Preserved vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) in some patients with walking-induced oscillopsia due to bilateral vestibulopathy

Abstract

Bilateral vestibulopathy, i.e. decreased peripheral vestibular function affecting both ears, is characterized by unsteadiness of gait, particularly in darkness and by motion-induced oscillopsia. We have recently seen a few patients with severely impaired semicircular canal function albeit with rather normal vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) suggesting normal saccular function. The five young patients, mean age 27 years (range 15-45), 4 males and 1 female, had severely impaired balance in darkness and they all reported walking-induced vertical oscillopsia. Hence, these patients with incomplete vestibular lesions had symptoms that were indistinguishable from the typical patient with bilateral vestibulopathy. Further, the findings in these patients suggest that saccular function probably contributes little to prevent walking-induced vertical oscillopsia.