Abstract
Dandy reported in 1941 that visual jumbling of objects or oscillopia occurred in patients who had suffered bilateral cessation or defection of the labyrinthine function.
Jumbling of objects indicates a disturbance of the physiological regulatory system, in which movement of the patient precipitates derangement of the regulation of visual space or time space with the resulting failure of the higher-level mechanism for motor regulation in the central nervous system.
To evaluate the effect of the jumbling phenomenon, which originates from bilateral dysfunction of the labyrinth, on the regulation of equilibrium and movement, two-dimentional body sway of the center of gravity was studied.
The static body sway of the center of gravity was estimated based on the percentage of distance between the heel and the center of gravity to the length of the plantar (G%). Data were also obtained from the body sway elicited by visual stimuli, and the pattern of body sway of the center of gravity was analyzed. Dynamic body sway of the ceuter of gravity was studied by loading rhythm in the stepping movement. Analysis of G% disclosed a the center of gravity slight tendency towards backward shift in posture. We had the impression that G% would serve as a parameter for the comparison of individuals or disease groups, while the pattern of body sway might be useful in evaluating the severity or the pattern of disturbance. The stepping movement yields data useful in estimation of the effect of labyrinthine ataxia on motor regulation system. Changes in the rhythm of the stepping movement provide data for the analysis of the mechanism of coordination between the central programing and the movement of the lower extremities.
