Abstract
Human gait is an acquired motor function which plays one of important roles for quality of life. An overview regarding control mechanism of this motor function was presented based upon important research results. This motor function is closely related with vestibular system. Accordingly various vestibular system disorders could result in some form of gait abnormality. Our recent study on gait analysis by the use of tactile sensor in patients with vertigo such as vestibular neuronitis, acoustic neuroma and spinocerebellar degeneration were shown. Gait abnormality could be reflected by increment of coefficient of variation of especially stance and swing, and its greatness was mostly parallel to severity of disorder of gait control system. Those abnormalities caused by vestibular lesion might clearly be shown under gait with eyes closed. Visual input plays important role for sensory substitution in those vestibular disease patients toward better gait performance. This instability was also shown in patients with small acoustic neuroma who has seemingly normal gait, and those who had abnormal caloric response showed greater instability than those who had not. Gait abnormality could also be shown by figuring out stability of foot pressure progression and trajectories of center of force during stance and their analytical results were shown.
