The influence of type of visual image and gender on the perception of horizontality: a subjective visual horizontal (SVH) study

Abstract

Background

The graviceptive otolith function can be measured using subjective visual horizontal (SVH) testing. Nevertheless, more research efforts are required to understand the essential variables affecting SVH.

Objective

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of type of visual image and gender on subjective visual horizontal (SVH) perception among healthy adults.

Materials and methods

In this comparative study, 50 healthy young adults were enrolled. While in an upright body position, they were required to report their perception of horizontality for two types of visual images (solid line and arrow pattern) using a computerized SVH device.

Results

The arrow pattern produced significantly bigger SVH angles than the solid line (p < .001). In contrast, no significant influence of gender was found on SVH results (p = .743), Based on the statistical outcomes, the preliminary normative data for SVH were established.

Conclusions and significance

The arrow pattern (a more complex visual image) produced bigger SVH deviations than the simple solid line image. In contrast, the horizontality perception does not appear to be affected by gender. The preliminary normative SVH data gathered from the present study can be beneficial for clinical and future research applications.

Chinese abstract

背景：可以用主观视觉水平（SVH）测试法来测量重力感受性耳石功能。然而, 要了解影响SVH的基本变量, 还需要进行更多的研究。

目的：本研究的目的是确定视觉图像类型和性别对健康成年人主观视觉水平（SVH）感知的影响。

材料和方法：在这项比较研究中, 招募了50名健康的年轻人。要求他们在直立体位时, 使用计算机SVH设备报告对两种类型的视觉图像（实线和箭头图案）的水平感。

结果：箭头图案产生的SVH角比实线大得多（p <.001）。相反地, 没有发现性别对SVH结果有显著影响（p¼.743）。基于统计结果, 建立了SVH的初步规范性数据。

结论和意义：箭头图案（更复杂的视觉图像）比简单的实线图像产生更大的SVH偏差。相反, 水平感似乎不会受到性别的影响。该研究收集的初步SVH规范数据可能对临床和未来研究应用有益。

Keywords:

• Vestibular
• subjective visual horizontal
• visual image
• gender

Disclosure statement

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.