scholarly journals Acute Vertigo in a Patient with Long-Term Organic Solvent Exposure: Importance of a Comprehensive Audio-Vestibular Test Battery

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (05) ◽  
pp. 363-368
Author(s):  
Maxime Maheu ◽  
François Champoux ◽  
Adrian Fuente

Abstract Background Ototoxicity induced by organic solvents has been identified in several groups of workers. Little is known, however, about the effects of organic solvents on the vestibular system. Purpose The aim of the study was to comprehensively assess the vestibular system and auditory functions in a worker exposed to organic solvents. Research Design Both behavioral and physiological auditory and vestibular evaluations were performed. Results No auditory-related findings associated with solvent exposure were found. The vestibulo-ocular reflex gain was abnormal for all semicircular canals with significant catch-up saccades, as measured by the video head impulse test. The cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials was absent in the right ear and small but replicable in the left ear. Ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential were bilaterally absent. Conclusions The results suggest a case of vestibulotoxicity induced by a long history of organic solvent exposure. We suggest that solvent-exposed individuals should be evaluated with a comprehensive battery of auditory and vestibular tests.

Author(s):  
Maxime Maheu ◽  
Franc¸ois Champoux ◽  
Adrian Fuente

Background: Ototoxicity induced by organic solvents has been identified in several groups of workers.Little is known, however, about the effects of organic solvents on the vestibular system.<br />Purpose: The aim of the study was to comprehensively assess the vestibular system and auditory functionsin a worker exposed to organic solvents.<br />Research Design: Both behavioral and physiological auditory and vestibular evaluations wereperformed.<br />Results: No auditory-related findings associated with solvent exposure were found. The vestibulo-ocularreflex gain was abnormal for all semicircular canals with significant catch-up saccades, as measured bythe video head impulse test. The cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials was absent in the rightear and small but replicable in the left ear. Ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential were bilaterallyabsent.<br />Conclusions: The results suggest a case of vestibulotoxicity induced by a long history of organic solventexposure. We suggest that solvent-exposed individuals should be evaluated with a comprehensive batteryof auditory and vestibular tests.<br />


Author(s):  
Mārīte Ārija Baķe ◽  
Maija Eglīte ◽  
Žanna Martinsone ◽  
Inita Buiķe ◽  
Anita Piķe ◽  
...  

Organic solvents as chemical risk factors of the work environment in different branches of industry and possible impact of solvents on workers' health The aim of our study was to investigate organic solvents as chemical risk factors of the work environment in different branches of the industry in Latvia during 1998-2006 and to evaluate the possible impact of solvents to worker health according to the exposure index. The work conditions were studied in 116 enterprises of different branches of industries in Latvia. The analysis of 1790 measurements showed that organic solvents in the work environment have different degrees of exposure probability risk on worker health. The exposure levels in workplaces differ. More than half of surveyed workplaces (56.7%) had a low organic solvent exposure probability level, in 25.2% workplaces it was medium, and in 18.1% workplaces high. The most widely used organic solvents were aromatic hydrocarbons, which was recorded in 35% of the measurements made during assessment of aromatic hydrocarbon group organic solvent exposure in the work environment. In most workplaces several solvents were present simultaneously. Since solvents have a one-way effect on the human body, the actual exposure risk level is higher than shown when evaluating the exposure index of a single solvent only.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan K. Plontke ◽  
Torsten Rahne ◽  
Ian S. Curthoys ◽  
Bo Håkansson ◽  
Laura Fröhlich

Abstract Background The receptors for hearing and balance are housed together in the labyrinth of the inner ear and share the same fluids. Surgical damage to either receptor system was widely believed to cause certain permanent loss of the receptor function of the other. That principle, however, has been called into question because there have been anecdotal reports in individual patients of at least partial preservation of cochlear function after major surgical damage to the vestibular division and vice versa. Methods We performed specific objective vestibular function tests before and after surgical trauma (partial or subtotal cochlear removal) for treatment of intracochlear tumors in 27 consecutive patients in a tertiary referral center. Vestibular function was assessed by calorics (low-frequency response of the lateral semicircular canal), vestibulo-ocular reflex by video head impulse test (vHIT) of the three semicircular canals, cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP, saccule and oVEMP, utricle). Preoperative and postoperative distributions were compared with paired t-tests. Results Here we show that there was no significant difference between pre- and post-operative measures for all tests of the five vestibular organs, and that after major surgical cochlear trauma, the vestibular receptors continue to function independently. Conclusions These surprising observations have important implications for our understanding of the function and the surgery of the peripheral auditory and vestibular system in general and open up new possibilities for the development, construction and evaluation of neural interfaces for electrical or optical stimulation of the peripheral auditory and vestibular nervous system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 90 (e7) ◽  
pp. A27.1-A27
Author(s):  
Zeljka Calic ◽  
Benjamin Nham ◽  
Rachel Taylor ◽  
Allison Young ◽  
Craig Anderson ◽  
...  

IntroductionVestibular neuritis (VN) and posterior circulation stroke (PCS) are the commonest causes of acute vestibular syndrome (AVS). We aim to identify discriminators of VN from PCS by testing all five vestibular end-organs in patients presenting with AVS.MethodsThree-dimensional video-head impulse test (v-HIT), cervical and ocular-vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (c-and oVEMP) and subjective visual horizontal (SVH) tests were performed in 22 patients with VN and 22 with PCS. Ipsilesional horizontal, anterior and posterior canal (HC, AC, PC) v-HIT gain and first catch-up saccade characteristics, VEMP amplitude asymmetry-ratios were compared.ResultsAll VN and 6 PCS patients had positive clinical HIT. Mean time to testing was 4.7 days for VN, 7.0 days for PCS. VN mean ipsilesional HC and AC first saccade amplitude was larger, peak-velocities faster and onset latencies earlier compared to PCS (p<0.05). No significant difference between VN and PCS in first saccade characteristics was found in PC. Ipsilesional first saccade amplitude, peak-velocity and duration were significantly different between PCS and controls for all canals (p<0.05). A gain <0.68 and first saccade amplitudes >2.2°separated VN from PCS with sensitivities of 95.5% and 86.4% and specificities of 72.7% and 63.6%. First saccade amplitude of >0.91°identified PCS from controls with sensitivity of 68.2% and specificity of 70%. Abnormality rates for AC cVEMP, BC oVEMP and SVH were 42.9%, 50% and 91% for VN and 38.1%, 9% 72% for PCS.Conclusion v-HIT gain and catch-up saccade metrics are useful separators of VN from PCS. Detailed saccade analysis complements existing vestibular tests.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (Suppl. 1-2) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Barbara ◽  
Rita Talamonti ◽  
Anna Teresa Benincasa ◽  
Silvia Tarentini ◽  
Chiara Filippi ◽  
...  

Introduction: Cochlear implantation (CI) has been reported to negatively affect vestibular function. The study of vestibular function has variably been conducted using different types of diagnostic tools. The combined use of modern, rapidly performing diagnostic tools could prove useful for standardization of the evaluation protocol. Methods: In a group of 28 subjects undergoing CI, the video head impulse test (vHIT), the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) and the short form of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire were investigated preoperatively and postoperatively (implant on and off) in both the implanted and the contralateral, nonimplanted ear. All surgeries were performed with a round window approach (RWA), except for 3 otosclerosis cases in which the extended RWA (eRWA) was used. Results: The vHIT of the lateral semicircular canal showed preoperative vestibular involvement in nearly 50% of the cases, while the 3 canals were contemporarily affected in only 14% of the cases. In all the hypofunctional subjects, cVEMP were absent. A low VOR gain in all of the investigated superior semicircular canals was found in 4 subjects (14%). In those subjects (21.7%) in whom cVEMP were preoperatively present and normal on the operated side, the absence of a response was postoperatively recorded. Discussion/Conclusion: The vestibular protocol applied in this study was found to be appropriate for distinguishing between the CI-operated ear and the nonoperated ear. In this regard, cVEMP was found to be more sensitive than vHIT for revealing a vestibular sufferance after CI, though without statistical significance. Finally, the use of RWA surgery apparently did not reduce the occurrence of signs of vestibular impairment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1951-1957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn S. Lee ◽  
Rebecca M. Raig ◽  
Maneesh K. Gupta ◽  
Matthew W. Lux

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