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Published on: February 21, 2018
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Vestibular function analysis in patients with unilateral Ménière's disease
Xu Liu1,2, Suming Shi1,2, Wenqian Gao1,2
1ENT Institute, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, China.
Summary
Vestibular function in Ménière
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Otolaryngology
- Vestibular System Research
Background:
- Ménière's disease (MD) presents with vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness.
- Vertigo evaluation necessitates assessing vestibular function, yet its link to endolymphatic hydrops (EH) and MD stage is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between vestibular function, endolymphatic hydrops (EH) severity and location, and the staging of Unilateral Ménière's disease (UMD).
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive vestibular evaluation (cVEMP, oVEMP, vHIT, caloric tests, SOT) in UMD patients.
- Inner ear gadolinium-enhanced MRI (Gd-MRI) for EH assessment.
- Statistical comparison of vestibular parameters across MD stages and EH categories.
Main Results:
- Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) abnormalities increased with MD stage (Stages III-IV vs. I-II).
- Video head impulse test (vHIT) abnormalities were mainly in Stage IV; caloric test abnormalities were low in Stage I.
- No significant correlation found between vestibular function tests and EH level or distribution.
Conclusions:
- Vestibular dysfunction in UMD is stage-dependent, affecting otolithic and low-frequency semicircular canal function early.
- Observed changes do not consistently correlate with EH severity or location, suggesting central compensation or functional-structural mismatch.
- Multimodal and longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding MD vestibular pathophysiology.
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