Affiliations: [a]
Department of Clinical Research, Yokohama Brainand Spine Center, Yokohama, Japan
| [b]
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yokohama Brain and Spine Center, Yokohama, Japan
| [c]
Department of Neurology, Yokohama Brain and Spine Center, Yokohama, Japan
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Ken Johkura, Department of Neurology, Yokohama Brain and Spine Center, 1-2-1 Takigashira, Isogo-ku, Yokohama 235-0012, Japan. Tel.: +81 45 753 2500; Fax: +81 45 753 2879; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Sound stimulation can influence electrophysiological vestibular reflexes. However, the effects of sound stimulation on space perception remain unknown. OBJECTIVE:To know the effects of monaural sound stimulation on subjective visual vertical (SVV). METHODS:We measured SVV with and without monaural sound stimulation (105 dB, 500 Hz short tone burst presented at 4.7 Hz) in 50 healthy volunteers (aged 20–77 [mean = 42.7] years). RESULTS:The mean SVV was deviated 0.139° to the left by right monaural sound stimulation and 0.123° to the right by left monaural sound stimulation. SVV changes due to right and left ear stimulations were significantly different (p = 0.019). Sound stimulation resulted in a significant change in SVV on the left side (p = 0.014) in participants aged 50 or younger (mean = 35.6 years) (n = 37). CONCLUSIONS:This study is the first to show the possibility that the monaural sound input deviates the SVV toward the opposite side and is more pronounced for left-ear input. The vestibular-evoked myogenic potential responses may be involved in the mechanism of the contralateral SVV deviation due to sound input.
Keywords: Sense of balance, auditory-vestibular interaction, vestibular-evoked myogenic potential, otolith, hearing
