title: Dissociation of visual and haptic vertical in two patients with vestibular nuclear lesions.
abstract: The somatosensory (haptic) vertical (HV) and visual vertical (VV) were assessed in two patients with vestibular nuclear lesions. Patient 1 had paroxysmal nystagmus, and was tested "on" and "off." The HV was normal "on" and "off" but the VV was severely tilted during vestibular paroxysms. Patient 2, with a brainstem stroke, was tested at months 1 and 6. The VV was severely tilted on both occasions (>12 degrees) but the HV was marginally tilted (4 degrees) in the acute stage only. These VV-HV dissociations suggest that vestibular nuclear lesions influence gravity perception mostly via ocular torsional effects rather than by disrupting a single, internal representation of verticality.
authors: Academic Department of Neuro-otology, Imperial College London, UK. a.bronstein@imperial.ac.uk
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Bronstein
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Pérennou
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Guerraz
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Playford
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Rudge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005911:Gliosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000473:pathology; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009949:Orientation; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology; D013028:Space Perception; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*