title: Ethanol consumption impairs vestibulo-ocular reflex function measured by the video head impulse test and dynamic visual acuity.
abstract: Ethanol affects many parts of the nervous system, from the periphery to higher cognitive functions. Due to the established effects of ethanol on vestibular and oculomotor function, we wished to examine its effect on two new tests of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR): the video head impulse test (vHIT) and dynamic visual acuity (DVA). We tested eight healthy subjects with no history of vestibular disease after consumption of standardized drinks of 40% ethanol. We used a repeated measures design to track vestibular function over multiple rounds of ethanol consumption up to a maximum breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) of 1.38 per mil. All tests were normal at baseline. VOR gain measured by vHIT decreased by 25% at the highest BrAC level tested in each subject. Catch-up saccades were negligible at baseline and increased in number and size with increasing ethanol consumption (from 0.13° to 1.43° cumulative amplitude per trial). DVA scores increased by 86% indicating a deterioration of acuity, while static visual acuity (SVA) remained unchanged. Ethanol consumption systematically impaired the VOR evoked by high-acceleration head impulses and led to a functional loss of visual acuity during head movement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Konrad P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Vincent G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Wettstein
authors.affiliation: Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Guy B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Sally M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rosengren
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefan C A
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hegemann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001944:Breath Tests; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D064087:Head Impulse Test / Q000379:methods*; D019416:Head Movements / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014741:Video Recording; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Ethanol; Saccade; dynamic visual acuity; vestibular; vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR); video head impulse test