Journal of Vestibular Research - Volume 14, issue 1

Authors: Kevetter, Golda Anne | Leonard, Robert B. | Newlands, Shawn D. | Perachio, Adrian A.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The central distribution of afferents that innervate the crista ampullaris of the anterior or lateral semicircular canals was determined in gerbils following the direct injection of tracers into one sensory neuroepithelia. Labeled somata were scattered throughout the superior ganglion. The central distribution of fibers demonstrated extensive overlap. The central branch of afferents innervating either canal was located in the rostral part of the nerve. Nerve fibers divided into ascending and descending branches. Ascending branch ramifications terminated in the superior vestibular nucleus, the magnocellular and parvicellular medial vestibular nuclei, and the cerebellum. Cerebellar terminal areas include the flocculus, nodulus and uvula. …Descending branch ramifications terminated in the caudal medial, parvicellular medial and descending vestibular nuclei, and the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi. Lateral canal afferents terminated sparsely in nucleus cuneatus. The anterior canal had sparse innervation in the paratrigeminal and gigantocellular reticular formation. This study has shown many similarities in the central distribution of fibers that innervate the anterior and lateral canals and a few areas of segregated input. Projections outside the vestibular nuclei are more extensive than previously determined, including afferents to prepositus hypoglossi, cochlear nuclei, and reticular formation. Projections to the flocculus appear as numerous as those to the vermis. Show more

Keywords: semicircular canal, Scarpa's ganglion, vestibular, brainstem, cerebellum, labyrinth, prepositus hypoglossi

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2004-14101

Citation: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 1-15, 2004

Authors: Horowitz, Seth S. | Cheney, Cheryl A. | Simmons, James A.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is an aerial-feeding insectivorous species that relies on echolocation to avoid obstacles and to detect flying insects. Spatial perception in the dark using echolocation challenges the vestibular system to function without substantial visual input for orientation. IR thermal video recordings show the complexity of bat flights in the field and suggest a highly dynamic role for the vestibular system in orientation and flight control. To examine this role, we carried out laboratory studies of flight behavior under illuminated and dark conditions in both static and rotating obstacle tests while administering heavy water (D …2 O ) to impair vestibular inputs. Eptesicus carried out complex maneuvers through both fixed arrays of wires and a rotating obstacle array using both vision and echolocation, or when guided by echolocation alone. When treated with D 2 O in combination with lack of visual cues, bats showed considerable decrements in performance. These data indicate that big brown bats use both vision and echolocation to provide spatial registration for head position information generated by the vestibular system. Show more

Keywords: microchiropteran bat vestibular echolocation vision

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2004-14102

Citation: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 17-32, 2004

Authors: Hegemann, Stefan | Fitzek, Sabine | Fitzek, Clemens | Fetter, Michael

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: We present the unique case of a patient with a circumscribed solitary cerebral metastasis of a malignant melanoma extending from the medial part of the superior temporal gyrus to the lower part of the 1st long insular gyrus causing gait and stance instability and an ipsiversive tilt of the subjective visual vertical. Oculomotor disorders could not be detected. We suggest that the superior temporal gyrus is likely to be involved in spatial orientation presumably using otolithic information.

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2004-14103

Citation: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 33-35, 2004

Authors: Havia, M. | Kentala, E. | Pyykkö, I.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: In order to characterize the postural instability by duration of Meniere's disease (MD) we present the results of 180 MD patients tested on posturography. The duration of the disease varied from 4 weeks to 36 years. The patients were clinically examined and they had filled a questionnaire concerning their symptoms. Postural instability was examined by a force platform posturography and the results are expressed as sway velocities (SV). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean SV between groups of different duration of MD. The number of the patients with normal eyes open SV declined by duration of the …illness from 73% to 38% but the decline was not statistically significant. The mean age in the different duration groups of MD varied from 47 to 61 years. In general 58% of the patients had their eyes open SV in normal range and 55% when measured eyes closed. When examining the SV between the 4 different hearing stages of MD we found that those belonging into the group III (pure tone average [PTA] 41–70 dB) had significantly higher eyes open and eyes closed SV's than the patients in the group I (PTA under 25 dB). Show more

Keywords: dizziness, bilaterality, postural control, balance disorders

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2004-14104

Citation: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 37-46, 2004

Authors: Jönsson, Radi | Sixt, Eva | Landahl, Sten | Rosenhall, Ulf

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The prevalence of balance symptoms (vertigo, dizziness, and dysequilibrium) was investigated in an epidemiological study of elderly people, the longitudinal and cross-sectional gerontological and geriatric population study from Göteborg, Sweden (H70). Three different age cohorts were studied, one at age 70, one at age 75 and one at ages 79, 82, 85, 88 and 90 years. Altogether 2011 participants answered the questionnaire at 3197 occasions. The overall prevalence of balance problems at age 70 was 36% (women) and 29% (men). Balance symptoms were more common among women than men, and increased with increasing age. At ages 88–90 years the corresponding …values were 51–45%.. The most common symptom was poor balance/general unsteadiness (11–41%). Rotatory symptoms occurred in 2–17%. Other types of symptoms were less common. Precipitating factors were rising from supine to sitting position in 17–40%. Balance symptoms in a side position were uncommon, but occurred more often when tilting the head backwards (up to 14%). Signs that possibly could indicate neurological involvement were uncommon. Falls in conjuncture to dizziness, vertigo and similar symptoms occurred in 7–15%, in about equal proportions indoors as outdoors. Show more

Keywords: vertigo, dizziness, dysequilibrium, aged, epidemiology

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2004-14105

Citation: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 47-52, 2004

Authors: Buckey, Jay C. | Alvarenga, Donna | Cole, Bernard | Rigas, James R.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Background: Motion sickness remains a significant problem for travelers and for those involved in naval, aviation and space operations. Many motion sickness remedies are also sedating, making them undesirable in many settings. Methods: We studied chlorpheniramine as a potential motion sickness treatment. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose-ranging trial was performed to establish the most effective dose and the drug's effects on cognition. Eighteen normal, motion sickness susceptible subjects received placebo, low dose (4 mg) or high dose (12 mg) chlorpheniramine 3.5 hours before off-axis vertical rotation. Cognitive testing included a battery of objective and subjective tests performed before …drug ingestion, at peak drug effect and following rotation. Results: Chlorpheniramine significantly increased the time in the chair compared to placebo at high dose (7.2 minutes to 11.7 minutes) and low dose (7.2 minutes to 10.2 minutes). Chlorpheniramine did not affect performance on objective cognitive tests. Subjects reported significantly more sleepiness and less alertness with high-dose chlorpheniramine, although they could not reliably determine when they had received active drug. Conclusion: Chlorpheniramine is effective and could be considered for use against motion sickness. Chlorpheniramine also has the potential to be administered transdermally. Show more

Keywords: chlorpheniramine, motion sickness, neuropsychological tests, cutaneous administration

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2004-14106

Citation: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 53-61, 2004

Article Type: Correction

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2004-14107

Citation: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 63-64, 2004

Article Type: Correction

DOI: 10.3233/VES-2004-14108

Citation: Journal of Vestibular Research, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 65-65, 2004