Comparison of visual-vestibular interaction in insulin-dependent and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

We compared various measures of visual-vestibular interaction in subjects w ith insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or non-insulin-dependent dia betes mellitus (NIDDM), as well as non-diabetic controls. Subjects with IDD M exhibited significantly greater postural sway than controls on those cond itions in the Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB) whic h require greater reliance on the vestibular system (p<0.005). The IDDM gro up also exhibited significantly worse gaze-holding in darkness and a signif icantly higher mean slow phase eye velocity (SPV) of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN; p<0.05 for both comparisons). However, there were no significant diff erences in latency to circularvection (CV). The NIDDM group showed a signif icant increase in postural sway across all 12 conditions compared with the controls, as well as a significant decrease in gaze-holding in darkness (p< 0.05 and p<0.0005, respectively). However, they showed no significant diffe rence in OKN SPV and a significant decrease in latency to CV for anticlockw ise trials only (p<0.05). These results suggest that IDDM and NIDDM are bot h associated with specific but different changes in visual-vestibular inter action. NeuroReport 11:487-490 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams 8 Wilkins.