Assessments of Subjective Visual Gravity and Spontaneous Nystagmus in Patients With Vestibular Neuritis

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the correlation between the spontaneous nystagmus (SN) and the subjective visual vertical/horizontal (SVV/SVH) among patients with vestibular neuritis (VN) at the different head positions.Study DesignCase-control study.SettingAffiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.MethodsThis study evaluated the SVV/SVH in both healthy subjects and patients with VN. These evaluations were performed in 5 different head positions: upright, 45 degrees tilt to the left, 90 degrees tilt to the left, 45 degrees tilt to the right, and 90 degrees tilt to the right. Additionally, the intensity of SN, as measured by slow-phase velocity, was recorded.ResultsIn patients with VN, a significant correlation was observed between SN and SVV/SVH in an upright position. The intensity of SN was higher when the head was tilted 90 degrees toward the affected side compared to other positions. The SVV/SVH displayed an ipsiversive shift, when the head was tilted toward both the lesion and unaffected sides, exhibiting a contraversive direction. Furthermore, the changes in position-induced SN were consistent with the displacements of SVV and SVH caused by head tilt.ConclusionThe presence of SN in patients with VN was observed to vary across different head position. These variations could potentially be attributed to the diverse activation patterns of the mechanical properties of otolith organs that are induced by head tilts.