The Change of Postural Sway of Diabetic Neuropathy by Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation

평류전정자극에 의한 당뇨성 신경증 환자의 자세동요 변화

This study had performed with purposes to analyze the influence of the change of vestibular sens, visual and proprioceptive sense to the postural sway, so as to supply the necessary clinical materials through developing the physical therapeutic interventions and assessment format for the diabetic neuropathy patients. The sample consisted of fifteen diabetic neuropathy patients with sensory disorder in their lower limbs and fifteen age-matched normal control group. Then the effect of the GVS and the visual cue open and closed to the postural sway were measured by CoP. The summary of the comparison results were obtained below. In the comparison of diabetes neuropathy patients group and age matched normal control group, however diabetes neuropathy patients group had a decrease in superficial tactile sense(p<.001) and nerve conduction velocity(p<.001), they were able to control the posture and walk. So it is, diabetes neuropaty patients had more disturbance compared with AMC group on at a hard surface, particularly in the visual cue open(p<.001) and visual cue closed(p<.01). Moreover, since diabetes neuropathy patients group had more differences in visual cue open and closed(p<. 01), GVS(p<.01), it meant that they're affected largely by vestibular sense, visual sense. In addition, since there're the largest change in doubled sense disturbance such as visual cue open and closed under GVS, it meant that compensation of other senses were quite important for the diabetes neuropathy patients' postural control. In the conclusion, diabetes neuropathy patients who decrease or lose the somatosensory system, sensory training of visual and vestibular system are likely to be quite essential to control the posture and balance.