The use of computerized dynamic posturogaphy (
CDP) in the evaluation of patients with balance alterations not only allows quantification of the subject's capacity to maintain a stable centre of gravity, but also analysis of the degree to which the subject is able to use different types of sensory information. The present study investigated the possible use of
CDP for clinical staging of
vestibular diseases, specifically
Meniere's disease (MD). We applied
CDP sensory organization tests to 75 patients with definitive MD (AAO-HNS 1995 criteria). A total of 98
CDP sessions were included in the analysis, which focused on four
CDP parameters specifically related to vestibular function (condition-5 score, condition-6 score, overall balance score, and VEST, a measure of the relative importance of vestibular information for maintenance of balance). We found a statistically significant relationship between audiometric hearing threshold and
CDP scores, especially in patients with audiometrically advanced disease. In addition,
CDP scores showed statistically significant variation with time elapsed since the last typical
vertigo attack, suggesting that patients can be usefully grouped into three MD activity-level categories: recent post-attack (less than 1 week since last
vertigo attack), late post-attack (1 week - 60 days since last attack), and inactive MD (more than 60 days since last attack). On the basis of these results, we propose expected ranges for each of the four
CDP parameters in each of the three MD activity-level categories, allowing staging in terms of balance and posture. This staging system complements existing staging systems (based on audiometric criteria, and on subjective assessment of the severity of
vertigo attacks and their implications for quality of life).