2023 Volume 162 Pages 8-13
Among vertigo patients who consulted our department, we noticed that young female patients in their second or third decade of life appeared to show a larger sway when standing upright. The objective of this study was to confirm whether this was statistically significant and to further discuss the cause. A total of 288 patients (160 females, 128 males) who underwent equilibrium examination in 2013 were included. We investigated in detail the locus length per unit area, one of the parameters evaluated in stabilometry, in these patients. Young female patients had a lower average locus length per unit area than female patients of other age groups, both with the eyes open and eyes closed, although the tendency was especially strong with the eyes closed. Young female patients are more likely to suffer from orthostatic dysregulation or psychiatric disorders. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether the large body sway observed in women in their teens or 20s could be attributable to the high prevalence of the aforementioned disorders in these women.
