[Clinical values of the sensory organization test in vestibular diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical values of Sensory Organization Test (SOT) of dynamic posturography in the diagnosis of peripheral vertigo. METHODS: A total of 112 patients with peripheral vertigo were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients firstly underwent the inspection of SOT followed by caloric test. The results were conducted a comparative analysis. Assessments of SOT evaluated the patient's effective use of visual, vestibular, and somatosensory information for balance control during a variety of changing task conditions. The unilateral weakness was selected as assessment parameter of caloric test. Fourty-two healthy subjects were selected as control group underwent the dynamic posturography. RESULTS: Among the 42 cases of control group, results of SOT in dynamic posturography were normal. The SOT composite scores owned a significant difference between control and peripheral vertigo subjects. Among the 112 cases with peripheral vertigo, results of SOT in dynamic posturography were abnormal in 37 cases, with a sensitivity of 33.0%; caloric test was abnormal in 72 cases, with a sensitivity of 64.3%. There existed a significant difference between dynamic posturography and caloric test. CONCLUSION: SOT is a key test in dynamic posturography that reflects the balance reconstruction after peripheral injury, and provides information about the integration and proportion of the visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular components of balance.