Progressive vestibular impairment in patients with polyneuropathy

It is generally assumed that imbalance in patients with polyneuropathy (PNP) results from deficient proprioceptive input arriving from the lower limbs. Polyneuropathic processes, however, may also impair vestibular function. In fact, we observed that two-thirds of patients with PNP show unilateral or bilateral impairment of vestibular function as assessed with search-coil head impulse testing. In the present work, we analyzed the same database of 37 polyneuropathic patients to find out whether the presence of a unilateral or bilateral vestibular deficit reflects a progression of the vestibular impairment. Results suggest that vestibular function in PNP patients deteriorates asymmetrically, first affecting one side and later both sides.