Subjective visual vertical with the bucket method in Brazilian healthy individuals

Abstract Introduction The capacity of a healthy individual to estimate the true vertical in relation to the Earth when a fluorescent line is aligned in a completely dark room is called the subjective visual vertical. Objective To evaluate subjective visual vertical using the bucket method in healthy Brazilian individuals. Methods Binocular subjective visual vertical was measured in 100 healthy volunteers, 50 females and 50 males. The volunteers indicated the estimated position in which a fluorescent line inside a bucket reached the vertical position. A total of ten repetitions were performed, five clockwise and five counterclockwise. Data were tabulated and analyzed statistically. Results It was observed that the highest concentration of absolute values of vertical deviation was present up to 3°, regardless of gender, and the vertical deviation did not increase with age. The analysis of the mean of the absolute values of deviations from the vertical of 90% of the sample showed a maximum value of 2.6°, and at the analysis of 95%, the maximum value was 3.4° deviation from the vertical. Conclusion The bucket method is easy to perform and interpret when assessing the deviation of the subjective visual vertical in relation to the true vertical in healthy Brazilian individuals.