ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neuro-Otology
Diagnostic Utility of Smartphone-Integrated Gait Analysis in the Assessment of BPPV
Provisionally accepted
Kasım Durmus1,2Adem Bora3
Baris Sapci3*Marwan Khaled Shueai Al-Hazzar3Melek Kekul Sapci4Kerem Akti5Emine Elif Altuntas6- 1Fenerbahce Universitesi, Ataşehir, Türkiye
- 2Medicana International Izmir Hastanesi, Konak, Türkiye
- 3School of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Türkiye
- 4Sivas Cumhuriyet Universitesi, Sivas, Türkiye
- 5TED Sivas College, Sivas, Türkiye
- 6Lokman Hekim Universitesi, Ankara, Türkiye
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Background: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is the most common vestibular disorder causing gait disturbances. Smartphone-based gait analysis has emerged as a portable, cost-effective alternative to laboratory-based assessments. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of smartphone-based gait analysis in BPPV patients and its effectiveness in assessing treatment outcomes following canalith repositioning maneuvers. Methods: This prospective case-control study included 26 patients with posterior canal BPPV and 37 demographically matched healthy controls. Gait analysis was performed using a smartphone application with participants walking 25 meters at a self-selected pace. In the BPPV group, measurements were repeated after Epley maneuver. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), Vertigo Dizziness Imbalance Symptom Scale (VDI-SS), and Health Related Quality of Life (VDI -HRQoL) Results: Compared to controls, BPPV patients demonstrated significantly fewer steps (31.31±6.07 vs. 27.73±6.52, p=0.031), greater step length (0.54±0.07 m vs. 0.63±0.10 m, p<0.001), and increased vertical center of mass displacement (1.59±0.62 cm vs. 2.75±0.95 cm, p<0.001). Walking speed, cadence, and symmetry parameters showed no significant differences. Following canalith repositioning maneuvers, gait parameters remained unchanged, whereas patient-reported outcome scores improved significantly (VSS: p=0.011, VDI-SS: p=0.002, VDI -HRQoL: p=0.038). Conclusion: Smartphone-based gait analysis can identify characteristic gait abnormalities in BPPV patients, suggesting its potential as a complementary diagnostic tool. However, it appears less sensitive for detecting early post-treatment biomechanical changes despite symptomatic improvement. Further validation studies with larger samples and extended follow-up periods are warranted.
Keywords: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Vertigo, gait analysis, Mobile Applications, smartphone, accelerometer, vestibular disorders
Received: 20 Oct 2025; Accepted: 21 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Durmus, Bora, Sapci, Al-Hazzar, Kekul Sapci, Akti and Altuntas. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Baris Sapci, barissapci95@gmail.com
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