Electronystagmography and horizontal directionalization.
A series of 22 patients complaining of disorders of equilibrium or hearing thought to be due to Central Nervous System (CNS) dysfunction has been studied. Data were obtained for electronystagmography (ENG), horizontal directionalization (HD), the staggered spondee word test (SSW), brainstem auditory evoked responses (BSER) and the Chocholle test of binaural interaction of pure tones (CH). The central ENG abnormalities found were spontaneous central vestibular nystagmus, paroxysmal central positional nystagmus, gaze paretic nystagmus, impaired optokinetic nystagmus, impaired smooth pursuit eye movements and impaired fixation-suppression of caloric nystagmus. HD results showed a weak link with hearing loss (HL). The central ENG abnormality most closely associated with impairment of HD was abnormal smooth pursuit eye movements. No significant relationship could be established between any two of the tests studied. The limited localizing value of the tests is discussed together with the contribution they make towards the diagnosis of the patient complaining of dizziness.
D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D004584:Electronystagmography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013017:Sound Localization