Asma, ansiedade e alterações de equilíbrio: a conexão pulmão-cérebro-labirinto / Asthma, anxiety and balance disorders: the lung-brain-labyrinth connection

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

02/03/2012

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Significant correlations between asthma and anxiety and between anxiety and balance disorders have been consistently described. These observations suggest that equilibrium abnormalities can also be present in asthmatic patients. This issue is clinically important because untreated postural deficits can potentially worse the prognosis of asthma by triggering anxiety and, consequently, respiratory symptoms. This exploratory study aims to evaluate the efficiency of postural control in asthma patients and its possible correlation with anxiety symptoms. METHODS: 41 subjects with persistent controlled asthma and 41 controls, matched for age and sex, were compared. Anxiety symptoms were evaluated by the Spielbergers Inventory of State-Trait Anxiety (STAI). The balance control was assessed by dynamic posturography, which assesses the displacement of center of pressure (CoP) of the body on a platform of pressure, generating scores of balance and their kinetic variables such as area and speed of displacement of the CoP in lateral and anteroposterior directions. RESULTS: The asthma group had significantly higher scores in STAIState (46.8 ± 11,38 versus 38.2 ± 13,16; t = 2,89; p=0,005) and in STAI-Trait (50.1 ± 13,60 versus 37.9 ± 12,67; t = 4,22; p<0,001). In dynamic posturography, the Student t test showed worst performance of asthmatics in balance scores and in the area of the CoP displacement, but the Pearson correlation test showed no association between higher anxiety scores with lower balance scores (r <0.3 in all conditions evaluated). CONCLUSION: Balance abnormalities seems frequent in asthma patients independently from the presence of anxiety symptoms. However, the presence of vestibular dysfunction, working via anxiety provocation, may have a major impact in the prognosis of these patients. These findings suggest that disequilibrium related complaints must be investigated in asthmatic patients mainly in those presenting higher levels of anxiety

ASSUNTO(S)

ansiedade anxiety asma asthma equilíbrio postural escalas de graduação psiquiátrica postural balance psychiatric status rating scales

Documentos Relacionados