The functional lateralization and computer dynamic posturography

Disorders in the functioning of the human body balance system exist in 20-30 % of adults and in 8-18% of children. The main causes of these aberrations are: benign positional vertigoes, migraine, anxiety disorders and depression, cerebrovascular diseases, brain traumas, labyrinthitis, toxic impairment of labyrinth, vestibular neuronitis, Ménière disease, brain tumours. Among the minor causes of these disorders are: internal ear disorders, inner ear circulation disorders, sclerosis multiplex (SM), epilepsy, arterial hypertension, postural hypertension, heart rhythm disorders, sclerosis, hypoglycaemia and involutional alternations (see: prezbiastazja). Human body balance disorders increase the risk of falls, which may threaten health and life. Frequency of these disorders raises with age, which is the cause of progressing degeneration of all the anatomical and functional systems, the efficiency of which affects the stability of the human body. Determination of the factors, which are related to a worse functioning of the body balance system of young people, who do not experience any clinical symptoms caused by this system is vital, especially in preventing falls and complications attributed to them. It allows to implement possibly early the preventive actions substantial for people encumbered by the risk factors. The aforesaid actions may consist in the alternation of a given factor (diet, sleep, physical activity). In case of the factors, which are not subject to modifications (i.e. heterogeneous form of the functional lateralization), it is essential to prevent potential diseases that disturb the functioning of the body balance system, which is already impaired. This study aimed to acquaint with the findings concerning the evaluation of the functional lateralization enriched with a new diagnostic tool – a computerized dynamic posturography. The computerized dynamic posturography (CPD) is a state-of-the-art and faultless evaluation tool of the functional lateralization. It provides a comprehensive knowledge, which concerns not only the preferences of the body, but also constitutes an objective and quantitative diagnostic method for the disorders in the functioning of the body balance system. CPD differentiates a few clinical protocols: the Sensory Organization Test (SOT); the Motor Control Test (MCT); the Adaptation Test (ADT). SOT evaluates the control of the body balance in different conditions (eyes closed/eyes opened; environment moves/ground moves) of the sensory systems stimulation. MCT assesses the postural reactions (body postures) in response to an unexpected changes in the location of the feet prop surface. ADT assesses the efficiency of the adaptation mechanisms in the body balance control