Coordination function disorders and their evaluation in patients with Chiari malformation type 1

Abstract

To study a range of coordination disorders in Chiari malformation type 1 (CM1), a clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were made in 73 patients (52 women and 21 men) aged 17 to 71 years with this disorder. Special tests were used to identify cerebellar and vestibular disorders. Vertigo was noted in 76.7% of the patients with CM1. The special tests revealed impaired coordination in the majority (93.1%) of the patients. Babinsky’s asynergy was the most common (52% of the patients) symptom of coordination disorders. The findings confirmed the high rate of coordination disorders in CM1 and the informative value of supplementary studies of cerebellar and vestibular functions along with routine evaluation of the neurological status.

Keywords

• chiari malformation type 1
• vestibular disorders
• cerebellar disorders