Effect of Alcohol on VOR Compensation After Unilateral Labyrinthine Loss

Abstract

It has been reported that alcohol ingestion reduces cerebellar control of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). To investigate the compensatory processes following labyrinthine loss, we examined gaze function and VOR before and after alcohol ingestion in 10 patients with unilateral lesion. The subjects were rotated sinusoidally in an electrically driven chair under two different visual conditions, i.e., mental arithmetic in the dark, and gaze fixation on a target on the wall. Whereas a control group (17 normal adults) showed no significant change after alcohol ingestion, patients showed a greater difference in gain between rotation to the intact side and affected side under the two conditions. The present study suggested significant cerebellar control of VOR and gaze function during recovery from unilateral labyrinthine dysfunction

Key Words:

• vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)
• unilateral labyrinthine loss
• compensation
• alcohol.