Abstract
Abstract
Importance Walking and other dynamic conditions impair visual acuity in individuals
with bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP). Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) can be assessed on a
treadmill while participants walk at different speeds and this has proven to be a useful
assessment in classifying people with BVP. However, there are open questions relating to
the effects and interactions of age, presence of BVP and walking speed on DVA loss
(DVAL) and DVA assessment dropout.
Objective To investigate the effects of BVP, age and walking speed on DVAL and DVA
assessment dropout, by comparing these outcomes between participants with BVP and
healthy age-sex-matched participants..
Design, Setting and Participants Fifty-two participants with BVP and 52 age-sex-matched
healthy participants completed a treadmill-based DVA assessment in this cross-sectional
study. Data were collected in Maastricht University Medical Centre from June 2021 to
August 2024.
Main Outcomes and Measures The measurement included a static condition at 0km/h
and walking conditions at 2, 4, and 6km/h. The DVAL was measured as the difference
between visual acuity in the static and walking conditions. At all speeds, the drop-out
rate, handrail use and DVAL were examined in relation to BVP, age, and the relationship
between DVAL and speed in BVP and healthy controls.
Results Age significantly increased the odds of dropping-out (odds ratio = 1.160,
P<0.001), while BVP did not increase the odds of dropping-out (odds ratio = 0.792,
P=0.733). A significant Group*Speed (P=0.004) interaction effect was found for DVAL,
with DVAL being significantly worse in people with BVP across all walking speeds, getting
progressively worse as speed increased, which was not seen in the healthy participants.
Age did not have a significant effect on DVAL (P=0.06).
Conclusions and Relevance BVP does not appear to restrict the ability to walk at the
higher speeds of a DVA assessment and cause an increase in dropout rate, whereas age
does. BVP significantly impacts DVA, with increasing DVAL at increasing walking speeds.
Importance Walking and other dynamic conditions impair visual acuity in individuals
with bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP). Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) can be assessed on a
treadmill while participants walk at different speeds and this has proven to be a useful
assessment in classifying people with BVP. However, there are open questions relating to
the effects and interactions of age, presence of BVP and walking speed on DVA loss
(DVAL) and DVA assessment dropout.
Objective To investigate the effects of BVP, age and walking speed on DVAL and DVA
assessment dropout, by comparing these outcomes between participants with BVP and
healthy age-sex-matched participants..
Design, Setting and Participants Fifty-two participants with BVP and 52 age-sex-matched
healthy participants completed a treadmill-based DVA assessment in this cross-sectional
study. Data were collected in Maastricht University Medical Centre from June 2021 to
August 2024.
Main Outcomes and Measures The measurement included a static condition at 0km/h
and walking conditions at 2, 4, and 6km/h. The DVAL was measured as the difference
between visual acuity in the static and walking conditions. At all speeds, the drop-out
rate, handrail use and DVAL were examined in relation to BVP, age, and the relationship
between DVAL and speed in BVP and healthy controls.
Results Age significantly increased the odds of dropping-out (odds ratio = 1.160,
P<0.001), while BVP did not increase the odds of dropping-out (odds ratio = 0.792,
P=0.733). A significant Group*Speed (P=0.004) interaction effect was found for DVAL,
with DVAL being significantly worse in people with BVP across all walking speeds, getting
progressively worse as speed increased, which was not seen in the healthy participants.
Age did not have a significant effect on DVAL (P=0.06).
Conclusions and Relevance BVP does not appear to restrict the ability to walk at the
higher speeds of a DVA assessment and cause an increase in dropout rate, whereas age
does. BVP significantly impacts DVA, with increasing DVAL at increasing walking speeds.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | OSF Preprints |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Apr 2025 |