Evaluation of gait and turns

Successful ambulation in everyday environments requires the ability to produce not only the basic walking pattern, but adaptive modifications of that pattern that include changes of direction. Assessment of walking and turning in individuals with vestibular dysfunction may be done in a laboratory setting or a clinical setting. A variety of tools are available in each setting to assess walking and turning and the contribution of the vestibular system in these tasks. Vestibular deficits are often easiest to observe when tasks are made increasingly complex, which can be accomplished in any number of ways including eliminating vision, adding obstacles, and adding secondary tasks.