loading page

Refining the video head-impulse test diagnostic accuracy - a retrospective case-control study.
  • +1
  • Nabil Faranesh,
  • KHALDOON Abo-Saleh,
  • Margalith Kaminer,
  • Avi Shupak
Nabil Faranesh
LIN Medical Center

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
KHALDOON Abo-Saleh
LIN Medical Center
Author Profile
Margalith Kaminer
LIN Medical Center
Author Profile
Avi Shupak
Technion Israel Institute of Technology The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine
Author Profile

Abstract

Abstract Objective: To appraise the added benefit of refixation saccades (RS) towards the improvement of the video head-impulse test (vHIT) diagnostic accuracy in cases of suspected left horizontal semicircular canal dysfunction. Study Design: Case-control. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Participants: Twenty patients with a final diagnosis of left horizontal semicircular canal dysfunction and 20 patients for whom vestibular dysfunction was ruled out. Intervention: vHIT recordings of 40 patients with left horizontal semicircular canal (LHSCC) vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain <0.8. Main outcome measures: LHSCC VOR gain; Presence of RS and their frequency, latency, and velocity characteristics. Results: Gain values > 0.72 were found in all patients with no vestibular disease and in 4 (20%) patients having vestibulopathy. Significantly higher average left-sided RS velocity and frequency were found among the vestibular patients. VOR gain < 0.72 was found to be highly specific for the diagnosis of vestibular dysfunction. However, for gain values in the range of 0.72-0.79 the presence of RS with frequency > 80% largely improved vHIT diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Although VOR gain<0.8 is considered to reflect dysfunction a significant false positive rate for left-sided horizontal vHIT was found for gains in the range of 0.72-0.79. The presence of RS with frequency >80% could improve vHIT diagnostic ability in these patients. Key words: video head impulse test, re-fixation saccades, peripheral vestibular pathology, gain asymmetry in vHIT, lateral semicircular canal hypofunction, saccadic frequency, corrective saccade velocity