Evaluation of high frequency horizontal VOR parameters in patients with chronic bilateral and unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy: a preliminary study

Abstract

Background

Caloric test is one of the tests which evaluates the low frequency component of vestibular system for both diagnosis of the BPV and UPV.

Aims

The main objectives are to determine and increase the diagnostic value of BPV and UPV by evaluating the high frequency horizontal VOR parameters with HIMP, SHIMP and fHIT, to compare test results with healthy controls, and to evaluate correlation of these tests with vertigo dizziness imbalance (VDI) questionnaire results in these patients.

Material and methods

Six patients with BPV, ten patients with UPV and fifteen healthy controls were recruited. High frequency hVOR were evaluated with HIMP, SHIMP and fHIT. Vestibular symptoms and quality of life were assessed with VDI Questionnaire.

Results

Lower percentage of correct answers, and lower VOR gains were obtained in affected sides for BPV and UPV. HIMP elicited compensatory saccades in patients, whereas SHIMP elicited large anticompensatory saccades in controls and unaffected side of UPV, but no saccades in BPV. No correlation was found between VDI outcomes and all tests.

Conclusions

The results show that all tests are complementary each other and able to identify the affected labyrinth and to show residual vestibular function. These tests are thought to be important in the vestibular rehabilitation process.

Chinese abstract

背景：热量测试评估前庭系统的低频分量, 是诊断BPV和UPV的测试方法之一。

目的：用HIMP, SHIMP和fHIT评估高频水平VOR参数, 以确定并提高BPV和UPV的诊断价值。与健康对照组比较测试结果。评估这些测试结果与患者眩晕头晕不平衡（VDI）问卷结果的相关性。

材料和方法：共招募6例BPV患者、10例UPV患者和15例健康对照者。用HIMP、SHIMP和fHIT对高频hVOR进行评估。前庭症状和生活质量通过VDI问卷进行评估。

结果：正确答案的百分比较低, 而BPV和UPV患侧的VOR增益较低。 HIMP引起患者代偿性扫视, 而SHIMP在对照组和未受UPV影响一侧引起大的抗代偿性扫视, 但在BPV患者中未发现任何扫视。没有发现在VDI结果和所有测试之间有相关性。

结论：结果表明, 所有测试都是互补的, 并且能够识别出病变迷路并显示残留的前庭功能。这些测试被认为对前庭康复过程很重要。

Keywords:

• Functional head impulse test
• head impulse test
• suppression head impulse paradigm

Disclosure statement

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