The stepping test (Fukuda, 1943) faithfully reflects the existing status of the vestibulospinal reflex and is one of the most reliable vestibular function tests. To our knowledge, however, no attempts have ever been made to investigate the results of the test in individuals having disordered lower extremities.
During the past 1 year we experienced 8 cases of vertigo with claudication due to a disorder of lower extrimities. In an attempt to make an otologic check-up of the vertigo the stepping test, along with nystagmus and past pointing tests, was performed repeatedly on these patients. The results indicated that the time course of the results of these tests was virtually the same in these patients as in patients with vertigo in general.
Otologic conditions in these 8 cases were MÉNIÈRE's disease in 7 and sudden deafness in 1. Defects of lower extremities were a shortening of one extremity in 4 cases, i. e., amputaton of one extremity with the use of a prosthesis in 2 cases and a shortening of the lower leg resulting from its fracture and of one extremity due to long-standing gonarthritis in one case ach.
In 3 caes limping was due to pain arising from gonarthritis, fracture of the 5 th toe or sprain of the ankle.
The remaining one case was of a slight degree of hemiplegia as a sequela to stroke.
In all these cases the angle of rotation in the stepping test became widened when inner ear manifestations were present and reduced to 0° as the disease of the inner ear subsided even in the presence of claudication.
These observations permit us to conclude that the angle of rotation in the stepping test is an indication of abnormality of vestibulospinal reflex and also that a disorder of the lower extremity is unlikely to cause the test to convert to positive.
