2011 Volume 38 Issue 7 Pages 516-523
Purpose: We aimed to investigate the features of subjective visual vertical deviation (SVVD) of stroke patients with our original measuring device. Methods: We examined 50 healthy subjects (mean age, 50.6 years; 24 men, 26 women) and 53 poststroke patients (mean age, 66.6 years; 35 men, 18 women; right hemiplegia (21); left hemiplegia (32) of which 13 showed ipsilateral pushing and 15, spatial neglect) for SVVD with our original measuring device. This device was applicable in the dark space, excluding visual information from the surroundings. The subjects were asked to adjust a luminous rod line to a position that they considered "vertical," and the angular deviation values from the earth-vertical line were measured. The negative values implied counterclockwise. Results: The normal range was -3.93°-2.77° from which 18 patients (34.0%; 3 right hemiplegics, 15 left hemiplegics) showed a large deviation. The SVVDs of left hemiplegics were significantly larger than those of right hemiplegics and normal subjects (p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively). The SVVDs in patients with spatial neglect showed significantly more deviations than those in healthy subjects, regardless of pushing. The SVVDs in patients with pushing and spatial neglect (mean, 7.37°) were significantly larger than those in patients free of the above signs (mean, 2.44°; p<0.05). Conclusion: The SVVD of patients with spatial neglect and ipsilateral pushing were significantly larger than those of the other groups. Interestingly, the patients with spatial neglect showed significant counterclockwise directions, but the concomitant presence of pushing did not affect the result.
