title: Cerebral plasticity in acute vestibular deficit.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of acute vestibular deficit on the cerebral cortex and its correlation with clinical signs and symptoms. Eight right-handed patients affected by vestibular neuritis, a purely peripheral vestibular lesion, underwent two brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 1 month. The first SPECT analysis revealed reduced blood flow in the temporal frontal area of the right hemisphere in seven of eight patients, independent of the right/left location of the lesion. The alteration was present always in the right, non-dominant hemisphere and was reversible in some patients 1 month after the onset, together with attenuation of signs and symptoms. It may be hypothesized that the transient reduction of cortical blood flow and subsequently of cortical activity in the non-dominant hemisphere, also the expression of cerebral plasticity, may serve as a defense mechanism aimed to attenuate the vertigo symptom.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford, 81, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alessandrini
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Belcastro
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ottaviani
authors.forename: Orazio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schillaci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004584:Electronystagmography; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014717:Vertigo / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D020338:Vestibular Neuronitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*