DIZZINESS IN OLDER PEOPLE

在75岁及以上的患者中，头晕是最常见的 在医生的办公室里抱怨。 虽然病理生理学 已经在老年动物的前庭系统中发现了变化 和人类，这些变化在头晕和 不平衡是不清楚的。这项研究将使用现代 定量技术来评估的功能和形态的 正常老年人的外周和中枢前庭系统， 病人抱怨头晕。 具体目标1是量化两组患者的前庭功能， 老年人：一组抱怨头晕，一组没有 头晕的症状。 所有受试者都将接受基线测试 （包括历史调查问卷和平衡的定量测试， 视觉-前庭相互作用）和每年重复检查。 的 目标是确定常见前庭疾病的自然史 并量化前庭功能的变化， 通常是随着年龄的增长而发生的。 具体目标2是确定 患者组的外周前庭系统和中枢前庭系统。 的 目的是确定临床诊断的准确性， 常见前庭疾病的病理生理学，并寻找 不明原因头晕患者的病理学。 具体目标3 是对周围的形态进行定量研究， 和中枢前庭系统。 的 目标是实现功能与 形态学 检查正常受试者的颞骨和大脑， 接受过定量视觉前庭功能检查的患者 测试是本研究的特色。 既往临床- 前庭系统的病理学研究依赖于 临床信息，无定量数据。 这种多学科 这项研究可以克服这些局限性，从而提高诊断水平。 以及处理老年人主诉头晕的问题。

Among patients 75 years and older dizziness is the most common presenting complaint in a doctor's office. Although pathophysiological changes have been identified in the vestibular system of aged animals and humans, the role of these changes in the production of dizziness and dysequilibrium is unclear. The proposed research will use modern quantitative techniques to assess the function and morphology of the peripheral and central vestibular systems in olderly normal subjects and patients complaining of dizziness. Specific aim 1 is to quantify vestibular function in two groups of elderly persons: a group complaining of dizziness and a group without symptoms of dizziness. All subjects will undergo baseline testing (including history questionnaires and quantitative tests of balance and visual-vestibular interactions) and yearly repeat examinations. The goals are to define the natural history of common vestibular disorders in older patients and to quantify changes in vestibular function that normally occur with aging. Specific aim 2 is to identify pathology in the peripheml and central vestibular systems in the patient group. The goals are to determine the accuracy of the clinical diaposes, to clarify the pathophysiology of common vestibular disorders and to search for pathology in patients with dizziness of unknown cause. Specific aim 3 is to perform quantitative studies of the morphology of the peripheml and central vestibular systems in both groups of elderly persons. The goal is to achieve a quantitative correlation of function with morphology. Examination of the temporal bone and brain of normal subjects and patients who have undergone quantitative visual-vestibular function testing is the unique feature of this stidy. Prior clinical- pathological studies of the vestibular system have relied on meager clinical information and no quantitative data. This multidisciplinary study can overcome these limitations and thereby improve the diagnosis and management of elderly persons complaining of dizziness.