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Recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of balance disorders

  • Medical Progress in the Journal of Neurology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Here we summarize the recent progress made in the diagnosis and treatment of balance and gait disorders. Focusing on work published in the Journal of Neurology in 2010 and 2011, we have found evidence for the following clinically relevant statements: (1) the exclusion of stroke in acute vestibular syndromes is based on the bedside clinical findings; (2) the risk of developing secondary somatoform vertigo is predictable; it is especially high in patients with vestibular migraine; (3) postural imbalance and falls in Parkinson syndromes are related to dysfunction of the cholinergic midbrain thalamic axis; (4) aminopyridines improve a variety of cerebellar parameters including central nystagmus and gait variability.

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Abbreviations

4-AP:

4-Aminopyridine

AVS:

Acute vestibular syndrome

EA-2:

Episodic ataxia type 2

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PD:

Parkinson’s disease

PSP:

Progressive supranuclear palsy

SSV:

Secondary somatoform vertigo

VM:

Vestibular migraine

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank Judy Benson for copy editing the manuscript.

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None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology and Integrated Center for Research and Treatment of Vertigo, Balance and Ocular Motor Disorders (IFBLMU), Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Klinikum Grosshadern, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany

    Klaus Jahn & Marianne Dieterich

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  1. Klaus Jahn
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  2. Marianne Dieterich
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Correspondence to Klaus Jahn.

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Jahn, K., Dieterich, M. Recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of balance disorders. J Neurol 258, 2305–2308 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-011-6286-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-011-6286-4

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