[The influence of otolithic afferentation on the vestibulo-ocular interaction in the patients presenting with an unilateral lesion in a peripheral vestibular neuron].

The objective of the present work was to study the influence of otolithic afferentation on the vestibulo-ocular interaction in 20 patients with vestibular neuronitis (at the stages of decompensation and subcompensation) and in 30 healthy subjects by the electronystagmographic technique. The sinusoidal (program 1) and eccentric (program 2) rotation was applied with the angular velocity of 10 degrees/s (stimulus 1, rotation rate 0.04 Hz), 30 degrees/s (stimulus II, rotation rate 0.12 Hz), 60 degrees/s (stimulus III) and oscillation periods of 18, 6, and 3 s respectively. No significant changes in the parameters of the vesicular reflex were observed in the patients with vestibular neuronitis and control subjects studied in the phase of decompensation under programs 1 and 2 . The study of the patients presenting with vestibular neuronitis in the subcompensation phase (program 2) revealed a significant increase of nystagmus intensity on the affected side compared with the respective parameters estimated in the framework of program 1 (p<0.001). The enhancement of stimulation did not result in any significant changes in the character of vestibuloocular interactions. The results of the study indicate that otolithic afferentation influences the process of compensation of peripheral vestibular labyrinth dysfunction in the patients presenting with vestibular neuronitis at the stage of decompensation.