Predictors of development of chronic vestibular insufficiency after vestibular neuritis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of clinical parameters, MRI and ocular VEMP (oVEMP) and cervical VEMP (cVEMP) as predictors of development of chronic vestibular insufficiency after vestibular neuritis.

METHODS: Twenty-six patients with vestibular neuritis were included: 15 patients (58%) showed complete clinical recovery, and 11 patients (41%) were diagnosed with the syndrome of chronic vestibular insufficiency. Clinical parameters (vomiting, nystagmus, postural stability, and nausea) were assessed at diagnosis. MRI was performed within 3 months and VEMP within 6 days and at 1 year after the initial presentation. The amplitude asymmetry ratio (AR) was calculated using the following formula: AR=((healthy side-affected side)/(healthy side+affected side) × 100).

RESULTS: Of all studied parameters, only chronic white matter supratentorial lesions present on brain MRI negatively correlated with clinical recovery (Phi coefficient=-0.637, p=0.001). The logistic regression analysis showed that positive brain MRI and older age reduced odds for clinical recovery. There was no correlation between clinical recovery and oVEMP AR recovery between groups (p=0.781). Seven patients showed improvement, and 19 showed worsening on oVEMP AR after a 1-year follow-up. Statistical regression model for predicting the outcome of clinical recovery using asymmetry score recovery, as an independent variable, was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Older age and chronic white matter lesions on brain MRI are positive predictors of development of chronic vestibular insufficiency after vestibular neuritis. VEMPs are not useful in predicting the development of chronic vestibular insufficiency.