Bohler A, Mandala M, Ramat S
Upper Austria University for Applied Sciences, Linz, Austria.
Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2010;2010:6615-8. doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2010.5627138.
The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) uses head angular acceleration information transduced by the semicircular canals in the inner ear in order to drive eye movements that compensate for head rotations, and thus stabilize the visual scene on the retina. Peripheral and central vestibular pathologies may impair the function of the VOR, so that compensation becomes incomplete, making clear vision during head movement impossible. Powerful adaptive mechanisms quickly allow the central nervous system to use residual vestibular information or information provided through other senses to supplement the deficient VOR. Such recovery makes the clinical diagnosis difficult to classical testing techniques, yet the head impulse test allows to reveal vestibular deficits even in adapted patients. A compensatory saccade at the end of the head movement is the clinical sign of a vestibular deficit, and may be spotted by the experienced clinician. Here we describe the rationale and the software program driving a new computerized technique for reliably assessing vestibular function at different head angular accelerations, based on evaluating the ability of the patient in reading a character on the screen while the head is being rotated.
前庭眼反射（VOR）利用内耳半规管转导的头部角加速度信息来驱动眼球运动，以补偿头部旋转，从而稳定视网膜上的视觉场景。外周和中枢前庭病变可能损害VOR的功能，导致补偿不完全，使得头部运动时无法清晰视物。强大的适应性机制能迅速让中枢神经系统利用残余的前庭信息或通过其他感官提供的信息来补充不足的VOR。这种恢复使得传统检测技术难以进行临床诊断，然而，头部脉冲试验即使在适应性患者中也能揭示前庭缺陷。头部运动结束时的代偿性扫视是前庭缺陷的临床体征，经验丰富的临床医生可能会发现。在此，我们描述了一种新的计算机化技术的原理和驱动软件程序，该技术基于评估患者在头部旋转时阅读屏幕上字符的能力，来可靠地评估不同头部角加速度下的前庭功能。
