New insights into vestibular-saccade interaction based on covert corrective saccades in patients with unilateral vestibular deficits

Catch-Up Saccades in Vestibular Hypofunction: A Contribution of the Cerebellum?

Long-term deficits of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) elicited by head rotation can be partially compensated by catch-up saccades (CuS). These saccades are initially visually guided, but their latency can greatly decrease resulting in short latency CuS (SL-CuS). It is still unclear what triggers these CuS and what are the underlying neural circuits. In this study, we aimed at evaluating the impact of cerebellar pathology on CuS by comparing their characteristics between two groups of patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction, with or without additional cerebellar dysfunction. We recruited 12 patients with both bilateral vestibular hypofunction and cerebellar dysfunction (BVH-CD group) and 12 patients with isolated bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH group). Both groups were matched for age and residual VOR gain. Subjects underwent video head impulse test recording of the horizontal semicircular canals responses as well as recording of visually guided saccades in the step, gap, and overlap paradigms. Latency and gain of the different saccades were calculated. The mean age for BVH-CD and BVH was, respectively, 67.8 and 67.2 years, and the mean residual VOR gain was, respectively, 0.24 and 0.26. The mean latency of the first catch-up saccade was significantly longer for the BVH-CD group than that for the BVH group (204 ms vs 145 ms, p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the latency of visually guided saccades between the two groups, for none of the three paradigms. The gain of covert saccades tended to be lower in the BVH-CD group than in BVH group (t test; p = 0.06). The mean gain of the 12° or 20° visually guided saccades were not different in both groups. Our results suggest that the cerebellum plays a role in the generation of compensatory SL-CuS observed in BVH patients.

Effects of pupil size in video head-impulse tests

The results of video head impulse tests (video-HITs) may be confounded by data artifacts of various origins, including pupil size and eyelid obstruction of the pupil. This study aimed to determine the effect of these factors on the results of video-HITs. We simulated ptosis by adopting pharmacological dilatation of the pupil in 21 healthy participants (11 women; age 24-58 years). Each participant underwent video-HITs before and after pupillary dilatation using 0.5% tropicamide. We assessed the changes in the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain, corrective saccade amplitude, and frequency of eyelid flicks. After pupillary dilatation, the VOR gain decreased for both right (RAC; 1.12 [Formula: see text] 0.12 vs. 1.01 [Formula: see text] 0.16, p = 0.011) and left anterior canals (LACs; 1.15 [Formula: see text] 0.13 vs. 0.96 [Formula: see text] 0.14, p < 0.001), and right posterior canal (RPC, 1.10 [Formula: see text] 0.13 vs. 0.98 [Formula: see text] 0.09, p = 0.001). The corrective saccade amplitudes also decreased significantly for all four vertical canals. The frequency of eyelid flicks, however, did not change. The changes of VOR gain were positively correlated with the lid excursion in RPC (r = 0.629, p = 0.002) and LPC (r = 0.549, p = 0.010). Our study indicates that eyelid position and pupil size should be considered when interpreting the results of video-HITs, especially for the vertical canals. Pupils should be shrunk in a very well-lit room, and artifacts should be prevented by taping or lifting the eyelids as required during video-HITs.

Compensatory saccade in the vestibular impaired monkey

Introduction

Loss of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) affects visual acuity during head movements. Patients with unilateral and bilateral vestibular deficits often use saccadic eye movements to compensate for an inadequate VOR. Two types of compensatory saccades have been distinguished, covert saccades and overt saccades. Covert saccades occur during head rotation, whereas overt saccades occur after the head has stopped moving. The generation of covert saccades is part of a central vestibular compensation process that improves visual acuity and suppresses oscillopsia. Understanding the covert saccade mechanism may facilitate vestibular rehabilitation strategies that can improve the patient's quality of life. To understand the brain mechanisms underlying covert saccades at the neural level, studies in an animal model are necessary. In this study, we employed non-human primates whose vestibular end organs are injured.

Methods

We examined eye movement during the head-impulse test, which is a clinical test to evaluate the vestibulo-ocular reflex. During this test, the monkeys are required to fixate on a target and the head is rapidly and unexpectedly rotated to stimulate the horizontal semi-circular canals.

Results

Similar to human subjects, monkeys made compensatory saccades. We compared these saccades with catch-up saccades following a moving target that simulates the visual conditions during the head impulse test. The shortest latency of the catch-up saccades was 250 ms, which indicates that it requires at least 250 ms to induce saccades by a visual signal. The latency of some compensatory saccades is shorter than 250 ms during the head impulse test, suggesting that such short latency compensatory saccades were not induced visually. The peak velocity of the short latency saccades was significantly lower than that of longer latency saccades. The peak velocity of these longer latency saccades was closer to that of visually guided saccades induced by a stepping target.

Conclusion

These results are consistent with studies in human patients. Thus, this study demonstrates, for the first time, compensatory covert saccades in vestibular impaired monkeys.

Virtual reality set-up for studying vestibular function during head impulse test

Objectives

Virtual reality (VR) offers an ecological setting and the possibility of altered visual feedback during head movements useful for vestibular research and treatment of vestibular disorders. There is however no data quantifying vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) during head impulse test (HIT) in VR. The main objective of this study is to assess the feasibility and performance of eye and head movement measurements of healthy subjects in a VR environment during high velocity horizontal head rotation (VR-HIT) under a normal visual feedback condition. The secondary objective is to establish the feasibility of VR-HIT recordings in the same group of normal subjects but under altered visual feedback conditions.

Design

Twelve healthy subjects underwent video HIT using both a standard setup (vHIT) and VR-HIT. In VR, eye and head positions were recorded by using, respectively, an imbedded eye tracker and an infrared motion tracker. Subjects were tested under four conditions, one reproducing normal visual feedback and three simulating an altered gain or direction of visual feedback. During these three altered conditions the movement of the visual scene relative to the head movement was decreased in amplitude by 50% (half), was nullified (freeze) or was inverted in direction (inverse).

Results

Eye and head motion recording during normal visual feedback as well as during all 3 altered conditions was successful. There was no significant difference in VOR gain in VR-HIT between normal, half, freeze and inverse conditions. In the normal condition, VOR gain was significantly but slightly (by 3%) different for VR-HIT and vHIT. Duration and amplitude of head impulses were significantly greater in VR-HIT than in vHIT. In all three altered VR-HIT conditions, covert saccades were present in approximatively one out of four trials.

Conclusion

Our VR setup allowed high quality recording of eye and head data during head impulse test under normal and altered visual feedback conditions. This setup could be used to investigate compensation mechanisms in vestibular hypofunction, to elicit adaptation of VOR in ecological settings or to allow objective evaluation of VR-based vestibular rehabilitation.

Corrective saccades in acute vestibular neuritis: studying the role of prediction with automated passively induced head impulses

When the demands for visual stabilization during head rotations overwhelm the ability of the vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) to produce compensatory eye movements, the brain produces corrective saccades that bring gaze toward the fixation target, even without visual cues (covert saccades). What triggers covert saccades and what might be the role of prediction in their generation are unknown. We studied 14 subjects with acute vestibular neuritis. To minimize variability of the stimulus, head impulses were imposed with a motorized torque generator with the subject on a bite bar. Predictable and unpredictable (timing, amplitude, direction) stimuli were compared. Distributions of covert corrective saccade latencies were analyzed with a "LATER" (linear approach to threshold with ergodic rate) approach. On the affected side, VOR gain was higher (0.47 ± 0.28 vs. 0.39 ± 0.22, P ≪ 0.001) with predictable than unpredictable head impulses, and gaze error at the end of the head movement was less (5.4 ± 3.3° vs. 6.9 ± 3.3°, P ≪ 0.001). Analyzing trials with covert saccades, gaze error at saccade end was significantly less with predictable than unpredictable head impulses (4.2 ± 2.8° vs. 5.5 ± 3.2°, P ≪ 0.001). Furthermore, covert corrective saccades occurred earlier with predictable than unpredictable head impulses (140 ± 37 vs. 153 ± 37 ms, P ≪ 0.001). Using a LATER analysis with reciprobit plots, we were able to divide covert corrective saccades into two classes, early and late, with a break point in the range of 88-98 ms. We hypothesized two rise-to-threshold decision mechanisms for triggering early and late covert corrective saccades, with the first being most engaged when stimuli are predictable.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We successfully used a LATER (linear approach to threshold with ergodic rate) analysis of the latencies of corrective saccades in patients with acute vestibular neuritis. We found two types of covert saccades: early (<90 ms) and late (>90 ms) covert saccades. Predictability led to an increase in VOR gain and a decrease in saccade latency.

Presence of corrective saccades in patients with normal vestibulo-ocular reflex gain in video head impulse test

Background

The video head impulse test (vHIT) is a valuable clinical tool that can help identify dysfunction of the semicircular canals. While in cases with semicircular canal dysfunction, both decreased vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain and corrective saccades (CS) are usually observed, there are cases which show CS despite normal VOR gain in vHIT.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients who showed CS with normal VOR gain in vHIT.

Materials and methods

Among 390 patients who underwent vHIT, 51 patients (20 males and 31 females, age 31-87 years, average 61.3 years old) who showed CS with normal VOR gain unilaterally during horizontal vHIT were included. All patients had normal vHIT (normal VOR gain and absent CS) on the contralateral side.The VOR gain of vHIT, the maximum slow phase velocity in the caloric test, and the amplitude of cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs and oVEMPs) were analyzed.

Results

The VOR gain on the affected side (0.95 ± 0.08) was significantly smaller than that on the contralateral side (1.03 ± 0.13) in horizontal vHIT (p < 0.001). The maximum slow phase velocity in the caloric test on the affected side (17.9 ± 17.8 degrees/s) was significantly smaller than that on the contralateral side (21.3 ± 16.6 degrees/s, p = 0.020). There were no significant differences in the amplitude of cVEMPs or oVEMPs between the affected side and the contralateral side (p = 0.096 for cVEMP; p = 0.770 for oVEMP).

Conclusion

The side that showed CS with normal VOR gain in horizontal vHIT showed significantly smaller VOR gain as well as smaller caloric responses compared to the contralateral side. Having CS with normal VOR gain could be a sensitive indicator of mild dysfunction of the semicircular canals.

Unique compensatory oculomotor behavior in people living with multiple sclerosis

INTRODUCTION

Globally, there are 3 million people living with multiple sclerosis (PLW-MS). A large proportion of PLW-MS have abnormal vestibular function tests that suggest central vestibular lesions. Yet, data regarding vestibular-ocular control in PLW-MS is limited. Thus, we aimed to further characterize compensatory saccade (CS) behavior in PLW-MS.

METHODS

We analyzed video head impulse data from four groups of six age- and sex-matched adults: people living with mild MS (PLW-mild-MS, people living with moderate MS (PLW-moderate-MS), people living with unilateral vestibular deafferentation (PLW-UVD), and healthy controls (HC).

RESULTS

PLW-moderate-MS had lower lateral canal vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain bilaterally compared to PLW-mild MS (p < 0.001), HC (p < 0.001), and PLW-UVD (p < 0.001). CS frequency was higher for impulses towards the less affected side in PLW-moderate-MS versus the more (p = 0.01) and less (p < 0.001) affected sides in PLW-mild-MS. CS latency was shorter (p < 0.001) and CS peak velocity was lower (p < 0.001) with impulses towards the more affected side versus the less affected side in PLW-moderate-MS. However, CS peak velocity with impulses towards each side was similar in PLW-mild-MS (p = 0.12). Gaze position error (GPE) was larger after impulses towards the more affected side versus the less affected side in PLW-moderate-MS (p < 0.001) and PLW-mild-MS (p < 0.001). MS-related disability was moderately associated with VOR gain (p < 0.001) and GPE (p < 0.001). Additionally, we identified micro-saccades and position correcting saccades that were uniquely employed by PLW-MS as compensatory gaze stabilizing strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

In PLW-MS, the characteristics of compensatory oculomotor behavior depend on the extent of residual VOR gain.

Greater Disability Is Associated with Worse Vestibular and Compensatory Oculomotor Functions in People Living with Multiple Sclerosis

Globally, there are nearly three million people living with multiple sclerosis (PLW-MS). Many PLW-MS experience vertigo and have signs of vestibular dysfunction, e.g., low vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gains or the presence of compensatory saccades (CSs), on video head impulse testing (vHIT). We examined whether the vestibular function and compensatory oculomotor behaviors in PLW-MS differed based on the level of MS-related disability. The VOR gain, CS frequency and latency, and gaze position error (GPE) were calculated from the individual traces obtained during six-canal vHIT for 37 PLW-MS (mean age 53.4 ± 12.4 years-old, 28 females) with vertigo and/or an imbalance. The subjects were grouped by their Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores: PLW-min-MS (EDSS = 1.0-2.5, n = 8), PLW-mild-MS (EDSS = 3.0-4.5, n = 23), and PLW-moderate-MS (EDSS = 5.0-6.0, n = 6). The between-group differences were assessed with Kruskal-Wallis tests. The VOR gains for most of the canals were higher for PLW-min-MS compared to PLW-mild- and mod-MS, respectively. CS occurred less often in PLW-min-MS versus PLW-mild- and mod-MS, respectively. No clear trend in CS latency was found. The GPE was often lower for PLW-min-MS compared to PLW-mild- and mod-MS, respectively. Thus, our data demonstrate that worse VOR and compensatory oculomotor functions are associated with a greater MS-related disability. PLW-MS may benefit from personalized vestibular physical therapy.

Compensatory saccades differ between those with vestibular hypofunction and multiple sclerosis pointing to unique roles for peripheral and central vestibular inputs

Individuals with peripheral or central vestibular dysfunction recruit compensatory saccades (CSs) in response to high acceleration, yaw head impulses. Although CSs have been shown to be an effective strategy for reducing gaze position error (GPE) in individuals with peripheral hypofunction, for individuals with central vestibular dysfunction, the effectiveness of CS is unknown. The purpose of our study was to compare the effectiveness of CS, defined as the ability to compensate for head velocity and eye position errors, between persons with central and peripheral vestibular dysfunction. We compared oculomotor responses during video head impulse testing between individuals with unilateral peripheral vestibular deafferentation, a disorder of the peripheral vestibular afferents, and individuals with multiple sclerosis, a condition affecting the central vestibular pathways. We hypothesized that relative to individuals with peripheral lesions, individuals with central dysfunction would recruit CSs that were delayed and inappropriately scaled to head velocity and GPE. We show that CSs recruited by persons with central vestibular pathology were not uniformly deficient but instead were of a sufficient velocity to compensate for reductions in VOR gain. Compared to those with peripheral vestibular lesions, individuals with central pathology also recruited earlier covert CS with amplitudes that were better corrected for GPE. Conversely, those with central lesions showed greater variability in the amplitude of overt CS relative to GPE. These data point to a unique role for peripheral and central vestibular inputs in the recruitment of CS and suggest that covert CSs are an effective oculomotor strategy for individuals with multiple sclerosis.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Compensatory saccades (CSs) are recruited by individuals with unilateral vestibular deafferentation (UVD) to compensate for an impaired vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). The effectiveness of CS in multiple sclerosis (MS), a central vestibular impairment, is unknown. We show that in UVD and in MS, covert CSs compensate for reduced VOR gain and minimize gaze position error (GPE), yet in >50% of individuals with MS, overt CS worsened GPE, suggesting unique roles for peripheral and central vestibular inputs.

The Role of Neck Input in Producing Corrective Saccades in the Head Impulse Test

Background

The head impulse test is a valuable clinical test that can help identify peripheral vestibular dysfunction by observing corrective saccades that return the eyes to the target of interest. Corrective saccades have been classified as covert if the onset occurs before the end of the head impulse and as overt if they occur afterwards. However, the mechanism that trigger these saccades remain unclear.

Objective

The objective of this study was to examine the role of neck input in generating overt as well as covert saccades.

Methods

Sixteen patients (9 males and 7 females: age 35-80 years, average 62.7 years old) who showed corrective saccades during the head impulse test were included. Twelve patients had unilateral vestibular dysfunction, and 4 patients had bilateral vestibular dysfunction. Patients underwent both the head impulse test (HIT) and the body impulse test (BIT) in a randomized order. While the head is rotated horizontally in HIT, the body is rotated horizontally in BIT. During BIT, the neck is fixed by a cervical collar (neck lock extrication collar) to reduce somatosensory input from the neck. The head movements and eye movements were recorded and analyzed by the video HIT recording system.

Results

In all 16 patients, corrective saccades were observed in HIT as well as in BIT. While there were no significant differences in peak head velocities between HIT and BIT (p = 0.33, paired t-test), the VOR gain in BIT was significantly smaller than that in HIT (p = 0.011, paired t-test). The number of overt saccades per trial in BIT was significantly decreased compared to that in HIT (p < 0.001, paired t-test) whereas there were no significant differences in the number of covert saccades between the two tests. The proportion of overt saccades among all corrective saccades in BIT was significantly lower than the proportion in HIT (p < 0.001, paired t-test).

Conclusions

Somatosensory input from the neck contributes to the generation of overt saccades and reinforces the vestibulo-ocular reflex complementing the retinal slip during high frequency head movements.

Short-Latency Covert Saccades - The Explanation for Good Dynamic Visual Performance After Unilateral Vestibular Loss?

Background: Functional head impulse test (fHIT) tests the ability of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) to allow visual perception during head movements. Our previous study showed that active head movements to the side with a vestibular lesion generated a dynamic visual performance that were as good as during movements to the intact side. Objective: To examine the differences in eye position during the head impulse test when performed with active and passive head movements, in order to better understand the role of the different saccade properties in improving visual performance. Method: We recruited 8 subjects with complete unilateral vestibular loss (4 men and 4 women, mean age 47 years) and tested them with video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) and Functional Head Impulse Test (fHIT) during passive and active movements while looking at a target. We assessed the mean absolute position error of the eye during different time frames of the head movement, the peak latency and the peak velocity of the first saccade, as well as the visual performance during the head movement. Results: Active head impulses to the lesioned side generated dynamic visual performances that were as good as when testing the intact side. Active head impulses resulted in smaller position errors during the visual perception task (p = 0.006) compared to passive head-impulses and the position error during the visual perception time frame correlated with shorter latencies of the first saccade (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Actively generated head impulses toward the side with a complete vestibular loss resulted in a position error within or close to the margin necessary to obtain visual perception for a brief period of time in patients with chronic unilateral vestibular loss. This seems to be attributed to the appearance of short-latency covert saccades, which position the eyes in a more favorable position during head movements.

Changes in Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Gain After Surgical Plugging of Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD), which is characterized by a “third mobile window” in the inner ear, causes various vestibular and auditory symptoms and signs. Surgical plugging of the superior semicircular canal (SC) can eliminate the symptoms associated with increased perilymph mobility due to the presence of the third window. However, the natural course of vestibular function after surgical plugging remains unknown. Therefore, we explored longitudinal vestibular function after surgery in 11 subjects with SCD who underwent SC plugging using the middle cranial fossa approach. Changes in vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain in all planes were measured over 1 year with the video head impulse test. We also evaluated surgical outcomes, including changes in symptoms, audiometric results, and electrophysiological tests, to assess whether plugging eliminated third mobile window effects. The mean VOR gain for the plugged SC decreased from 0.81 ± 0.05 before surgery to 0.65 ± 0.08 on examinations performed within 1 week after surgery but normalized thereafter. Four of seven subjects who were able to perform both VOR tests before surgery and immediately after surgery had pathologic values (SC VOR gain < 0.70). Conversely, the mean VOR gain in the other canals remained unchanged over 1 year. The majority of symptoms and signs were absent or markedly decreased at the last follow-up evaluation, and no complications associated with the surgery were reported. Surgical plugging significantly attenuated the air-bone gap, in particular at low frequencies, because of increased bone conduction thresholds and deceased air conduction thresholds. Moreover, surgical plugging significantly increased vestibular-evoked myogenic potential thresholds and decreased the ratio of summating potential to action potential in plugged ears. Postoperative heavily T2-weighted images were available for two subjects and showed complete obliteration of the T2-bright signal intensity in the patent SC lumen in preoperative imaging based on filling defect at the site of plugging. Our results suggest that successful plugging of dehiscent SCs is closely associated with a transient, rather than persistent, disturbance of labyrinthine activity exclusively involved in plugged SCs, which may have clinical implications for timely and individualized vestibular rehabilitation.

Evidence a shared mechanism mediates ipsi- and contralesional compensatory saccades and gait after unilateral vestibular deafferentation

The study objective was to understand how the contralesional labyrinth contributes to gaze and gait stability after unilateral vestibular deafferentation (UVD). Head impulse testing (vHIT) was completed in 37 individuals [22 women (59%); age 52.13 ± 11.59 yr, mean ± SD] with UVD from vestibular schwannoma resection. Compensatory saccades (CS) and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain were analyzed for both ipsilesional and contralesional impulses. Gait speed (10-m walk test) and endurance (2-min walk test) were collected for 35 individuals. CS were recruited during contralesional head rotation regardless of VOR gain on either the ipsilesional [ρ = 0.21 (−0.14, 0.57); Spearman rank (95% confidence interval)] or contralesional side [ρ = −0.04 (−0.42, 0.35)]. Additionally, the latency of these CS (151.19 ± 52.41 ms) was similar to that of CS generated during ipsilesional rotation (165.65 ± 21.62 ms; P = 0.159). CS recruited during ipsilesional vHIT were of a higher velocity ( P < 0.001) and greater frequency ( P < 0.001) compared with contralesional CS. VOR gain asymmetry was significantly correlated with gait speed [ρ = −0.37 (−0.73, −0.01)], yet individual VOR gain was not correlated [ipsilesional: ρ = 0.17 (−0.20, 0.55); contralesional: ρ = −0.18 (−0.52, 0.15)]. Our data reveal CS are recruited at similar latencies without correlation to VOR gain or direction of head rotation, and that the central integration of ipsilesional and contralesional vestibular afference correlates with gait. Together, our data suggest the brain considers vestibular afference from both sides when generating related behavioral output after UVD.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY After unilateral vestibular deafferentation, compensatory saccades (CS) have similar latencies regardless of the direction of head rotation, and those CS generated during contralesional head rotation are unrelated to extent of vestibular loss. Additionally, the extent of asymmetry in residual vestibular function, not the extent of vestibular loss, correlates with gait speed. Our data suggest a common mechanism is responsible for the generation of CS and restoration of gait speed in vestibular compensation.

Head impulse compensatory saccades: Visual dependence is most evident in bilateral vestibular loss

The normal vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) generates almost perfectly compensatory smooth eye movements during a 'head-impulse' rotation. An imperfect VOR gain provokes additional compensatory saccades to re-acquire an earth-fixed target. In the present study, we investigated vestibular and visual contributions on saccade production. Eye position and velocity during horizontal and vertical canal-plane head-impulses were recorded in the light and dark from 16 controls, 22 subjects after complete surgical unilateral vestibular deafferentation (UVD), eight subjects with idiopathic bilateral vestibular loss (BVL), and one subject after complete bilateral vestibular deafferentation (BVD). When impulses were delivered in the horizontal-canal plane, in complete darkness compared with light, first saccade frequency mean(SEM) reduced from 96.6(1.3)-62.3(8.9) % in BVL but only 98.3(0.6)-92.0(2.3) % in UVD; saccade amplitudes reduced from 7.0(0.5)-3.6(0.4) ° in BVL but were unchanged 6.2(0.3)-5.5(0.6) ° in UVD. In the dark, saccade latencies were prolonged in lesioned ears, from 168(8.4)-240(24.5) ms in BVL and 177(5.2)-196(5.7) ms in UVD; saccades became less clustered. In BVD, saccades were not completely abolished in the dark, but their amplitudes decreased from 7.3-3.0 ° and latencies became more variable. For unlesioned ears (controls and unlesioned ears of UVD), saccade frequency also reduced in the dark, but their small amplitudes slightly increased, while latency and clustering remained unchanged. First and second saccade frequencies were 75.3(4.5) % and 20.3(4.1) %; without visual fixation they dropped to 32.2(5.0) % and 3.8(1.2) %. The VOR gain was affected by vision only in unlesioned ears of UVD; gains for the horizontal-plane rose slightly, and the vertical-planes reduced slightly. All head-impulse compensatory saccades have a visual contribution, the magnitude of which depends on the symmetry of vestibular-function and saccade latency: BVL is more profoundly affected by vision than UVD, and second saccades more than first saccades. Saccades after UVD are probably triggered by contralateral vestibular function.

The functional head impulse test: Comparing gain and percentage of correct answers

OBJECTIVES

The video head impulse test (vHIT) provides as output a gain value that summarizes the behavior of the vestibulo-ocular reflex as the ratio of a measure of eye movement to the corresponding measure of head movement and is not directly informative of the functional effectiveness of the motor response. The functional HIT (fHIT) is based on the ability to recognize the orientation of a Landolt C optotype that briefly appears on a computer screen during passive head impulses imposed by the examiner over a range of head accelerations; accordingly fHIT is a functional measurement of the vestibular-ocular reflex since it measures the capability to keep clear vision and to read during head movement.

METHODS

We compared the results of the fHIT with those of the vHIT and the results of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire in a group of 27 vestibular neuritis patients recorded acutely and at 3-months follow-up.

RESULTS

Both the vHIT and fHIT exams correctly classified all patients as abnormal on the affected side when tested in the acute phase. After a 3-month follow-up, both were able to show that compensation phenomena had occurred. Otherwise the data from the two techniques were not correlated. More specifically, the fHIT detected more abnormalities than the vHIT, for head rotation toward the healthy side, both in the acute phase and after 3 months, and for head rotation toward the affected side after 3 months. The asymmetry indices, that compare the performance of the healthy to the affected side, also were larger for the fHIT than for the vHIT both at onset and after 3 months. There was no significant correlation between the different vHIT and fHIT parameters and indices, or with the DHI values after 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The fHIT data are able to detect a difference between the healthy and the affected side in the acute phase, and they show an improvement after 3 months. fHIT detects more abnormalities than vHIT, but both these techniques lack a correlation with the DHI score.

Vestibulo-Ocular Responses and Dynamic Visual Acuity During Horizontal Rotation and Translation

Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) provides an overall functional measure of visual stabilization performance that depends on the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), but also on other processes, including catch-up saccades and likely visual motion processing. Capturing the efficiency of gaze stabilization against head movement as a whole, it is potentially valuable in the clinical context where assessment of overall patient performance provides an important indication of factors impacting patient participation and quality of life. DVA during head rotation (rDVA) has been assessed previously, but to our knowledge, DVA during horizontal translation (tDVA) has not been measured. tDVA can provide a valuable measure of how otolith, rather than canal, function impacts visual acuity. In addition, comparison of DVA during rotation and translation can shed light on whether common factors are limiting DVA performance in both cases. We therefore measured and compared DVA during both passive head rotations (head impulse test) and translations in the same set of healthy subjects (n = 7). In addition to DVA, we computed average VOR gain and retinal slip within and across subjects. We observed that during translation, VOR gain was reduced (VOR during rotation, mean ± SD: position gain = 1.05 ± 0.04, velocity gain = 0.97 ± 0.07; VOR during translation, mean ± SD: position gain = 0.21 ± 0.08, velocity gain = 0.51 ± 0.16), retinal slip was increased, and tDVA was worse than during rotation (average rDVA = 0.32 ± 0.15 logMAR; average tDVA = 0.56 ± 0.09 logMAR, p = 0.02). This suggests that reduced VOR gain leads to worse tDVA, as expected. We conclude with speculation about non-oculomotor factors that could vary across individuals and affect performance similarly during both rotation and translation.

Visual Performance and Perception as a Target of Saccadic Strategies in Patients With Unilateral Vestibular Loss

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the ability of saccadic strategies developed during vestibular compensation to reduce the effect of an impaired vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) on a retinal smear and image motion sensation.

DESIGN

Twenty patients with unilateral vestibular loss were examined with a video head impulse test before and after vestibular rehabilitation (VR) with the use of gaze stabilization and refixation saccades training. Head and eye velocity functions were processed to infer the retinal eccentricity, and through its correlation with visual acuity (VA), several measurements are proposed to evaluate the influence of VR on saccades behavior and visual performance. To isolate the effect of saccades on the findings and avoid bias because of gain differences, only patients whose VOR gain values remained unchanged after VR were included.

RESULTS

Improved contribution of covert saccades and reduction of overt saccades latency were measured after VR. We found significant differences when assessing both the interval less than 70% VA (50.25 ms), which is considered the limit of a moderate low vision, and less than 50% VA (39.515 ms), which is the limit for severe low vision. Time to recover a VA of 75% (near normal) was reduced in all the patients (median: 56.472 ms).

CONCLUSION

Despite the absence of VOR gain improvement, patients with unilateral vestibular loss are able to develop saccadic strategies that allow the shortening of the interval of retinal smear and image motion. The proposed measurements might be of use to evaluate VR outcomes and visually induced impairment.

Visual Input Is the Main Trigger and Parametric Determinant for Catch-Up Saccades During Video Head Impulse Test in Bilateral Vestibular Loss

Patients with vestibular deficit use slow eye movements or catch-up saccades (CUS) to compensate for impaired vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). The purpose of CUS is to bring the eyes back to the visual target. Covert CUS occur during high-velocity head rotation and overt CUS are generated after head rotation has stopped. Dynamic visual acuity is improved with an increased rate and gain of CUS. Nevertheless, the trigger and the parametric determinants of CUS are still under debate. To clarify the underlying mechanism, especially the visual contribution, we analyzed the number, amplitude and latencies of the CUS in relation with the extent of VOR deficiency. The head and eye movements were recorded in 17 patients with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL) and in 33 subjects with normal VOR gain using the Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) in two conditions: with visible target and in darkness with an imaginary target. Our study shows that in darkness without visible target the number of CUS is significantly reduced and the relationship between the amplitude of CUS and gaze position error is lost. Results showed that there is a correlation between the number of CUS and the drop in VOR gain. CUS occurring during the head movement and when the head remained still were not always sufficiently accurate. Up to four consecutive CUS could be required to bring eyes back to the visible target. A positive correlation was found between the amplitude of overt saccades with visible target and the gaze position error, namely the remaining eye movement to reach the target. These results suggest that the visual inputs are the main trigger and parametric determinant of the CUS or at least the presence of a visual target is necessary in most cases for a CUS to occur.

Functional Head Impulse Testing Might Be Useful for Assessing Vestibular Compensation After Unilateral Vestibular Loss

Background: Loss of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) affects visual acuity during head movements. Previous studies have shown that compensatory eye-saccades improve visual acuity and that the timing of the saccade is important. Most of the tests involved in testing VOR are made with passive head movement, that do not necessarily reflect the activities of daily living and thus not being proportionate to symptoms and distresses of the patients. Objective: To examine differences between active (self-generated) or passive (imposed by the examiner) head rotations while trying to maintain visual focus on a target. Method: Nine subjects with unilateral total vestibular loss were recruited (4 men and 5 women, mean age 47) and tested with video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) and Head Impulse Testing Device-Functional Test (HITD-FT) during passive and active movements while looking at a target. VOR gain, latencies of covert saccades, frequency of covert saccades and visual acuity were measured and analyzed. Results: Active head-impulses toward the lesioned side resulted in better visual acuity (p = 0.002) compared to conventional passive head-impulses and generated eye-saccades with significantly shorter latencies (p = 0.004). Active movements to the lesioned side generated dynamic visual acuities that were as good as when testing the intact side. Conclusion: Actively generated head impulses resulted in normal dynamic visual acuity, even when performed toward the side of total vestibular loss. This might be attributed to the appearance of short-latency covert saccades. The results show a strong relationship between self-generated movements, latencies of covert saccades and outcome in HITD-FT, i.e., a better dynamic visual function with less retinal slip which is the main function of the VOR. The method of active HITD-FT might be valuable in assessing vestibular compensation and monitoring ongoing vestibular rehabilitation.

Cognitive Rehabilitation in Bilateral Vestibular Patients: A Computational Perspective

There is evidence that vestibular sensory processing affects, and is affected by, higher cognitive processes. This is highly relevant from a clinical perspective, where there is evidence for cognitive impairments in patients with peripheral vestibular deficits. The vestibular system performs complex probabilistic computations, and we claim that understanding these is important for investigating interactions between vestibular processing and cognition. Furthermore, this will aid our understanding of patients’ self-motion perception and will provide useful information for clinical interventions. We propose that cognitive training is a promising way to alleviate the debilitating symptoms of patients with complete bilateral vestibular loss (BVP), who often fail to show improvement when relying solely on conventional treatment methods. We present a probabilistic model capable of processing vestibular sensory data during both passive and active self-motion. Crucially, in our model, knowledge from multiple sources, including higher-level cognition, can be used to predict head motion. This is the entry point for cognitive interventions. Despite the loss of sensory input, the processing circuitry in BVP patients is still intact, and they can still perceive self-motion when the movement is self-generated. We provide computer simulations illustrating self-motion perception of BVP patients. Cognitive training may lead to more accurate and confident predictions, which result in decreased weighting of sensory input, and thus improved self-motion perception. Using our model, we show the possible impact of cognitive interventions to help vestibular rehabilitation in patients with BVP.

Efficacy of Balance and Eye-Movement Exercises for Persons With Multiple Sclerosis (BEEMS)

Objective

To determine whether a multifaceted vestibular-related rehabilitation program (Balance and Eye-Movement Exercises for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis; BEEMS) improves balance in persons with MS and whether there are differences in outcomes based on brainstem/cerebellar lesion involvement.

Methods

A 2-arm, examiner-blinded, stratified (involvement vs no involvement of brainstem/cerebellar structures), randomized controlled trial was implemented. Eighty-eight participants were allocated to BEEMS or no treatment control. Computerized Dynamic Posturography-Sensory Organization Test (CDP-SOT) measured balance control. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), and Short Form-36 Health Status Questionnaire (SF-36) were also administered. Linear mixed models were used to investigate the primary and secondary aims.

Results

From baseline to 6 weeks, BEEMS participants experienced greater improvements compared to control participants in CDP-SOT composite (model-estimated difference in change 4.9, 95% confidence interval 1.39–8.38, p = 0.006), DHI total (−13.5, −17.7 to −7.25, p < 0.0001), MFIS total (−11.4, −15.7 to −7.0, p < 0.0001), SF-36 Mental (5.6, 2.43–8.71, p = 0.0006), and SF-36 Physical (3.5, 1.12–5.81, p = 0.004) scores and from baseline to 14 weeks in CDP-SOT composite (8.3, 4.73–11.9, p < 0.0001), DHI total (−13.9, −19.3 to −8.62, p < 0.0001), MFIS total (−12.3, −16.7 to −7.79, p < 0.0001), SF-36 Mental (3.9, 0.70–7.16, p = 0.02), and SF-36 Physical (3.2, 0.79–5.62, p = 0.01) scores. From baseline to 6 weeks, BEEMS participants with brainstem/cerebellar lesion involvement experienced greater improvements compared to those without in CDP-SOT composite (5.26, 0.34–10.2, p = 0.04) and MFIS total (−7.6, −14.0 to −1.33, p = 0.02) scores.

Conclusion

BEEMS improved multiple outcomes regardless of whether brainstem/cerebellar lesions were present, supporting the generalizability of BEEMS for ambulatory people with MS who have at least minimally impaired balance and fatigue.

Clinical trials.gov identifier

NCT01698086.

Classification of evidence

This study provides Class I evidence that BEEMS training improves dynamic posturography-based balance, dizziness, fatigue, and quality of life in persons with MS.

Validation of the Italian Version of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, the Situational Vertigo Questionnaire, and the Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale for Peripheral and Central Vestibular Symptoms

Neurophysiological measurements of the vestibular function for diagnosis and follow-up evaluations provide an objective assessment, which, unfortunately, does not necessarily correlate with the patients’ self-feeling. The literature provides many questionnaires to assess the outcome of rehabilitation programs for disequilibrium, but only for the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) is an Italian translation available, validated on a small group of patients suffering from a peripheral acute vertigo. We translated and validated the reliability and validity of the DHI, the Situational Vertigo Questionnaire (SVQ), and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) in 316 Italian patients complaining of dizziness due either to a peripheral or to a central vestibular deficit, or in whom vestibular signs were undetectable by means of instrumental testing or clinical evaluation. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha, the homogeneity index, and test–retest reproducibility, confirmed reliability of the Italian version of the three questionnaires. Validity was confirmed by correlation test between questionnaire scores. Correlations with clinical variables suggested that they can be used as a complementary tool for the assessment of vestibular symptoms. In conclusion, the Italian versions of DHI, SVQ, and ABC are reliable and valid questionnaires for assessing the impact of dizziness on the quality of life of Italian patients with peripheral or central vestibular deficit.

A Novel Saccadic Strategy Revealed by Suppression Head Impulse Testing of Patients with Bilateral Vestibular Loss

Objective

We examined the eye movement response patterns of a group of patients with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL) during suppression head impulse testing. Some showed a new saccadic strategy that may have potential for explaining how patients use saccades to recover from vestibular loss.

Methods

Eight patients with severe BVL [vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gains less than 0.35 and absent otolithic function] were tested. All patients were given the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and questioned about oscillopsia during abrupt head movements. Two paradigms of video head impulse testing of the horizontal VOR were used: (1) the classical head impulse paradigm [called head impulse test (HIMPs)]—fixating an earth-fixed target during the head impulse and (2) the new complementary test paradigm—fixating a head-fixed target during the head impulse (called SHIMPs). The VOR gain of HIMPs was quantified by two algorithms.

Results

During SHIMPs testing, some BVL patients consistently generated an inappropriate covert compensatory saccade during the head impulse that required a corresponding large anti-compensatory saccade at the end of the head impulse in order to obey the instructions to maintain gaze on the head-fixed target. By contrast, other BVL patients did not generate this inappropriate covert saccade and did not exhibit a corresponding anti-compensatory saccade. The latencies of the covert saccade in SHIMPs and HIMPs were similar.

Conclusion

The pattern of covert saccades during SHIMPs appears to be related to the reduction of oscillopsia during abrupt head movements. BVL patients who did not report oscillopsia showed this unusual saccadic pattern, whereas BVL patients who reported oscillopsia did not show this pattern. This inappropriate covert SHIMPs saccade may be an objective indicator of how some patients with vestibular loss have learned to trigger covert saccades during head movements in everyday life.