Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2025
Testing of all Six Semicircular Canals with Video Head Impulse Test Systems
Published on: April 18, 2019
Can Video Head Impulse Testing Be Used to Estimate the Involved Canal in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo?
Mustafa Uslu1, Murat Eğrilmez1, Murat Cem Miman1
1Department of Otolaryngology, Izmir University of Economics, Medical Point Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Türkiye.
Background:
There may be confusion about which canal is involved in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), especially with those that have subtle findings. The study aimed to determine if video head impulse testing may be used in such patients as a diagnostic tool. Symptom scoring and treatment efficiency in BPPV are essential parts of the process. Therefore, inventories like "Dizziness Handicap Inventory" may be useful in this regard.
Methods:
Patients with posterior and lateral canal BPPV were included. Video head impulse testing was performed prior to treatment and 1 week after treatment. Vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) gains were noted and compared to the opposite side. The presence of correction saccades was noted as well. Also, pretreatment and posttreatment Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores were compared.
Results:
Fifty-seven patients were diagnosed with posterior canal BPPV, and sixteen were with horizontal canal BPPV. In patients with posterior canal BPPV, there was no difference between the involved canal VOR gains and the other canals on the same side (P=.639). The involved horizontal canal did not differ from the opposite horizontal canal. Patients with lateral canal BPPV show more significant improvement after treatment compared to patients with posterior canal BPPV.
Conclusion:
Video head impulse testing may not be used to estimate the involved canal in BPPV; however, it may be used to evaluate the efficiency of the treatment, especially in the lateral canal.
