Equilibrium function of healthy elderly individuals

Equilibrium examinations were performed in 198 healthy individuals over 65 years of age, The characteristic findings were as follows.1. Romberg sign appeared in 7.1% of the cases when vestibulospinal reflex testing was performed. It is suspected that the main cause of Romberg sign in elderly people is a disorder of the deep sensation.2. In nystagmus tests, 5 cases (2.6%) of lateral gaze nystagmus and 14 cases (7.1%) of downbeat positioning nystagmus were observed. However, neither spontaneous nystagmus nor positional nystagmus was seen. Judging from these results, nystagmus testing is an important examinations for the diagnosis of vestibular disorders, even in the elderly.3. Eye tracking testing indicates that, as people age, the smooth pursuit eye movement tends to gradually become more difficult.4. Horizontal optokinetic nystagmus testing should that the total number of nystagmus beats was nearly the same as in the elderly the normal range seen in young people, although the maximum velocity of the slow phase was obviously low in comparison with young people.