Retro-labyrinthine Disorders Detected by Galvanic Body Sway Responses in Routine Equilibrium Examinations

Watanabe, Yukio; Mizukoshi, Kanemasa; Ohi, Hideya; Yasuda, Kenji; Ohasi, N; Kobayashi, Hideto

doi:10.3109/00016488909139074

Cited by 28 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Coats demonstrated that galvanic vestibular stimulation provided modest sensitivity and specificity for identifying eighth‐nerve lesions such as acoustic tumors. Watanabe et al, 10 Tokita et al, 11 and Sekitani 12 all proposed some clinical utility of galvanic vestibular testing for the diagnosis of retrocochlear disorders. Despite this long experience with galvanic vestibular stimulation, its potential clinical value has been largely unrealized, especially since retrocochlear evaluations are more efficiently and accurately performed using brainstem auditory evoked potentials and computed tomography(CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Galvanic‐Induced Postural Movements As a Test of Vestibular Function in Humans

et al. 1996

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Galvanic stimulation produces a postural sway and eye movements in humans. Since galvanic currents are thought to exert their effect at the trigger zone of the vestibular nerve, an intact vestibular nerve should be necessary to produce a response. We have used galvanic stimulation in humans to test the hypothesis that intact vestibular nerve fibers are required to obtain a postural away response. Experimental subjects included normal subjects, patients who had undergone resection of an acoustic neuroma, and patients who had undergone vestibular neurectomy and surgical labyrinthectomy. Our results support the hypothesis that an intact vestibular nerve is necessary to produce a response. Moreover, two patients with recurrent vertigo following vestibular neurectomy and labyrinthectomy, who had absent ice-water caloric test responses in the operated ears, were found to have a positive galvanic response. This result suggested that their recurrent vertigo was based on intact residual vestibular nerve fibers. Although previous research has not yielded a routine clinical use for galvanic stimulation, our results suggest that galvanic stimulation of the vestibular system can provide unique and valuable diagnostic information.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Galvanic‐Induced Postural Movements As a Test of Vestibular Function in Humans

et al. 1996

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“…During the GBST, galvanic currents applied to the transmastoid cause body sway in healthy subjects, but there is no response in patients with retrolabyrinthine disorders such as vestibular neuritis, acoustic neuroma, and pontine lesions, especially around the vestibular nuclei [6]. In our patient, responses to the caloric test, VEMP test, and GBST were initially abnormal on the affected side.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…When vestibular symptoms are severe but there are normal caloric responses, the possibility of retrolabyrinthine dysfunction caused by mumps virus should be considered. The GBST is helpful for evaluating retrolabyrinthine dysfunction [6].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Romberg sign was positive. The GBST and method of analysis have been described in detail elsewhere [6]. In brief, the stimulating electrodes are placed bilaterally in the mastoid areas and the cathode is placed on the forehead.…”

Section: Case Reportmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because galvanic currents stimulate the vestibular nerve and not the hair cells of the inner ear [5], the galvanic body sway test (GBST) is used to evaluate retrolabyrinthine disorders [6]. We report a patient with mumps deafness in whom vertigo developed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mumps virus may damage the vestibular nerve as well as the inner ear

Tsubota

Shojaku

Ishimaru

et al. 2008

Acta Oto-Laryngologica

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We report a case of mumps deafness with acute vestibular symptoms secondary to both retrolabyrinthine and inner ear dysfunction. To our knowledge, no such case has been reported elsewhere. The patient was a 6-year-old girl in whom mumps deafness was initially diagnosed. Two days after onset of the hearing impairment, severe vertigo developed. Neurotologic examinations revealed spontaneous right-beating nystagmus, left canal paresis, absence of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in the left ear, and absence of responses to a left galvanic body sway test (GBST). The vertigo resolved 7 days after onset. However, the left hearing impairment progressed to complete deafness. Six months later, left canal paresis was still present, but bilateral GBST responses were normal, suggesting that retrolabyrinthine vestibular function had been restored. Mumps virus may affect retrolabyrinthine function as well as the inner ear.

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