Revised normative standards of performance of men on a quantitative ataxia test battery.

Revised normative standards of performance are presented, of men, ages 16–60 years, on a quantitative ataxia test battery in terms of five new chronological age groupings based on a sample of 1 055 normal men. Very nearly similar sensitivity of all battery subtests to aging influences was observed, which implies a unitary sensitivity of the battery to such influences on the complex postural equilibrium functions sampled by it. Results tentatively suggest that the progressive nature of negative aging influences along the life span sampled become apparent several years earlier than reported previously. The new normative standards should allow more precise laboratory and clinical applications of the test battery, which has proved to be useful particularly in the vestibular physiological and neuro-otological assessment of postural equilibrium-disequilibrium, including spontaneous and induced vestibular ataxia. The test battery has other clinical and research applications.