Clinical Investigation of the Vestibular Cortex

Abstract

This study attempted to identify the vestibular cortex that is involved in the perception of vestibular vertigo in the human brain. We used single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in two cerebrovascular patients with nystagmus-sensation disSociation, which is known as brisk caloric nystagmus without simultaneous sensation of vertigo. Both patients had ischemic lesions involving mainly the parieto-temporal lobe in the nondominant hemisphere. It is suggested that the parieto-temporal lobe in the nondominant hemisphere contains the vestibular cortex which is a center for the perception of vertigo due to vestibular stimulation.

Key Words:

• vestibular cortex
• SPECT
• caloric stimulation
• vertigo