This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Bonan, I. V. Articles by Yelnik, A. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bonan, I. V. Articles by Yelnik, A. P. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Evolution of Subjective Visual Vertical Perturbation After Stroke

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Groupe Hospitalier Lariboisière-F. Widal, Paris, France, isabelle.bonan{at}lrb.ap-hop-paris.fr

M. C. Leman, MD

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Groupe Hospitalier Lariboisière-F. Widal, Paris, France

J. F. Legargasson, MD

Department of INSERM U592, Groupe Hospitalier Lariboisière-F. Widal, Paris, France

J. P. Guichard, MD

Department of Radiological Department, Groupe Hospitalier Lariboisière-F. Widal, Paris, France

A. P. Yelnik, MD

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Groupe Hospitalier Lariboisière-F. Widal, Paris, France

Objective. The perception of visual verticality is often perturbed after stroke and might be an underlying component of imbalance. The aim of this study was to describe the evolution of visual vertical (VV) perturbation and to investigate the factors affecting it.

Methods. Thirty patients with hemiplegia after a single hemispheric stroke (17 left lesioned [LL] and 13 right lesioned [RL]) were studied. Visual verticality was tested within 45 days of stroke, and then at 3 and 6 months. Subjects sat in a dark room and adjusted a luminous rod to the vertical position. The differences between patients’ adjustments and vertical were calculated. The effects on VV evolution of the side, size, type, and location of the lesion were tested.

Results. Sixty percent of the recent stroke patients had an initial inaccurate perception of verticality, and 39% of these patients recovered during the 1st 3 months after stroke. The evolution of VV tilt depended on the side of the lesion (P = 0.01), with better recovery in LL patients. None of the other factors studied affected VV normalization.

Conclusions. The poorer recovery of vertical perception after right-side stroke might be due to the predominant role of the right hemisphere in spatial cognition, and might be involved in the poorer recovery of balance after stroke in RL patients.

Key Words: Stroke • Balance • Visual vertical

Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Vol. 20, No. 4, 484-491 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1545968306289295


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. J. W. van Nes, S. van der Linden, H. T. Hendricks, A. A. van Kuijk, M. Rulkens, W. I. M. Verhagen, and A. C. H. Geurts Is Visuospatial Hemineglect Really a Determinant of Postural Control Following Stroke? An Acute-Phase Study Neurorehabil Neural Repair, July 1, 2009; 23(6): 609 - 614. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. P. Yelnik, F. Le Breton, F. M. Colle, I. V. Bonan, C. Hugeron, V. Egal, E. Lebomin, J.-P. Regnaux, D. Perennou, and E. Vicaut Rehabilitation of Balance After Stroke With Multisensorial Training: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Study Neurorehabil Neural Repair, September 1, 2008; 22(5): 468 - 476. [Abstract] [PDF]