ABSTRACT
Purpose
To evaluate postural control in diabetes mellitus Type 2 patients (T2DM) with vertigo, dizziness and/or imbalance.
Methods
T2DM patients, 15 females and five males, ranging from 46 to 83 years old, and a control group of 20 healthy individuals with no complaints paired according to age and gender were submitted to the Brazilian version of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), dizziness analog scale, and the Tetrax IBSTM static posturography in eight sensory conditions.
Results
The experimental group had moderate impairment in quality of life according to the DHI (mean of 31.30 points) and a mean score of 6.45 points in the dizziness analog scale. There was a significant difference between the groups in all or some sensory conditions concerning the values of the general stability index, frequency bands of postural oscillation, postural oscillation synchronization indexes, and the risk of falling.
Conclusion
T2DM patients with vertigo, dizziness and/or imbalance may present postural control impairment in posturography, characterized by changes in general stability, postural oscillation synchronization, frequency ranges of postural oscillation and risk of fall, suggesting vestibular, visual and somatosensory dysfunction or in their interaction in the central nervous system.
Keywords:
Postural balance; Vertigo; Dizziness; Diabetes mellitus type 2; Vestibular function tests