Table 1. Demographic details of the two groups.

Variable	Controls (N = 25), Mean (SD)	Patients (N = 33), Mean (SD)	p value
Age (years)	76.9 (6.0)	77.3 (6.4)	0.803
Gender (female, %)	56.0 %	60.6 %	0.742
Height (cm)	167.7 (10.2)	169.6 (9.6)	0.481
Weight (kg)	67.2 (11.3)	74.7 (18.1)	0.197
Concern about falling (Short FES-I, 7–28)	7.6 (1.0)	13.9 (4.8)	<0.001
Anxiety (HADS-A, 0–21)	2.8 (2.3)	6.6 (4.4)	0.001
Depression (HADS-D, 0–21)	2.7 (3.1)	6.3 (3.7)	<0.001
Dizziness handicap (DHI, 0-100)	0.2 (0.7)	33.6 (18.7)	<0.001
Short Physical Performance Battery (0–12, higher = better)	11.2 (1.0)	9.7 (2.1)	0.003
Ankle vibration perceptual threshold (0–8, arb. units; higher = better)	4.50 (2.17)	3.48 (2.02)	0.051
WMH (volume/ml)*	9.36 (9.02)	14.41 (19.42)	0.441
Number of lesions*	13.71 (8.47)	14.32 (6.12)	0.764
Mean FA (lower values suggest reduced white matter structural integrity)*	0.439 (0.061)	0.442 (0.055)	0.865

FES-I = Falls Efficacy Scale—International; HADS-A = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Anxiety; HADS-D = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Depression; DHI = Dizziness Handicap Inventory; VSS = Vertigo Symptoms Scale; WMH = white matter hyperintensity; FA = fractional anisotropy.

^*Note, MRI data were only available for 24 Controls and 28 Patients.