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Biomedical subjects

Thomas Lempert

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Lempert.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Utricular dysfunction in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that utricular function is impaired in patients with idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary dizziness clinic and vestibular research laboratory. PATIENTS: Twelve patients with unilateral idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo were examined 1 week and 1 month after successful treatment with positioning maneuvers and compared with 24 healthy subjects. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Otolith function was assessed with estimation of the subjective visual vertical and analysis of the torsional otolith-ocular reflex. Unilateral stimulation of the utricle was performed on a rotator that allowed eccentric lateral displacement of the patient during earth-vertical rotation with constant velocity. The otolith-ocular reflex was recorded with three-dimensional video-oculography. RESULTS: There was no difference in the estimation of the subjective visual vertical between patients and controls. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the otolith-ocular reflex torsional eye position was smaller in patients than in the control group. The gain of the unilateral otolith-ocular reflex was reduced in patients on both sides on first testing. After several weeks, only the affected labyrinth showed a reduced otolith-ocular reflex gain. CONCLUSION: Our findings document otolith dysfunction in patients with idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo possibly secondary to degeneration of the utricular macula. This finding may account for the transient mild imbalance and dizziness that some patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo experience even after resolution of positional vertigo.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Episodic vertigo.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review focuses on three neuro-otological syndromes, which are all marked by rapid scientific progress on the one hand but under-recognition or undertreatment on the other: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and its variants, superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome, and migrainous vertigo. RECENT FINDINGS: The efficacy of Epley's maneuver for treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo has been convincingly demonstrated by a meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials. Head vibration during Epley's procedure and keeping upright for 48 h after effective treatment do not improve the outcome. Superior canal dehiscence syndrome presents not only with sound and pressure-induced vertigo but also with conductive hearing loss at low frequencies. Migrainous vertigo may present not only with spontaneous attacks but also with positional vertigo or with chronic dizziness and imbalance. Vestibular rehabilitation has been proven to relieve chronic dizziness and visual vertigo. SUMMARY: Recent studies have eliminated several white spots on the neuro-otological map. However, many areas are still unexplored, particularly with regard to treatment of specific vestibular syndromes where randomized controlled trials are just at their beginning.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

Acute migrainous vertigo: clinical and oculographic findings.

Migrainous vertigo (MV) is an increasingly recognized cause of episodic vertigo. However, the pathophysiology of MV is still a matter of speculation and it is not known to what extent the dysfunction is located in the central or peripheral vestibular system. The aim of this prospective study was to describe the clinical spectrum of acute MV and to clarify which structures of the vestibular system are involved. Testing of 20 patients with acute MV included neuro-otological examination, recording of spontaneous and positional nystagmus with 3D video-oculography, and audiometry. Pathological nystagmus was observed in 70% of patients during acute MV: six had isolated spontaneous nystagmus, five had isolated positional nystagmus and three had a combination of the two. Only a few patients showed additional ocular motor deficits. Imbalance was observed in all patients except one. Hearing was not affected in any patient during the attack. The findings during acute MV point to central-vestibular dysfunction in 10 patients (50%) and to peripheral vestibular dysfunction in three patients (15%). In the remaining seven patients (35%) the site of involvement could not be determined with certainty. MV should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vertigo with spontaneous and positional nystagmus and can present both as a central and a peripheral vestibular disorder.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Migrainous vertigo presenting as episodic positional vertigo.

Migraine can cause vestibular symptoms including positional vertigo. Of 362 consecutive patients presenting with positional vertigo, 10 with migrainous vertigo mimicking benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) were identified. The following factors help to distinguish migrainous positional vertigo from BPPV: short-duration symptomatic episodes and frequent recurrences, manifestation early in life, migrainous symptoms during episodes with positional vertigo, and atypical positional nystagmus.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed2002

Human vestibular cortex as identified with caloric stimulation in functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Anatomic and electrophysiological studies in monkeys have yielded a detailed map of cortex areas receiving vestibular afferents. In contrast, comparatively little is known about the cortical representation of the human vestibular system. In this study we applied caloric stimulation and fMRI to further characterize human cortical vestibular areas and to test for hemispheric dominance of vestibular information processing. For caloric vestibular stimulation we used cold nitrogen to avoid susceptibility artifacts induced by water calorics. Right and left side vestibular stimulation was repetitively performed inducing a nystagmus for at least 90 s after the end of the stimulation in all subjects. Only the first 60 s of this nystagmus period was included for statistical analysis and compared with the baseline condition. Activation maps revealed a cortical network with right hemispheric dominance, which in all subjects comprised the temporoparietal junction extending into the posterior insula and, furthermore, the anterior insula, pre- and postcentral gyrus, areas in the parietal lobe, the ventrolateral portion of the occipital lobe, and the inferior frontal gyrus extending into the inferior part of the precentral sulcus. In conclusion, caloric stimulation in fMRI reveals a widespread cortical network involved in vestibular signal processing corresponding to the findings from animal experiments and previous functional imaging studies in humans. Furthermore, this study demonstrates a strong right hemispheric dominance of vestibular cortex areas regardless of the stimulated side, consistent with the current view of a rightward asymmetrical cortical network for spatial orientation.

Adult↗