title: Spatial memory deficits in patients with chronic bilateral vestibular failure.
abstract: The role of the vestibular system for navigation and spatial memory has been demonstrated in animals but not in humans. Vestibular signals are necessary for location-specific "place cell" activity in the hippocampus which provides a putative neural substrate for the spatial representation involved in navigation. To investigate the spatial memory in patients with bilateral vestibular failure due to NF2 with bilateral neurectomy, a virtual variant (on a PC) of the Morris water task adapted to humans was used. Significant spatial learning and memory deficits were shown in 12 patients as compared to 10 healthy controls. These data suggest that functional hippocampal deficits manifest due to a chronic lack of vestibular input in these patients. These deficits can even be demonstrated with the subjects stationary, i.e., without any actual vestibular or somatosensory stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig-Maximilians University, 81377 Munich, Germany. schautzer@lkh-vil.or.at
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schautzer
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalla
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strupp
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brandt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011939:Mental Recall; D016518:Neurofibromatosis 2 / Q000150:complications; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013037:Spatial Behavior; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*