Correlating the head shake-sensory organizing test with dizziness handicap inventory in compensation after vestibular neuritis.

OBJECTIVE

Despite complaints of dizziness, some patients with unilateral compensated vestibular weakness show normal results on Sensory Organization Test (SOT), which is being widely used for the evaluation of vestibular function compensation. The head shake-sensory organization test (HS-SOT) has been suggested to increase the sensitivity of SOT. In HS-SOT, the patient is required to shake head under Conditions 2 and 5 of traditional SOT. However, the sensitivity of HS-SOT remains unelucidated in patients with vestibular neuritis. The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity of HS-SOT and SOT and compare them with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) in detecting balance problems in patients with vestibular neuritis complaining of dizziness.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS: A prospective analysis was conducted on all vestibular neuritis patients between September 2009 and April 2011. Thirty-two patients with uncompensated vestibular neuritis were enrolled in this study. Patients with acute symptoms of dizziness, orthopedic problems, or any other severe underlying conditions were excluded.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Equilibrium and vestibular scores of SOT and equilibrium score ratios of HS-SOT and DHI were obtained from each patient after 1 week and 1, 2, and 6 months of the first attack of vestibular neuritis.

RESULTS

HS-SOT is more correlated with the DHI than SOT by periods. One month after vestibular neuritis, the correlation between DHI and SOT, HS-SOT Conditions 2 and 5 were -0.301, -0.385, and -0.625, respectively. Six months after vestibular neuritis, the correlation between DHI and SOT, and HS-SOT Conditions 2 and 5 were -0.053, -0.337, and -0.394, respectively.

CONCLUSION

HS-SOT was more sensitive than SOT during the compensation of vestibular neuritis. Specifically, during the compensation of vestibular neuritis, HS-SOT Condition 5 was more correlated with DHI than HS-SOT Condition 2. The results suggest that HS-SOT provides more useful measures for the evaluation of vestibular compensation in vestibular neuritis.