Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38990511›Full record

SynthesisCerebellum (London, England)2024

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Diagnostic Accuracy of a Graded Gait and Truncal Instability Rating in Acutely Dizzy and Ataxic Patients.

Carlos Martinez, Zheyu Wang, Guillermo Zalazar, Sergio Carmona, Jorge Kattah, Alexander Andrea Tarnutzer

Erratum issuedAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Cerebellum (London, England), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Acute vertigo: stroke or not?Current opinion in neurology · 2026
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Carlos MartinezHospital Jose Maria Cullen, Santa Fe, Argentina.
Zheyu WangDivision of Quantitative Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Guillermo ZalazarHospital de San Luis, Fundación San Lucas Para La Neurociencia, Rosario, Argentina.
Sergio CarmonaFundación San Lucas Para La Neurosciencia, Rosario, Argentina.
Jorge KattahUniversity of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA.
Alexander Andrea TarnutzerFaculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. alexander.tarnutzer@access.uzh.ch.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn patients presenting with acute prolonged vertigo and/or gait imbalance, the HINTS [Head-Impulse, Nystagmus, Test-of-Skew] are very valuable. However, their application may be limited by lack of training and absence of vertigo/nystagmus. Alternatively, a graded gait/truncal-instability (GTI, grade 0-3) rating may be applied.

methodsWe performed a systematic search (MEDLINE/Embase) to identify studies reporting on the diagnostic accuracy of bedside examinations in adults with acute vestibular syndrome. Diagnostic test properties were calculated for findings using a random-effects model. Results were stratified by GTI-rating used.

resultsWe identified 6515 articles and included 18 studies (n = 1025 patients). Ischemic strokes (n = 665) and acute unilateral vestibulopathy (n = 306) were most frequent. Grade 2/3 GTI had moderate sensitivity (70.8% [95% confidence-interval (CI) = 59.3-82.3%]) and specificity (82.7 [71.6-93.8%]) for predicting a central cause, whereas grade 3 GTI had a lower sensitivity (44.0% [34.3-53.7%] and higher specificity (99.1% [98.0-100.0%]). In comparison, diagnostic accuracy of HINTS (sensitivity = 96.8% [94.8-98.8%]; specificity = 97.6% [95.3-99.9%]) was higher. When combining central nystagmus-patterns and grade 2/3 GTI, sensitivity was increased to 76.4% [71.3-81.6%] and specificity to 90.3% [84.3-96.3%], however, no random effects model could be used. Sensitivity was higher in studies using the GTI rating (grade 2/3) by Lee (2006) compared to the approach by Moon (2009) (73.8% [69.0-78.0%] vs. 57.4% [49.5-64.9%], p = 0.001).

conclusionsIn comparison to HINTS, the diagnostic accuracy of GTI is inferior. When combined with central nystagmus-patterns, diagnostic accuracy could be improved based on preliminary findings. GTI can be readily applied in the ED-setting and also in patients with acute imbalance syndrome.

Indexed as

DizzinessAtaxiaGaitHumansAtaxiaStrokeTruncal instabilityVertigoVestibular

Identifiers

PMID38990511
PMCPMC11585515

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.