Article

Vestibular compensation after unilateral vestibular deafferentation is modulated
by certain individual characteristics, such as pre-operative visual neurosensory
preference or vestibular pattern. Physical activity (PA) allows the
implementation of new sensorimotor and behavioral strategies leading to an
improvement of balance control. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the
level of PA before surgery on balance compensatory mechanisms in patients after
vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery. Thirty patients with VS, 15 considered as
regularly physically active and 15 as sedentary participated in this study,
including an evaluation of gaze control by videonystagmography and postural
control by a sensory organization test. Patients considered as physically active
before surgery presented the best pattern of postural compensation, with the
classical decrease in postural performances at short term (i.e. eight days) and
the increase in postural performances at middle and long terms (i.e. 90 and 180
days, respectively) after surgery. For the sedentary patients, the consequences
of surgery were more difficult to manage at short term, even though this did not
prevent the ability to compensate well later on. Pre-operative practice of PA
promotes the neuroplasticity of neural networks involved in motor learning, which
allows to benefit of physical therapy more rapidly and efficiently.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS