A TASK FOR ASSESSING VERTIGO ELICITED BY REPETITIVE HEAD MOVEMENTS

Objective. We developed a simple, inexpensive test for assessing verti go in persons with peripheral vestibular disorders. Method. The test w as administered to 16 asymptomatic adults and 16 patients with chronic vertigo caused by peripheral vestibular disorders. Participants sat i n a chair and as rapidly as possible transferred 25 beanbags one at a time from a basket placed on the floor to a basket held .91 m zip in t he air. The task was timed and the participants rated the level of ver tigo elicited on a 10-point scale. Results. Patients took significantl y more time to perform the task and reported significantly greater lev er of vertigo than did the asymptomatic adults. Test scores did not di ffer significantly across test sessions or raters. Conclusion. Perform ance on this task reliably differentiated patients with vestibular dis orders from asymptomatic adults. The test is inexpensive, takes less t han 1 min to perform, and has minimal technical requirements, making i t suitable for a variety of facilities and levels of staff expertise.