Revised Normative Standards of Performance of Men on a Quantitative Ataxia Test Battery,
Abstract
Revised normative standards of performance of men, ages 16-60 years, on a quantitative ataxia test battery in terms of new chronological age groupings based on a sample of 1055 normal men are presented. Five age groups-- 16-30, 31-40, 41-45, 46-50, and 51-60 years--were found to be required to reduce the correlation with age to a nonsignificant level. All subtests of the battery, except Walk On Floor Eyes Closed (WOFEC), were very nearly similar in sensitivity to aging influences, implying a reliably unitary sensitivity of the battery to aging influences on the complex postural equilibrium functions sampled by it. Present findings tentatively suggest that the negative aging influences become appraent several years earlier than reported previously (within the age range of 31-40 years rather than 43-50 years). The progressive nature of this aging influence along the life span sampled is similar to that previously reported on women. The new normative standards should allow more precise laboratory and clinical applications of the test battery which has proved to be useful particularly in the vestibular physiological and neuro- otological assessment of postural equilibrium-disequilibrium, including spontaneous and induced vestibular ataxia. The test battery has other clinical and/or research applications. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 1972
- Accession Number
- AD0743074
Entities
People
- Alfred R. Fregly
- Ashton Graybiel
- Margaret J. Smith
Organizations
- Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory