[Is there clinical evidence for the aging of the peripheral vestibular organ?].
The ageing process of hearing is well known. Age-dependent normative data are established for pure tone audiometry. It seems logical to suppose that the peripheral vestibular system undergoes a similar ageing process. To support this hypothesis we investigated subjects aged 50-82 with presbyacusis demonstrated by pure tone audiometry. Asymmetry of the peripheral vestibular system was ruled out by symmetrical thermal excitation rate. Slow-phase velocity of nystagmus induced by rotating-chair stimulation was compared with pure tone audiometry. We found no significant correlation and thus our approach failed to bear out the hypothesis.
Gürtler
N
N
HNO-Universitätsklinik, Kantonsspital Basel.
Honegger
F
F
Allum
J
J
Probst
R
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009760:Nystagmus, Physiologic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012399:Rotation; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*