1994 Volume 40 Issue 6 Pages 941-944
The purpose of this report is to utilize the standing test as a screening test for an impairment of the labyrinthine function. One hundred and seventy-one patients with unilateral canal paresis (CP) and 293 normal subjects were examined by the one-leg standing test with their eyes closed. Each subject was tested to see whether or not he could stand on one leg with his eyes closed for more than 10 seconds. The results were judged as being “possible” or “impossible”, respectively. The results were evaluated regarding age and the degree of CP. In 97 patients with either severe CP or complete CP, 5 of 21 patients whose ages ranged from 20 to 40 years ware judged to be “possible”, but all 76 patients over 40 years of age were judged as being “impossible”. In 74 patients with moderate CP, all age groups, except for those in their 70's, had a frequency of “possible” patients ranging from 6 to 50%. Almost all of the normal subjects whose ages ranged from 20 to 40 years were judged to be “possible”. From these results, we can thus rule out severe and complete CP in “possible” patients aged over 40.However, we could not rule out moderate CP in a “possible” patient regardless of the patient's age. Either CP or other vestibular system disorder is strongly suggested in “impossible” patients whose ages range from 20 to 40.
