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Abstract
The present study investigated the role of overprediction in patients with vestibular disorders. The study was set up to investigate if the match/mismatch model is applicable for vestibular disorders. This model suggests that a tendency to overestimate the subjective impact of aversive events exists, and that this is a common psychological phenomenon. A group of 20 patients with dizziness and 20 normal controls participated in the experiment. The first part of the experiment consisted of nine spontaneous predictions. During all trials, vibratory calf stimulation of 80 Hz was provided to affect balance. In the second part of the experiment each group was split (randomly assigned) into one overprediction and one underprediction group, who received either 40 or 100 Hz calf stimulation with the change occurring in the fourth trial. Body sway was measured by a force platform. Included also were self-report inventories and measures of predicted and experienced body sway and risk of losing balance. The results showed that the patients overpredicted the first trial to a lesser degree than the controls. In the control group a repeated measures effect was found, but not in the patient group. However, in terms of percentages of correct predictions both groups improved as the trials proceeded. Induced under- or over-prediction was obtained for perceived body sway, but not for the prediction of risk of losing balance, where the overprediction groups instead underpredicted. Body sway data did not result in any interactions, but controls became more stable over trials. Implications for the proposed link between vestibular dysfunction and panic disorder are discussed.