OBJECTIVETo provide a quantitative base for diagnosing cervical vertigo by establishing a biomechanics method.

METHODSFrom July 2004 to Nov 2005, the static posturography (SPG) of normal 86 health individuals and 75 patients with cervical vertigo were quantitatively measured and qualitative diagnosis respectively in closed and open eyes. There were 40 male and 46 female in health adults, ranging from 20 to 74 years old (mean 30 years). There were 16 male and 59 female in vertigo patients, ranging from 20 to 74 years old (mean 44.5 years). In contrast to current diagnosis method of patients with cervical vertigo, the clinical value was evaluated.

RESULTSUnder the state of closed eyes, the sensitivity of SPG diagnosing cervical vertigo was 76%; the specificity was 93%; the Youden index was 69%; the coincidence was 85.1%; the positive predictive value was 90.5%; the negative predictive value was 93%; the positive and negative likelihood ratio were 10.893 and 0.258 respectively. Under the state of open eyes, the sensitivity was 49.3%; the specificity was 87.2%; the Youden index was 38.6%; the coincidence was 69.6%; the positive predictive value was 77.1%; the negative predictive value was 87.2%; the positive likelihood ratio was 3.857; the negative one was 0.581. Regardless of closed or open eyes, foreword-backward type shift orbit was the with cervical vertigo.

CONCLUSIONThe patients with cervical vertigo and normal individuals can be diagnosed objectively and quantitatively with SPG under the state of closed eyes, which can achieve the basic requirements of diagnosing cervical vertigo with validity, reliability and good clinical application. However, the rate of missed diagnosis with SPG under the state of open eyes is too high to meet the diagnostic needs.

Adult ; Aged ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Female ; Gravity Sensing ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postural Balance ; Vertigo ; diagnosis ; physiopathology

Although it is clear that changes of gravity can alter dramatically the functions and structures of cells, little is known about how living cells sense these signals and convert them into a biochemical response. Recent studies estimated that the changes of gravity might influence the single cell directly and indirectly. So far, the molecular mechanism of gravisensing remains unknown, however, according to a great deal of researches focusing on this point, several pathways could be considered: (1) Pre-stress perception pathway; (2) Cytoskeleton-perception pathway; (3) Stress-sensitive ion channel pathway; (4) Indirect effects of gravitational change.
Cell Physiological Phenomena ; Cytoskeleton ; physiology ; Gravitation ; Gravity Sensing ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; Space Flight ; Weightlessness