Relação entre os resultados do Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) e a memória de trabalho em adultos e idosos com queixa de tontura

Abstract

Introduction: Vestibular complaints, such as dizziness, are frequent in the population. Its etiology may be undefined or multiple, in addition to being subject to injuries from emotional factors, which may also limit the individual's daily activities. Body balance depends on the integrity of the vestibular system. The labyrinth is responsible for the balance and position of the body in space. Due to the broad central connections, the vestibular system is not only involved in vestibule-ocular reflexes. Still, it is also interconnected with cognitive processes, connections to memory, attention, mental imagery, body awareness, and social cognition systems. Among the cognitive functions, Working Memory (WM) stands out for its intimate relationship with human communication Objective: To verify the relationship between the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and working memory in adults and older adults with dizziness complaints. Materials and methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study. The research was carried out in the audiology sector of Clínica OtocenterProf°. Dr. Jeferson d'Ávila, Aracaju/SE, was approved by the Research Ethics Committee with human beings under n° 4,857,581. All participants agreed to participate in the research and signed the Free and Informed Consent Term (FICT). All participants with complaints of dizziness responded to the DHI and underwent the assessment of Working Memory using Neupsilin. Qualitative data were summarized using relative and absolute frequency, and quantitative results using central tendency and dispersion measures. For inferential statistical analysis, Pearson's correlation test was used, using the Jamovi software, with a significance level of 5%. Results: 14 people participated in the research, eight (57.1% %) adults and six elderly (42.9%). Pearson's correlation test identified a positive, moderate and significant correlation between the dependent variable (WM) and the age of the participants and a mild, negative, and significant correlation between WM and the emotional aspects of the DHI Conclusion: Worse results, Worse performances in working memory this inversely correlated with scores on the emotional aspect scores of the DHI were correlated with worse performances in Working Memory, suggesting that emotional aspects of people with dizziness are important for cognition and cognitive performance of participants in the face of dizziness complaints