Abstract
In a recent study we demonstrated that otolith input modifies the torsional angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (torVOR) of healthy human subjects: Compared to turntable oscillations in supine position, oscillations in upright position increased the gain of torVOR by 0.1 and cancelled the phase lead originating from low-frequency semicircular canal signals. We asked whether these otolith-related changes of torVOR are still present in patients after vestibular neuritis (VN). Eight patients were sinusoidally oscillated about their naso-occipital axis in supine (canal-only stimulation) and upright (canal-and-otolith stimulation) position. Three-dimensional eye movements were recorded with dual search coils. The patients showed similar otolith-related gain and phase changes of the torVOR as healthy subjects: the gain increased by about 0.1 (p < 0.05) and the low-frequency phase lead from semicircular canal signals was abolished. These results indicate that otolith function after VN is still sufficient to interact with semicircular canal signals to optimize torsional gaze stabilization when the head is upright.