Vestibular Assessment in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients

Abstract

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) is a common preventable and treatable disease which is characterized by persistent airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and the lung to noxious particles or gases. It affects more than 5 percent of the population and is associated with high morbidity and mortality (the fourth leading cause of death in the world) (Buist et al., 2007). Balance disorder is a common manifestation in people with COPD which may contribute to overall functional decline. COPD causes balance impairment through hypoxia of inner ear, vestibular nuclei (more sensitive to hypoxia than other cerebral nuclei) and generalized cerebral hypoxia. In addition to musclo-skeletal weakness, visual deficits, vasculitis and poly-neuritis due to accumulation of toxins. All of these factors affect position sense in the feet and legs, increasing the balance dysfunction in those patients (Rennard et al., 2013, Beauchamp et al., 2016). Screening tools such as questionnaires and office testing were developed to identify individuals at risk of falling and are frequently used as a part of falls prevention programs in hospitals (Jacobson and Shepard, 2014).