Balance Stability Characteristics of Patients with Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Abstract

To observe the postural control problems in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). cross-sectional study SETTING: General Hospital (iNPH patients) and local community (healthy controls) PARTICIPANTS: A total of 44 elderly individuals (23 patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus and 21 healthy controls) INTERVENTION: Not applicable MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Balance scores, including the comprehensive balance score. Visual score, Somatosensory score, and vestibular score. Patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus exhibited significantly lower balance scores than healthy controls across multiple SOT conditions. The composite balance score was significantly lower in iNPH patients with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.824; P < 0.001). This overall deficit was further reflected across individual SOT conditions, where large effect sizes were observed for SOT1 (Cohen's d = 1.217; P < 0.001), SOT4, SOT5, and SOT6 (r values ranging from 0.512 to 0.667; all P < 0.05), whereas SOT2 showed a moderate effect size (r = 0.412; P < 0.05). Sensory system analysis further revealed that both vision and vestibular scores were significantly impaired in iNPH patients, with large effect sizes for both modalities (r = 0.656 and 0.502, respectively; both P < 0.05). Patients with iNPH exhibited dynamic balance disorders, with a large effect size for overall balance impairment. Sensory system analysis further revealed large effect sizes for both visual and vestibular dysfunction, suggesting that impairments in these sensory modalities may constitute a primary sensory mechanism underlying postural instability in this population.