Sensory organization test principally reflects utricular function

Abstract

Conclusion: Our study showed that sensory organization test (SOT) could principally reflect utricular function, and our cut-score of VEST ratio (the indicator of inputs from the vestibular system in balance performance) in SOT could help to screen patients with unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction in non-fallers.

Objectives: We aimed to know SOT reflects the function of which vestibular end organs and to assess the possibility of screening patients with peripheral vestibular dysfunction in non-fall population by means of SOT.

Methods: A total of 75 patients with unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction underwent SOT, ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP), cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) and caloric tests.

Results: Regression model indicated that oVEMP, as an independent variable, exerted the greatest influence on VEST ratio, followed by age and cVEMP. There were no significant differences in VEST ratio among groups with different extents of peripheral vestibular involvement (p > .05). VEST ratio in the vestibular impairment groups was significantly lower than in the control group and significantly higher than in fall group (p < .01). VEST ratio in group with normal oVEMP was significantly higher than in group with abnormal oVEMP (p = .013). The cut-score between populations with functional and dysfunctional vestibule was 0.649.

Chinese abstract

结论：我们的研究表明, 感觉组织检测（SOT）可以主要反映椭圆囊功能, 我们在SOT中的VEST比例的切分（前庭系统输入平衡表现指标）有助于筛查非跌者中单侧外周前庭功能障碍的患者。

目的：我们的目的是为了了解SOT反映哪些前庭器官的功能, 并通过SOT来评估在非跌倒人群中筛查患有外周前庭功能障碍的患者的可能性。

方法：共75例单侧外周前庭功能障碍患者接受SOT、眼前庭诱发肌原性潜能（oVEMP）、颈部前庭诱发肌原性潜能（cVEMP）和卡路里测试。

结果：回归模型表明, oVEMP作为一个独立变量对VEST比率影响最大, 其次是年龄和cVEMP。外周前庭参与不同程度组之间的VEST比率差异无统计学意义（P > 0.05）。前庭损伤组的VEST比值明显低于对照组, 明显高于跌倒组（P < 0.01）。 正常oVEMP组的VEST比率明显高于非正常oVEMP组（P = 0.013）。具功能的和功能障碍的前庭的人群之间的切分为0.649。

Keywords:

• Unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction
• sensory organization test
• cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential
• ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by grants from the National Twelfth Five-Year Science and Technology Support Plan of China [No. 2012BAI12B02], and the National Eleventh Five-Year Science and Technology Support Plan of China [No. 2007BAI18B13]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.