Whereas much has been learned about age-related auditory changes in the inner ear, relatively little is known about the aging effects on the vestibular part of the inner ear-the peripheral vestibular system. Here we r...Whereas much has been learned about age-related auditory changes in the inner ear, relatively little is known about the aging effects on the vestibular part of the inner ear-the peripheral vestibular system. Here we review relevant literature with regard to the prevalence of vestibular dysfunction, vestibular functional and structural changes in the elderly. The prevalence of vestibular dysfunction increases with age. Functionally, as age increases, VEMP amplitudes decrease, VEMP thresholds increase, VOR gain of HIT decreases. Due to the complexity of the vestibular system, variations in subject age and measurement techniques, findings in VEMP latency and caloric tests are conflicting. To address this, a direct measure of the peripheral vestibular system should be applied. Structurally, age-related loss in vestibular ganglion and otoconia have been noted; hair cell changes are not well defined; while subcellular changes remain to be explored. Defining how the onset of vestibular dysfunction correlates with structural degeneration will offer insights into the mechanisms underlying vestibular aging.展开更多
The ears are air-filled structures that are directly impacted during blast exposure.In addition to hearing loss and tinnitus,blast victims often complain of vertigo,dizziness and unsteady posture,suggesting that blast...The ears are air-filled structures that are directly impacted during blast exposure.In addition to hearing loss and tinnitus,blast victims often complain of vertigo,dizziness and unsteady posture,suggesting that blast exposure induces damage to the vestibular end organs in the inner ear.However,the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated.In this report,single vestibular afferent activity and the vestibuloocular reflex(VOR)were investigated before and after exposure to blast shock waves(~20 PSI)delivered into the left external ear canals of anesthetized rats.Single vestibular afferent activity was recorded from the superior branch of the left vestibular nerves of the blast-treated and control rats one day after blast exposure.Blast exposure reduced the spontaneous discharge rates of the otolith and canal afferents.Blast exposure also reduced the sensitivity of irregular canal afferents to sinusoidal head rotation at 0.5e2Hz.Blast exposure,however,resulted in few changes in the VOR responses to sinusoidal head rotation and translation.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first study that reports blast exposure-induced damage to vestibular afferents in an animal model.These results provide insights that may be helpful in developing biomarkers for early diagnosis of blast-induced vestibular deficits in military and civilian populations.展开更多
Profound sensorineural hearing loss (PSHL) is not uncommonly encountered in otology. In clinics, there is a high incidence of otolithic damage in patients with PSHL, but relevant reports are few. Sharing a continuous ...Profound sensorineural hearing loss (PSHL) is not uncommonly encountered in otology. In clinics, there is a high incidence of otolithic damage in patients with PSHL, but relevant reports are few. Sharing a continuous membranous structure and similar receptor cell ultrastructures, the cochlea and vestibule may be susceptible to the same harmful factors. Disorders of the inner ear may result in a variety of manifestations, including vertigo, spatial disorientation, blurred vision, impaired articulation, and hearing impairment. Considering the diversity of clinical symptoms associated with PSHL with otolithic dysfunction, it may be frequently misdiagnosed, and objective means of testing the function of otolithic organs should be recommended for hearing-impaired patients. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) via air-conducted sound are of great importance for the diagnosis of otolithic function. Hearing devices such as cochlear implants are commonly accepted treatments for PSHL, and early identification and treatment of vestibular disorders may increase the success rate of cochlear implantation. Therefore, it is necessary to increase awareness of otolithic functional states in patients with PSHL.展开更多
This study investigated the relationship among the severity of hearing impairment,vestibular function and balance function in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss（ISSNHL）.A total of 35 ISSNHL p...This study investigated the relationship among the severity of hearing impairment,vestibular function and balance function in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss（ISSNHL）.A total of 35 ISSNHL patients（including 21 patients with vertigo） were enrolled.All of the patients underwent audiometry,sensory organization test（SOT）,caloric test,cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential（cV EMP） test and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential（o VEMP） test.Significant relationship was found between vertigo and hearing loss grade（P=0.009）,and between SOT VEST grade and hearing loss grade（P=0.001）.The abnormal rate of o VEMP test was the highest,followed by the abnormal rates of caloric and c VEMP tests,not only in patients with vertigo but also in those without vertigo.The vestibular end organs were more susceptible to damage in patients with vertigo（compared with patients without vertigo）.Significant relationship was found between presence of vertigo and SOT VEST grade（P=0.010）.We demonstrated that vestibular end organs may be impaired not only in patients with vertigo but also in patients without vertigo.The cochlear and vestibular impairment could be more serious in patients with vertigo than in those without vertigo.Vertigo does not necessarily bear a causal relationship with the impairment of the vestibular end organs.SOT VEST grade could be used to reflect the presence of vertigo state in the ISSNHL patients.Apart from audiometry,the function of peripheral vestibular end organs and balance function should be evaluated to comprehensively understand ISSNHL.Better assessment of the condition will help us in clinical diagnosis,treatment and prognosis evaluation of ISSNHL.展开更多
文摘Whereas much has been learned about age-related auditory changes in the inner ear, relatively little is known about the aging effects on the vestibular part of the inner ear-the peripheral vestibular system. Here we review relevant literature with regard to the prevalence of vestibular dysfunction, vestibular functional and structural changes in the elderly. The prevalence of vestibular dysfunction increases with age. Functionally, as age increases, VEMP amplitudes decrease, VEMP thresholds increase, VOR gain of HIT decreases. Due to the complexity of the vestibular system, variations in subject age and measurement techniques, findings in VEMP latency and caloric tests are conflicting. To address this, a direct measure of the peripheral vestibular system should be applied. Structurally, age-related loss in vestibular ganglion and otoconia have been noted; hair cell changes are not well defined; while subcellular changes remain to be explored. Defining how the onset of vestibular dysfunction correlates with structural degeneration will offer insights into the mechanisms underlying vestibular aging.
文摘The ears are air-filled structures that are directly impacted during blast exposure.In addition to hearing loss and tinnitus,blast victims often complain of vertigo,dizziness and unsteady posture,suggesting that blast exposure induces damage to the vestibular end organs in the inner ear.However,the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated.In this report,single vestibular afferent activity and the vestibuloocular reflex(VOR)were investigated before and after exposure to blast shock waves(~20 PSI)delivered into the left external ear canals of anesthetized rats.Single vestibular afferent activity was recorded from the superior branch of the left vestibular nerves of the blast-treated and control rats one day after blast exposure.Blast exposure reduced the spontaneous discharge rates of the otolith and canal afferents.Blast exposure also reduced the sensitivity of irregular canal afferents to sinusoidal head rotation at 0.5e2Hz.Blast exposure,however,resulted in few changes in the VOR responses to sinusoidal head rotation and translation.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first study that reports blast exposure-induced damage to vestibular afferents in an animal model.These results provide insights that may be helpful in developing biomarkers for early diagnosis of blast-induced vestibular deficits in military and civilian populations.
文摘Profound sensorineural hearing loss (PSHL) is not uncommonly encountered in otology. In clinics, there is a high incidence of otolithic damage in patients with PSHL, but relevant reports are few. Sharing a continuous membranous structure and similar receptor cell ultrastructures, the cochlea and vestibule may be susceptible to the same harmful factors. Disorders of the inner ear may result in a variety of manifestations, including vertigo, spatial disorientation, blurred vision, impaired articulation, and hearing impairment. Considering the diversity of clinical symptoms associated with PSHL with otolithic dysfunction, it may be frequently misdiagnosed, and objective means of testing the function of otolithic organs should be recommended for hearing-impaired patients. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) via air-conducted sound are of great importance for the diagnosis of otolithic function. Hearing devices such as cochlear implants are commonly accepted treatments for PSHL, and early identification and treatment of vestibular disorders may increase the success rate of cochlear implantation. Therefore, it is necessary to increase awareness of otolithic functional states in patients with PSHL.
基金supported by grants from the National Twelfth Five-Year Science and Technology Support Program of China(No.2012BAI12B02)the National Eleventh Five-Year Science and Technology Support Program of China(No.2007BAI18B13)
文摘This study investigated the relationship among the severity of hearing impairment,vestibular function and balance function in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss（ISSNHL）.A total of 35 ISSNHL patients（including 21 patients with vertigo） were enrolled.All of the patients underwent audiometry,sensory organization test（SOT）,caloric test,cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential（cV EMP） test and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential（o VEMP） test.Significant relationship was found between vertigo and hearing loss grade（P=0.009）,and between SOT VEST grade and hearing loss grade（P=0.001）.The abnormal rate of o VEMP test was the highest,followed by the abnormal rates of caloric and c VEMP tests,not only in patients with vertigo but also in those without vertigo.The vestibular end organs were more susceptible to damage in patients with vertigo（compared with patients without vertigo）.Significant relationship was found between presence of vertigo and SOT VEST grade（P=0.010）.We demonstrated that vestibular end organs may be impaired not only in patients with vertigo but also in patients without vertigo.The cochlear and vestibular impairment could be more serious in patients with vertigo than in those without vertigo.Vertigo does not necessarily bear a causal relationship with the impairment of the vestibular end organs.SOT VEST grade could be used to reflect the presence of vertigo state in the ISSNHL patients.Apart from audiometry,the function of peripheral vestibular end organs and balance function should be evaluated to comprehensively understand ISSNHL.Better assessment of the condition will help us in clinical diagnosis,treatment and prognosis evaluation of ISSNHL.
