[The influence of dorsal neck proprioceptive inputs on vestibular compensation--by three-dimensional analysis of neck-induced nystagmus]. 1999

Y Ohyama
Department of Otolaryngology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo.

The influence of dorsal neck proprioceptive inputs on vestibular compensation was investigated in 21 patients with unilateral vestibular dysfunction. Subjects neither had history of spontaneous nystagmus nor of disequilibrium, indicating that they were in a good compensated stage. However, marked nystagmus was induced by applying vibratory stimulation to the dorsal neck of the patients, using a vibrator with a frequency of 110 Hz. The nystagmus was three-dimensional as analyzed by applying computerized eye movement analysis system. Twelve of 21 patients (57%) demonstrated three components of eye movement. All subjects showed a horizontal component directed towards the contralateral side of the vestibular lesion. Vertical and torsional components of the nystagmus were exhibited by 18 and 14 subjects, respectively. The average percentages of slow phase velocity of the horizontal, vertical and torsional components were 57%, 23% and 20%, respectively. No tendency towards any of the three components was observed. Furthermore, in order to investigate the relation between dorsal neck proprioceptive inputs and vestibular outputs, especially semicircular canal outputs, the author compared the direction of the nystagmus with the orientation of the semicircular canals. Normalized average velocity vectors of the nystagmus were calculated. In most subjects, the velocity vectors of the nystagmus were related to the horizontal semicircular canal. These results suggest that by controlling the neck proprioceptive inputs, neck vibration can cause discompensation in vestibularly well-compensated subjects with unilateral dysfunction secondary to vestibular lesion, and that neck proprioceptive inputs have a great influence on the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex pathways. However, in a few subjects the average vectors of the nystagmus were related to the vertical semicircular canals. This suggests that the proprioceptive inputs may also be related to the vertical vestibulo-ocular reflex pathways.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009333 Neck The part of a human or animal body connecting the HEAD to the rest of the body. Necks
D009759 Nystagmus, Pathologic Involuntary movements of the eye that are divided into two types, jerk and pendular. Jerk nystagmus has a slow phase in one direction followed by a corrective fast phase in the opposite direction, and is usually caused by central or peripheral vestibular dysfunction. Pendular nystagmus features oscillations that are of equal velocity in both directions and this condition is often associated with visual loss early in life. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p272) Convergence Nystagmus,Horizontal Nystagmus,Jerk Nystagmus,Pendular Nystagmus,Periodic Alternating Nystagmus,Rotary Nystagmus,See-Saw Nystagmus,Vertical Nystagmus,Conjugate Nystagmus,Dissociated Nystagmus,Fatigable Positional Nystagmus,Multidirectional Nystagmus,Non-Fatigable Positional Nystagmus,Permanent Nystagmus,Rebound Nystagmus,Retraction Nystagmus,Rotational Nystagmus,Spontaneous Ocular Nystagmus,Symptomatic Nystagmus,Temporary Nystagmus,Unidirectional Nystagmus,Non Fatigable Positional Nystagmus,Nystagmus, Conjugate,Nystagmus, Convergence,Nystagmus, Dissociated,Nystagmus, Fatigable Positional,Nystagmus, Horizontal,Nystagmus, Jerk,Nystagmus, Multidirectional,Nystagmus, Non-Fatigable Positional,Nystagmus, Pendular,Nystagmus, Periodic Alternating,Nystagmus, Permanent,Nystagmus, Rebound,Nystagmus, Retraction,Nystagmus, Rotary,Nystagmus, Rotational,Nystagmus, See-Saw,Nystagmus, Spontaneous Ocular,Nystagmus, Symptomatic,Nystagmus, Temporary,Nystagmus, Unidirectional,Nystagmus, Vertical,Ocular Nystagmus, Spontaneous,Pathologic Nystagmus,Positional Nystagmus, Non-Fatigable,See Saw Nystagmus
D010812 Physical Stimulation Act of eliciting a response from a person or organism through physical contact. Stimulation, Physical,Physical Stimulations,Stimulations, Physical
D011434 Proprioception Sensory functions that transduce stimuli received by proprioceptive receptors in joints, tendons, muscles, and the INNER EAR into neural impulses to be transmitted to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Proprioception provides sense of stationary positions and movements of one's body parts, and is important in maintaining KINESTHESIA and POSTURAL BALANCE. Labyrinthine Sense,Position Sense,Posture Sense,Sense of Equilibrium,Vestibular Sense,Sense of Position,Equilibrium Sense,Sense, Labyrinthine,Sense, Position,Sense, Posture,Sense, Vestibular
D011984 Sensory Receptor Cells Specialized afferent neurons capable of transducing sensory stimuli into NERVE IMPULSES to be transmitted to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Sometimes sensory receptors for external stimuli are called exteroceptors; for internal stimuli are called interoceptors and proprioceptors. Nerve Endings, Sensory,Neurons, Sensory,Neuroreceptors,Receptors, Neural,Neural Receptors,Receptors, Sensory,Sensory Neurons,Sensory Receptors,Nerve Ending, Sensory,Neural Receptor,Neuron, Sensory,Neuroreceptor,Receptor Cell, Sensory,Receptor Cells, Sensory,Receptor, Neural,Receptor, Sensory,Sensory Nerve Ending,Sensory Nerve Endings,Sensory Neuron,Sensory Receptor,Sensory Receptor Cell
D005133 Eye Movements Voluntary or reflex-controlled movements of the eye. Eye Movement,Movement, Eye,Movements, Eye
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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