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Voluntary Upper-Extremity Movements in Patients With Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction

DF Borello-France, PT, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Duquesne University, 111 Health Sciences Bldg, Pittsburgh, PA 15282 (USA) (borellofrance{at}duq.edu). Address all correspondence to Dr Borello-France
JD Gallagher, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
JM Furman, MD, PhD, is Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
MS Redfern, PhD, is Associate Professor, Departments of Bioengineering and Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
GE Carvell, PT, PhD, is Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa

Background and Purpose. People with peripheral vestibular pathology demonstrate motor impairments when responding and adapting to postural platform perturbations and during performance of sit-to-stand and locomotor tasks. This study investigated the influence of unilateral peripheral vestibular hypofunction on voluntary arm movement. Subjects and Methods. Subjects without known neurological impairments and subjects with vestibular impairments performed 3 voluntary arm movements: an overhead reach to a target, a sideward reach to a target, and a forward flexion movement through 90 degrees. Subjects performed these tasks under precued and choice reaction time conditions. During all tasks, body segment motion was measured. Head velocity measurements were calculated for the side task only. Results. Subjects with vestibular loss restricted upper body segment motion within the frontal and transverse planes for the 90-degree and overhead tasks. Average angular head velocity was lower for the group with vestibular hypofunction. Task uncertainty (the introduction of a choice reaction time paradigm) differentially influenced the groups regarding head velocity at target acquisition. Discussion and Conclusion. Individuals with vestibular loss altered their performance of voluntary arm movements. Such alterations may have served to minimize the functional consequences of gaze instability.

Key Words: Vestibular hypofunction • Voluntary movement