title: Can caloric testing evaluate the function of vertical semicircular canals?
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Neither posterior nor superior semicircular canal receives a caloric effect; therefore, caloric testing cannot evaluate the function of vertical semicircular canals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To clarify whether caloric stimulation reaches the posterior and superior semicircular canals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 10 healthy humans. The right ear was stimulated using ice-water. Each subject was kept in a supine position for 40 s and then repositioned to a sitting position until horizontal nystagmus stopped; afterwards, a nose-down position was adopted. Nystagmus was analyzed by three-dimensional video-oculography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the supine position, four subjects revealed a vertical component and five subjects showed a torsional component. In the sitting position, neither a vertical nor a torsional component occurred when the horizontal component stopped. Three subjects revealed a vertical component and four subjects showed a torsional component in the nose-down position.
authors.affiliation: Ichijo Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, Hirosaki, Japan. hiro3387@mvj.biglobe.ne.jp
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ichijo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D002150:Caloric Tests / Q000379:methods*; D004584:Electronystagmography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009760:Nystagmus, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D012665:Semicircular Canals / Q000502:physiology*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D055815:Young Adult