TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Vestibular Compensation—Recovery after Unilateral Vestibular Loss A1 - Curthoys, Ian S. A1 - Halmagyi, G. Michael A2 - Herdman, Susan J. A2 - Clendaniel, Richard A. Y1 - 2014 N1 - T2 - Vestibular Rehabilitation AB - Sudden, complete unilateral loss of vestibular function in normal, healthy individuals results in a dramatic series of symptoms—strong sensations of turning (vertigo), nausea, rapid eye movements (nystagmus), oscillopsia (the illusion that the visual world is moving as they move their head), falling to the affected side, gait ataxia, postural instability, distortions in the perception of body orientation and movement, and inadequate compensatory responses to head movement. We will use the term unilateral vestibular deafferentation (UVD) syndrome to refer to these symptoms. Such patients are greatly distressed. Over the first few days most of the symptoms decline and the patient's distress correspondingly diminishes. For most patients, these symptoms have disappeared within a few weeks, and the patients return to their normal lifestyle and are happy with their recovery. The term used to describe that general recovery is vestibular compensation, and superficially it seems that there is a full recovery and vestibular function has returned. Indeed, in a few patients this is exactly what does happen: some patients with vestibular neuritis experience all these symptoms, but as their vestibular neuritis diminishes, their peripheral vestibular function, as shown by new specific, objective tests, is completely restored. However, in most patients there is little or no restoration of vestibular function, and when their peripheral vestibular function is tested by these new tests of canal and otolith function, the permanent loss is clearly shown. Nevertheless, most patients with permanent UVD recover and are happy—they are “well-compensated.” They do not experience vertigo, nausea, oscillopsia, or postural unsteadiness (see Box 8-1). SN - PB - F. A. Davis Company CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - fadavispt.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1135015190 ER -