TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-term effects from bacterial meningitis in childhood and adolescence on postural control

AU - Petersen , Hannes

AU - Patel, Mitesh

AU - Ingason, EF

AU - Einarsson, Einar-Jon

AU - Haraldsson, A

AU - Fransson, Per-Anders

PY - 2014/11/18

Y1 - 2014/11/18

N2 - Bacterial meningitis in childhood is associated with cognitive deficiencies, sensorimotor impairments and motor dysfunctionlater in life. However, the long-term effects on postural control is largely unknown, e.g., whether meningitis subjects asadults fully can utilize visual information and adaptation to enhance stability. Thirty-six subjects (20 women, mean age 19.3years) treated in childhood or adolescence for bacterial meningitis, and 25 controls (13 women, mean age 25.1 years)performed posturography with eyes open and closed under unperturbed and perturbed standing. The meningitis subjectswere screened for subjective vertigo symptoms using a questionnaire, clinically tested with headshake and head thrust test,as well as their hearing was evaluated. Meningitis subjects were significantly more unstable than controls duringunperturbed (p#0.014) and perturbed standing, though while perturbed only with eyes open in anteroposterior direction(p = 0.034) whereas in lateral direction both with eyes open and closed (p,0.001). Meningitis subjects had poorer adaptionability to balance perturbations especially with eyes open, and they frequently reported symptoms of unsteadiness (88% ofthe subjects) and dizziness (81%), which was found significantly correlated to objectively decreased stability. Out of the 36subjects only 3 had unilateral hearing impairment. Hence, survivors of childhood bacterial meningitis may suffer long-termdisorders affecting postural control, and would greatly benefit if these common late effects became generally known sotreatments can be developed and applied.

AB - Bacterial meningitis in childhood is associated with cognitive deficiencies, sensorimotor impairments and motor dysfunctionlater in life. However, the long-term effects on postural control is largely unknown, e.g., whether meningitis subjects asadults fully can utilize visual information and adaptation to enhance stability. Thirty-six subjects (20 women, mean age 19.3years) treated in childhood or adolescence for bacterial meningitis, and 25 controls (13 women, mean age 25.1 years)performed posturography with eyes open and closed under unperturbed and perturbed standing. The meningitis subjectswere screened for subjective vertigo symptoms using a questionnaire, clinically tested with headshake and head thrust test,as well as their hearing was evaluated. Meningitis subjects were significantly more unstable than controls duringunperturbed (p#0.014) and perturbed standing, though while perturbed only with eyes open in anteroposterior direction(p = 0.034) whereas in lateral direction both with eyes open and closed (p,0.001). Meningitis subjects had poorer adaptionability to balance perturbations especially with eyes open, and they frequently reported symptoms of unsteadiness (88% ofthe subjects) and dizziness (81%), which was found significantly correlated to objectively decreased stability. Out of the 36subjects only 3 had unilateral hearing impairment. Hence, survivors of childhood bacterial meningitis may suffer long-termdisorders affecting postural control, and would greatly benefit if these common late effects became generally known sotreatments can be developed and applied.

M3 - Article

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

SN - 1932-6203

ER -