title: Vestibular function after vestibular neuritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure horizontal semicircular canal function over days, weeks, and months after an acute attack of vestibular neuritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The video head impulse test (vHIT) was used to measure the eye movement response to small unpredictable passive head turns at intervals after the attack.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patients diagnosed with acute right unilateral vestibular neuritis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was full restoration of horizontal canal function in one patient (A) as shown by the return of the slow phase eye velocity response to unpredictable head turns, while in the other patient (B) there was little or no recovery of horizontal canal function. Instead this second patient generated covert saccades during head turns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the objective evidence of their very different recovery patterns, both patients reported, at the final test, being happy and feeling well recovered, even though in one of the patients there was clear absence of horizontal canal function. The results indicate covert saccades seem a successful way of compensating for loss of horizontal canal function after unilateral vestibular neuritis. Factors other than recovery of the slow phase eye velocity are significant for patient recovery.
authors.affiliation: * MSA ENT Academy Center , Cassino (FR) , Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manzari
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: MacDougall
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Curthoys
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D064087:Head Impulse Test; D019416:Head Movements; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular; D012438:Saccades; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials; D020338:Vestibular Neuronitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014741:Video Recording
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids