Electronystagmography and posturography examination of vertigo patients

AIM To examine and analyse the vestibular eye reflex and vestibular spinal reflex function of vertigo patients. METHODS The electronystagmogram, posturogram and related parameters of 40 normal subjects and 82 patients suffering from vertigoes were measured with electronystagmography (ENG) and posturography (PSG). RESULTS Of 82 vertigo patients ENG examination, showed 13 cases of spontaneous nystagmus and 55 cases of positional nystagmus, 36 cases of normal, 27 cases of decline and 19 cases of paralysis of semicircular canals function and normal optokinetic center functions, PSG examination showed that the centripetal pattern of postural sway was the most prominent in the normal subjects, but the diffuse pattern in the vertigo patients. The locus length, velocity and area of postural sway of the vertigo patients were increased significantly as compared with that of normal subjects. CONCLUSION Quantitative analysis of the vestibular eye reflex and vestibular spinal reflex function can be reliably and objectively realized with ENG and PSG. They are valuable methods in the differential diagnosis of vertigoes.