Download PDF
J Am Acad Audiol 2024; 35(05/06): 153-160
DOI: 10.1055/a-2263-8162
Case Report

Upbeating Skull Vibration-Induced Nystagmus in a Case of Bilateral Sequential Superior Branch Vestibular Neuritis

Brady S. Workman
1   Department of Otolaryngology, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston Salem, North Carolina
,
Alan L. Desmond
1   Department of Otolaryngology, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston Salem, North Carolina
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Vestibular neuritis is one of the most common reasons that someone may experience an episode of acute spontaneous vertigo, with the majority cases impacting only one ear. Cases of bilateral vestibular neuritis are rare and are thought to account for less than 10% of all cases of vestibular neuritis. Skull vibration testing is an efficient means to screen for asymmetry in vestibular function but is still in its infancy in clinical use. The ideal assessment methods and the typical patterns of skull vibration-induced nystagmus are relatively well understood; however, the presentation of skull vibration-induced nystagmus in atypical labyrinthine pathology is less clear. Skull vibration typically induces a horizontal nystagmus that beats toward the healthy labyrinth in most instances of significant labyrinthine asymmetry. We pose a case report of a patient that's symptomology and clinical test findings are most consistent with bilateral sequential superior branch vestibular neuritis with an upbeating skull vibration-induced nystagmus.

Keywords

skull vibration-induced nystagmus - vestibular neuritis - dizziness - vertigo

Previous Presentation

This case study was briefly discussed without all the details of the case in a presentation on skull vibration testing to the audiologists in the California branch of Kaiser Permanente in 2022.




Publication History

Received: 12 September 2023

Accepted: 02 February 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
07 February 2024

Article published online:
12 December 2024

© 2024. American Academy of Audiology. This article is published by Thieme.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 

  • References

  • 1 Dumas G, Curthoys IS, Lion A, Perrin P, Schmerber S. The skull vibration induced nystagmus test of vestibular function, a review. Front Neurol 2017; 8 (41) 41
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Von-Bekesy G. Uber akustishe Reizung des Vestibulapparates. Arch. Ges. Physiol. 1935; 236: 59-72
    CrossrefSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Hamann KF, Schuster EM. Vibration-induced nystagmus - a sign of unilateral vestibular deficit. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec 1999; 61 (02) 74-79
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Lücke K. [A vibratory stimulus of 100 Hz for provoking pathological nystagmus (author's transl)]. Z Laryngol Rhinol Otol Ihre Grenzgeb 1973; 52 (10) 716-720
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 5 Curthoys IS. The neural basis of skull vibration induced nystagmus (SVIN). Audiology Res 2021; 11 (04) 557-566
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Ohki M, Murofushi T, Nakahara H, Sugasawa K. Vibration-induced nystagmus in patients with vestibular disorders. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003; 129 (03) 255-258
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Zhang Y, Soper J, Lohse CM, Eggers SDZ, Kaufman KR, McCaslin DL. Agreement between the skull vibration-induced nystagmus test and semicircular canal and otolith asymmetry. J Am Acad Audiol 2021; 32 (05) 283-289
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Xie S, Guo J, Wu Z. et al. Vibration-induced nystagmus in patients with unilateral peripheral vestibular disorders. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2013; 65 (04) 333-338
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Fabre C, Tan H, Dumas G, Giraud L, Perrin P, Schmerber S. Skull vibration induced nystagmus test: correlations with semicircular canal and otolith asymmetries. Audiology Res 2021; 11 (04) 618-628
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 Kim HJ, Lee JO, Choi JY, Kim JS. Etiologic distribution of dizziness and vertigo in a referral-based dizziness clinic in South Korea. J Neurol 2020; 267 (08) 2252-2259
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Neuhauser HK, Lempert T. Vertigo: epidemiologic aspects. Semin Neurol 2009; 29 (05) 473-481
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Yacovino DA, Zanotti E, Cherchi M. The spectrum of acute vestibular neuropathy through modern vestibular testing: a descriptive analysis. Clin Neurophysiol Pract 2021; 6: 137-145
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Büki B, Hanschek M, Jünger H. Vestibular neuritis: involvement and long-term recovery of individual semicircular canals. Auris Nasus Larynx 2017; 44 (03) 288-293
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Magliulo G, Iannella G, Gagliardi S, Re M. A 1-year follow-up study with C-VEMPs, O-VEMPs and video head impulse testing in vestibular neuritis. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2015; 272 (11) 3277-3281
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Taylor RL, McGarvie LA, Reid N, Young AS, Halmagyi GM, Welgampola MS. Vestibular neuritis affects both superior and inferior vestibular nerves. Neurology 2016; 87 (16) 1704-1712
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Navari E, Casani AP. Lesion patterns and possible implications for recovery in acute unilateral vestibulopathy. Otol Neurotol 2020; 41 (02) e250-e255
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 Manzari L, Burgess AM, Curthoys IS. Effect of bone-conducted vibration of the midline forehead (Fz) in unilateral vestibular loss (uVL). Evidence for a new indicator of unilateral otolithic function. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 2010; 30 (04) 175
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 Kim Y, Jin S, Kim JS, Koo JW. Bechterew's phenomenon in bilateral sequential vestibular neuritis: a report of two cases. Front Neurol 2022; 13: 844676
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Karlberg M, Aw ST, Black RA, Todd MJ, MacDougall HG, Halmagyi GM. Vibration-induced ocular torsion and nystagmus after unilateral vestibular deafferentation. Brain 2003; 126 (Pt 4): 956-964
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Sandhu JS, George SR, Rea PA. The effect of electrode positioning on the ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential to air-conducted sound. Clin Neurophysiol 2013; 124 (06) 1232-1236
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 21 Makowiec K, McCaslin DL, Jacobson GP, Hatton K, Lee J. Effect of electrode montage and head position on air-conducted ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential. Am J Audiol 2017; 26 (02) 180-188
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Murnane OD, Akin FW, Lynn SG, Cyr DG. Monothermal caloric screening test performance: a relative operating characteristic curve analysis. Ear Hear 2009; 30 (03) 313-319
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Fujimoto C, Kawahara T, Yagi M, Murofushi T. Association between vestibular dysfunction and findings of horizontal head-shaking and vibration-induced nystagmus. J Vestib Res 2020; 30 (05) 319-327
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Matos R, Navarro M, Pérez-Guillén V, Pérez-Garrigues H. The role of vertical semicircular canal function in the vertical component of skull vibration-induced nystagmus. Acta Otolaryngol 2020; 140 (08) 639-645
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar