Vestibulo ocular reflex in multiple sclerosis patients without any optic neuritis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Neurology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect visual and vestibular pathways.
• Assessing the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is crucial for understanding neurological function.
• Investigating VOR in MS patients without optic neuritis provides insight into subclinical vestibular dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have no history of optic neuritis.
• To compare VOR function between MS patients and age-matched healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Included 26 MS patients (no prior optic neuritis) and 13 controls (age 22-50).
• Evaluated visual evoked potential (VEP), visual acuity (static and dynamic), phoria, and VOR gain using video head impulse testing (vHIT).

Main Results:

• Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) was significantly different between MS patients and controls (P=0.029).
• VOR gain measured by vHIT did not show significant differences between the groups (P=0.338).
• No significant correlation was found between MS disease duration and VOR gain or DVA.

Conclusions:

• Despite potential decreases in vHIT results in MS patients, no statistically significant difference in VOR gain was observed compared to controls.
• These findings suggest that VOR may be preserved in MS patients without optic neuritis, but further research is warranted.