Vestibular testing

 Recent studies showed that COVID-19 infection can affect cochleo-vestibular system. The possibility of a vertical transmission is controversial. Some studies suggested that it is possible but unlikely, others find no evidence of vertical transmission. The objective of this study was to investigate whether exposure to COVID-19 during pregnancy or at birth has an impact on the hearing of the offspring. As part of the national hearing screening program, we performed in all newborns between January 2022 and February 2023, TEOAEs (Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions) at birth and at 3 months...

BACKGROUND: Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) syndrome often report navigation difficulties, accompanied by impairments in egocentric and allocentric spatial memory. However, studies have shown that both bodily (e.g., motor commands, proprioception, vestibular information) and visual-cognitive (e.g., maps, directional arrows, attentional markers) cues can support spatial memory in MCI. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess navigation cues for innovative spatial training in aging...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Physical examination findings in athletes with sport-related concussion (SRC) are not well described in the literature. The objective of this study was to describe physical examination findings during the first month following concussion in athletes, with a focus on the effect of sex, age, and time since injury. METHODS: This was a retrospective electronic medical record (EMR) review of physical examination findings in 500 patients aged 6-24 who were initially seen within 15 days of SRC at a multidisciplinary outpatient academic concussion clinic between 2017 and 2019...

The perceptual and motor coordination problems experienced following return from spaceflight reflect the sensory adaptation to altered gravity. The purpose of this study was to develop a ground-based analog that replicates similar sensorimotor impairment using a standard measures test battery and subjective feedback from experienced crewmembers. This Sensorimotor Disorientation Analog (SDA) included varying levels of sensorimotor disorientation through combined vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive disruptions...

BACKGROUND: We describe a 42-year-old patient with reported "shaking" vision referred due to concerns of possible vestibular system dysfunction. The patient has known history of Usher syndrome type I, bilateral cochlear implants, and severe vision impairment. PURPOSE: This case describes an unusual nystagmus previously only reported in individuals with central demyelinating disorders, significant light deprivation, or in congenital / early-onset visual pathway impairment...

BACKGROUND: During episodes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), individuals with migraine, compared with individuals without migraine, may experience more severe vestibular symptoms because of their hyperexcitable brain structures, more adverse effects on quality of life, and worse recovery processes from BPPV. METHODS: All patients with BPPV were assigned to the migraine group (MG, n = 64) and without migraine group (BPPV w/o MG, n = 64) and completed the Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), Vertigo Dizziness Imbalance Symptom Scale (VDI-SS), VDI Health-Related Quality of Life Scale (VDI-HRQoLS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at the time of BPPV diagnosis (baseline) and on the one-month follow-up...

PURPOSE: Most of Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence (SSCD) are located in the apical region of the SSC. However, in a small number of cases, it may be situated in the medial wall, causing the SSC to contact with the superior petrosal sinus (SPS). The aim of this study is to describe four patients with SSCD involving the superior petrosal sinus (SSCD-SPS) and to perform a review of the literature. METHODS: Observational retrospective study of patients diagnosed of SSCD-SPS in a tertiary referral center...

BACKGROUND: Otolith organ acts complementarily with the autonomic nervous system to maintain blood pressure. However, the effect of blood pressure variability in the autonomic nervous system on otolith organ has not yet been determined. This study aimed to verify the hypothesis that blood pressure variability in the autonomic nervous system affects the recurrence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which is the most common disease of the vestibular organs, by using the head-up tilt test (HUTT)...

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of third window syndromes often poses a challenge in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: This paper provides an up-to-date overview of diagnostic procedures in third window syndromes, with special emphasis on superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS), large vestibular aqueduct syndrome (LVAS), and X-chromosomal malformation of the cochlea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed up to December 2023...

BACKGROUND: Meniere's disease (MD) is characterized by idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops (ELH). Frequent vertigo attacks is the most disabling symptom of MD. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the efficacy of triple semicircular canal occlusion combined with endolymphatic sac decompression in the treatment of frequent vertigo in patients with MD. METHODS: Eleven patients with complete medical records were included in this study conducted from May 2021 to April 2022...

A previous study demonstrated that rodents on an inclined square platform traveled straight vertically or horizontally and avoided diagonal travel. Through behavior they aligned their head with the horizontal plane, acquiring similar bilateral vestibular cues - a basic requirement for spatial orientation and a salient feature of animals in motion. This behavior had previously been shown to be conspicuous in Tristram's jirds. Here, therefore jirds were challenged by testing their travel behavior on a circular arena inclined at 0°-75°...

CONTEXT: Sports-related concussions are commonly occurring injuries as a result of sports and recreation that may cause alterations in brain functioning. It is important to be able to evaluate the impact of these injuries on function to manage the injury recovery and ensure recovery. Recent literature suggests the use of objective evaluation strategies in a multifaceted approach to evaluate and manage these injuries. It is important to understand the relationships between the assessments and how best to utilize each assessment...

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the diagnostic yield of patients undergoing evaluation for superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS), and identify alternative conditions diagnosed in patients suspected of, but not ultimately diagnosed with, SCDS. METHODS: Diagnostically undifferentiated adult patients suspected of having SCDS were identified between 2016 and 2021 at a tertiary academic medical system. Patients were categorized by diagnostic testing, radiographic superior semicircular canal (SSC) abnormality, symptoms, evaluating clinician specialty, operative intervention, and diagnosis...

Objective: To explore the clinical value of supine median³ nystagmus in the accurate diagnosis of horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo（HC-BPPV）. Methods: A total of 187 patients with HC-BPPV admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from June 2020 to March 2021 were selected. Among them 42 cases of Cupulolithiasis and 145 cases of Canalithiasis. The nystagmus parameters of patients left and right supine position and supine median³ position were recorded in detail by RART...

Aging is characterized by substantial changes in sleep architecture that negatively impact fitness, quality of life, mood, and cognitive functioning. Older adults often fail to reach the recommended level of physical activity to prevent the age-related decline in sleep function, partly because of geographical barriers. Implementing home-based interventions could surmount these obstacles, thereby encouraging older adults to stay active, with videoconference administration emerging as a promising solution. Increasing the availability of biological rhythms synchronizers, such as physical activity, light exposure, or vestibular stimulation, represents a viable non-pharmacological strategy for entraining circadian rhythms and potentially fortifying the sleep-wake cycle, thereby enhancing sleep in aging...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of four children with Kabuki syndrome (KS) due to variants of KMT2D gene. METHODS: Four children with KS diagnosed at the Children's Hospital of Shanxi Province between January 2020 and December 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for the children and their family members. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and pathogenicity analysis. RESULTS: The KS phenotype scores for the four children were 7, 8, 6, and 6, respectively...

The striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is a medium-sized pelagic dolphin with a single external nasal opening (blowhole) located in the rostral and dorsal regions of the skull. The nasal cavity is divided into three sections: the olfactory, respiratory, and vestibular areas. The surface epithelium lining the regio vestibularis is the first tissue in the nose to be directly affected by environmental antigens. Cetaceans have a significant amount of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) located throughout their bodies...

OBJECTIVES: Value-based healthcare (VBHC) involves the use of standardised outcome measures, including patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This study aimed to assess to what extent discussion of PROMs is associated with patient- and person-centredness. METHODS: This study used a separate sample pre-/post-test design and multiple methods (observations, questionnaires, and interviews) in a VBHC care pathway for patients with a vestibular schwannoma, to assess to what extent the implementation of PROMs is associated with a difference in patient- and person-centredness...

FXTAS is a neurodegenerative disorder occurring in some Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 ( FMR1 ) gene premutation carriers (PMCs) and is characterized by cerebellar ataxia, tremor, and cognitive deficits that negatively impact balance and gait and increase fall risk. Dual-tasking (DT) cognitive-motor paradigms and challenging balance conditions may have the capacity to reveal markers of FXTAS onset. Our objectives were to determine the impact of dual-tasking and sensory and stance manipulation on balance in FXTAS and potentially detect subtle postural sway deficits in FMR1 PMCs who are asymptomatic for signs of FXTAS on clinical exam...

Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is an organ-specific disease characterized by irreversible, prolonged, and progressive hearing and equilibrium dysfunctions. The primary symptoms of AIED include asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss accompanied by vertigo, aural fullness, and tinnitus. AIED is divided into primary and secondary types. Research has been conducted using animal models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a cause of secondary AIED. However, current models are insufficient to accurately analyze vestibular function, and the mechanism underlying the onset of AIED has not yet been fully elucidated...