Vestibulo-Oculomotor Reflex Recording Using the Scleral Search Coil Technique. Review of Peripheral Vestibular Disorders

Abstract

Our goal is to review vestibulo-oculomotor reflex (VOR) studies on several peripheral vestibular disorders (Ménière’s disease, vestibular neuritis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, superior canal dehiscence syndrome, and vestibular neuroma), using the scleral search coil (SSC) technique. Head movements are detected by vestibular receptors and the elicited VOR is responsible for compensatory 3 dimensional eye movements. Therefore, to study the VOR it is necessary to assess the direction and velocity of 3 dimensional head, and eye movements. This can be achieved using the SSC technique. Interaction between a scleral search coil and an alternating magnetic field generates an electrical signal that is proportional to eye position. Ideally, eye rotation axis is aligned with head rotation axis and VOR gain (eye velocity/head velocity) for horizontal and vertical head rotations is almost 1. The VOR gain, however, for torsional head rotations is smaller and about 0.