Subjective visual horizontal in the upright posture and asymmetry in roll-tilt perception: independent measures of vestibular function

Abstract

The subjective visual horizontal (SVH) was measured in the upright position and at 10, 20, and 30 degrees of head and body tilt to the right and left. Normal subjects (n=25) were tested on two separate occasions with an interval of 1-14 days. Test variables considered were the SVH in the upright position, the perception of tilt to the right and left, calculated on the basis of the SVH in the upright and tilted positions, and the asymmetry in tilt perception. There was no correlation between the perception of tilt to the right and to the left r=0.10). Neither was there any correlation between the SVH in the upright position, representing a resting asymmetry, and the asymmetry in tilt perception, i.e. the response asymmetry (r=0.17). However, for each variable, there was a high correspondence between data obtained at test and retest (r ranged from 0.68 to 0.89, p<0.001), suggesting that the independence between variables is not due to noise. Findings are discussed taking into consideration the possible roles of otoliths and semicircular canals in the formation of the SVH. In an attempt to explain the independence between the two measures of asymmetry it is hypothesized that while the otoliths must be essential for the perception of static lateral tilt, the SVH in the upright position to a considerable degree reflects semicircular canal function.