DIZZINESS IN OLDER PEOPLE

在75岁及以上的患者中，头晕最为常见。 在医生的办公室里投诉。尽管病理生理学 已发现老年动物前庭系统的变化 而人类，这些变化在头晕和眩晕的产生中所起的作用 平衡失调的情况尚不清楚。拟议的研究将使用现代 用定量技术评估细胞的功能和形态 老年正常人和老年人的外周和中央前庭系统 病人抱怨头晕。 具体目标1是量化两组受试者的前庭功能 老年人：一组抱怨头晕，另一组没有 头晕的症状。所有受试者都将接受基线测试 (包括历史问卷和平衡与量化测试 视觉-前庭相互作用)和每年重复检查。这个 目标是定义常见前庭疾病的自然病史 并量化前庭功能的变化 通常随着年龄的增长而发生。具体目标2是确定 患者组的外周和中央前庭系统。这个 目的是确定临床洗涤的准确性，以澄清 常见前庭疾病的病理生理学研究 不明原因头晕患者的病理学研究。具体目标3 是对外周组织的形态进行定量研究 以及两组老年人的中央前庭系统。这个 目标是实现与功能的定量关联 形态学。 正常人的颞骨和脑的检查 接受定量视觉前庭功能检查的患者 测试是这种僵硬的独特之处。既往临床- 前庭系统的病理学研究依赖于微薄的 没有临床信息，没有量化数据。这是一个多学科的 研究可以克服这些局限性，从而提高诊断率 以及对抱怨头晕的老年人的管理。

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.