Effects of Vestibular Loss on Head Stabilization in Response to Head and Body Perturbations

BACKGROUND: The crucial role of early vestibular rehabilitation (VR) to recover a dynamic semicircular canal function was recently highlighted in patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH). However, wide inter-individual differences were observed, suggesting that parameters other than early rehabilitation are involved. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine to what extent the degree of vestibular loss assessed by the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (aVOR) gain could be an additional parameter interfering with rehabilitation in the recovery process. And to examine whether different VR protocols have the same effectiveness with regard to the aVOR recovery. METHODS: The aVOR gain and the percentage of compensatory saccades were recorded in 81 UVH patients with the passive head impulse test before and after early VR (first two weeks after vertigo onset: N = 43) or late VR (third to sixth week after onset: N = 38) performed twice a week for four weeks. VR was performed either with the unidirectional rotation paradigm or gaze stability exercises. Supplementary outcomes were the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) score, and the static and dynamic subjective visual vertical. RESULTS: The cluster analysis differentiated two distinct populations of UVH patients with pre-rehab aVOR gain values on the hypofunction side below 0.20 (N = 42) or above 0.20 (N = 39). The mean gain values were respectively 0.07±0.05 and 0.34±0.12 for the lateral canal (p < 0.0001), 0.09±0.06 and 0.44±0.19 for the anterior canal (p < 0.0001). Patients with aVOR gains above 0.20 and early rehab fully recovered dynamic horizontal canal function (0.84±0.14) and showed very few compensatory saccades (18.7% ±20.1%) while those with gains below 0.20 and late rehab did not improve their aVOR gain value (0.16±0.09) and showed compensatory saccades only (82.9% ±23.7%). Similar results were found for the anterior canal function. Recovery of the dynamic function of the lateral canal was found with both VR protocols while it was observed with the gaze stability exercises only for the anterior canal. All the patients reduced their DHI score, normalized their static SVV, and exhibited uncompensated dynamic SVV. CONCLUSIONS: Early rehab is a necessary but not sufficient condition to fully recover dynamic canal function. The degree of vestibular loss plays a crucial role too, and to be effective rehabilitation protocols must be carried out in the plane of the semicircular canals.

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Normative and Pathological Ranges of Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Normal Subjects and Patients with Complete Compensated Unilateral Vestibular Loss: A Cross Sectional Study

Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery ◽

10.1007/s12070-021-02723-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lokesh Kumar ◽

Arvind Kairo ◽

Alok Thakar

Keyword(s):

Normal Subjects ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vestibular Loss

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Sudden Sensorineural Hearing and Vestibular Loss in a Case of Relapsing Polychondritis

Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology ◽

10.1177/00034894211005979 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000348942110059

Author(s):

Özge Akdoğan ◽

Smirnov Exilus ◽

Bryan K. Ward ◽

Justin C. McArthur ◽

Charles C. Della Santina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cochlear Implantation ◽

Pure Tone ◽

Relapsing Polychondritis ◽

Sensorineural Hearing ◽

High Dose ◽

Left Auricle ◽

Vestibular Loss ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Loss Of Hearing ◽

Hearing Outcomes

Objectives: To report a case of profound bilateral sensorineural hearing and vestibular loss from relapsing polychondritis and hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation. Methods: Case report and literature review. Results: A 43 year-old woman developed sudden loss of hearing and balance that progressed over several weeks to bilateral, profound hearing and vestibular loss. Steroid treatments were ineffective. She underwent vestibular physical therapy and left cochlear implantation. About 10 months after her initial presentation, she developed erythema, warmth, swelling, and pain of the left auricle sparing the lobule, flattening of the bridge of her nose, and right ankle swelling, warmth, and skin erythema. A biopsy of the left auricle revealed histopathologic findings consistent with relapsing polychondritis. She was treated with high dose prednisolone. The ear inflammation resolved, however, despite excellent auditory response to pure tone thresholds, the patient reported no improvement in speech perception after cochlear implantation. Conclusions: Relapsing polychondritis can present with rapidly progressive, profound loss of hearing and vestibular function. Hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation can include poor speech discrimination despite good pure tone detection thresholds.

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