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Vestibulo-ocular reflex in patients with Meniere's disease between attacks
1Department of Hearing and Speech Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto Univerisity, Japan.
Acta Oto-Laryngologica
|March 23, 2000
Summary
In Meniere's disease, vestibular function changes correlate with nystagmus direction. Increased VOR gain on the affected side during ipsilateral nystagmus suggests heightened peripheral vestibular response.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Otolaryngology
- Vestibular System Research
Background:
- Meniere's disease is characterized by episodic vertigo and often presents with spontaneous nystagmus.
- Ipsilateral nystagmus (beating towards the affected ear) is common during vertiginous episodes in Meniere's disease.
Observation:
- Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain and directional preponderance (DP) were measured during horizontal rotation in 19 Meniere's disease patients with ipsilateral nystagmus.
- Patients were passively rotated at 0.3-0.6 Hz with maximal head velocities of 80-120 deg/s for 20-30 seconds.
Findings:
- During ipsilateral nystagmus, VOR gain was higher towards the affected ear, indicating preserved and even enhanced peripheral vestibular function on that side.
- This VOR asymmetry resolved as ipsilateral nystagmus subsided.
- When contralateral nystagmus was present, VOR gain towards the affected ear decreased, suggesting altered dynamic vestibular properties.
Implications:
- Changes in the dynamic properties of the peripheral vestibular system appear to correlate with the direction of spontaneous nystagmus in Meniere's disease.
- Spontaneous nystagmus alone may not precisely quantify the dynamic imbalance of vestibular function.
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