS, and DHI significantly differed among mild, moderate, severe, and no visual vertigo categories (p < 0.001). As VVAS severity increased, activity and participation decreased (r = 0.582, p < 0.001); dizziness handicap increased (r = 0.597, p < 0.001, n = 199); anxiety increased (r = 0.405, p < 0.001); and depression increased (r = 0.521, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study support the use of an alternative VVAS interpretation method of categorizing symptoms as none, mild, moderate, and severe visual vertigo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the association between fear-avoidance beliefs and disability in 3 months in people with vestibular disorders while accounting for demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods This prospective cohort study included people aged 18 to 100 years who reported dizziness. Participants were recruited from a balance disorders clinic and outpatient physical therapy clinics. All participants completed the Vestibular Activities Avoidance Instrument (VAAI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline and the Vestibular Activities and Participation measure (VAP), dizziness Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and 12-item Short Form Health Questionnaire at baseline and 3-month follow-up. A modified version of the VAAI included 9 items abstracted from the 81-item VAAI. The relationships between 9-item VAAI scores and follow-up measures of disability were assessed using Spearman correlation coefficients. Linear regression models were analyzed to determine the effect of fear-avoidance beliefs on follow-up VAP score while accounting for baseline outcome measures. Results All participants (n = 404) completed the baseline assessment (mean age = 54 years), and 286 (71%) completed the 3-month assessment. The mean 9-item VAAI score was 25 (SD = 14) at baseline and was significantly associated with VAP (ρ = 0.54), 12-item Short Form Health Questionnaire component scores (ρ = −0.53; −0.44), and dizziness VAS at follow-up (ρ = 0.37). Approximately 38% of the variation in VAP score at follow-up was predicted by age, number of medications, 9-item VAAI score, dizziness VAS, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-depression score when considered together (R2  = 0.38). Conclusion Fear-avoidance beliefs are associated with measures of disability at 3 months and are predictive of activity limitations and participation restrictions at 3 months when controlling for age, medications, baseline dizziness, and depression symptom severity in people with vestibular disorders. Impact Measurement of fear-avoidance beliefs may provide important prognostic information, suggesting that an assessment of fear-avoidance beliefs could be used by clinicians to identify individuals at greater risk of disability after a vestibular disorder. Lay Summary Fear-avoidance beliefs in people who have vestibular disorders are associated with disability at 3 months and predict limitations in daily activities at 3 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the rate of physical therapy (PT) referral and patient and physician characteristics associated with PT referral for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and other peripheral vestibular disorders (PVD) in ambulatory care clinics in the United States. Cross-sectional analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 2004-2015 Ambulatory care clinics in the United States. We identified 5.6 million weighted adult visits for BPPV (International Classification of Diseases–9th Revision–Clinical Modifications (ICD-9-CM): 386.11) and 6.6 million weighted visits for other PVDs (ICD-9-CM: 386.1-386.9, excluding 386.11 and 386.2) made by patients 18 years and older from 2004 through 2015. Not applicable. Patient, clinical, and physician characteristics were extracted, and descriptive statistics were stratified by referral to PT. Two multivariable logistic regression models were estimated for each diagnostic group (BPPV and other PVDs) to identify predictors of PT referral. PT referrals for BPPV increased from 6.2% in the period from 2004 to 2006 to 12.9% in the period from 2013 to 2015, whereas PT referrals for other PVDs decreased from 3.8% in the period from 2004 to 2006 to 0.5% in the period from 2013 to 2015. Other insurance coverage (versus private) and neurologists and other specialists (versus otolaryngologists) were associated with a greater odds of PT referral for BPPV. Visits made in the Midwest and West (versus the Northeast) and in rural versus metropolitan areas had greater odds of PT referral for BPPV. Relative to otolaryngologists, primary care physicians were less likely to refer to PT for other PVDs. Visits made in metropolitan versus rural areas and visits with 1 or more comorbidities (versus none) had greater odds of PT referral for other PVDs. PT referrals remain low for ambulatory care visits for BPPV and other PVDs in the United States. Referral to PT for BPPV and other PVDs varied by insurance type, physician specialty, and office location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Deciphering the cause for a persistent, direction-changing geotropic nystagmus can be difficult. Migraine and light cupula are two possible causes, though can be confused with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) affecting the horizontal semicircular canal. In migraine, the persistent geotropic nystagmus tends to be slow; in light cupula, the nystagmus has been illustrated to beat in the direction opposite that of prone positioning. Case Description: Here we describe a patient with initial occurrence then recurrence of a high velocity (≥30 deg/sec), persistent direction-changing geotropic nystagmus and vertigo with an intensity variable based on head position, which was difficult to manage. This patient did not have migraine. The case presented uniquely as it was unlikely due to canalithiasis of the horizontal semicircular canal yet the presentation was not clearly related to the light cupula phenomena either. Intervention: In this case, the physical therapist attempted to use the barbeque roll canalith repositioning maneuver (CRM) even though the direction-changing geotropic nystagmus was persistent. The nystagmus did not resolve during the clinic visit. Outcomes and Discussion: The persistent, high velocity geotropic nystagmus resolved within 1 week, however, this resolution was likely spontaneous and not due to the CRM intervention. Our case suggests that physical therapists assessing persistent geotropic nystagmus should wait long enough for the nystagmus to stop (~2 minutes), test for fatigue by repeating the positional nystagmus tests, incorporate a head flexion component as part of the positional testing, and attempt to identify a null point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]