Vestibular recruitment: new application for an old concept.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Otolaryngology
• Vestibular System

Background:

• Vestibular recruitment indicates central vestibular neuron hyperexcitability, often associated with peripheral vestibular damage.
• Understanding vestibular recruitment aids in diagnosing and managing vestibular disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the post-caloric recruitment index (PCRI).
• To assess the PCRI's ability to predict vestibular compensation stage and peripheral lesion severity.

Main Methods:

• Demonstrated equivalence between cold/warm caloric stimulation ratios and vestibular recruitment.
• Administered caloric tests to patients with vestibular complaints and controls.
• Calculated PCRI and analyzed its relationship with unilateral weakness and vestibular diagnoses.

Main Results:

• Mean PCRI was 17.06% in controls and 33.37% in the study group.
• The ratio of PCRI to unilateral weakness was 1.3 in the study group.
• No significant differences in unilateral weakness or vestibular diagnoses were found between recruiting and non-recruiting subjects.

Conclusions:

• The PCRI effectively identifies asymmetric vestibular tonus and central compensation.
• A normal PCRI value was established at 17.06%.